BETTER ASK BARRY: Recreation trail safety

Depending on who you ask, either bike riders go way too fast, or walkers can’t follow the rules.

Opinions are pretty strong out on the Monterey Bay Recreation Trail.

So, with summer here, Better Ask Barry set out to see how people on foot and on wheels are getting along.

“Mostly good. Occasionally, you get someone – a few people on skateboards going a little crazy,” said Phil, a visitor from the Central Valley.

The pace doesn’t look crazy, but it can get crowded.

This is a mixed-use pathway. Surreys, strollers, sightseers and cyclists all share the road.

“It would be nice if people would obey the signs and stay to the side they’re walking on and not take up the whole path,” said Kip, a Monterey resident who rides his bike there regularly.

The Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail runs 18 miles from Castroville to Pacific Grove. Law enforcement and maintenance are the responsibilities of the individual cities it passes.

Traffic is heaviest along the waterfront from Monterey to Pacific Grove.

In Monterey, walkers and riders share two paved lanes. In Pacific Grove, there is an additional, unpaved surface intended for pedestrian traffic.

There are signs and lines the whole way, but some people pay better attention than others.

“I’ve actually laid somebody down that just turned right in my path and – bam – I hit them and they went down. They didn’t get hurt bad, they were mostly scared,” said Kip.

Overall, serious issues are rare. Pacific Grove police responded to just 10 calls over the last two years. Among the calls, three were for medical incidents, one was about a drone and another one was about electric bikes.

The trail is pretty much self-policing. If you’re unsure about the regulations, the City of Monterey has a long list of guidelines on its website .

In the meantime, the best advice is to slow down, stay to right and be on your best behavior.

And if you’ve got a question, you Better Ask Barry.