I am aware that a lot of people walk around. its a scenic route off the road that is peaceful and away from noisy cars and road pollution. If you haven't noticed, both the walking lane and bicycle lane are about 15 feet wide each,I think the walking side might be bigger and some parts the bike side are only 3 feet wide. that should be more than enough room to stay clear when people follow directions. I can tell that you don't really ride a bicycle for recreation, the roads are too sandy and the paving is really bad, also its even worse on the street with cars because you still don't get respect like you do in other places. The boardwalk is a peaceful, scenic walk that should be enjoyed by everyone, whether your passing time or exercising. All I'm saying is, if MOST people payed attention and saw that there is a bicycle side and a walking side there wouldn't be any problems. What about the families that ride bikes together? Bicyclers naturally go faster than walkers. How can you not expect to see a biker when your walking on the bike path? Its like crossing the street out of the cross walk.

Most places (99%) that have boardwalks or trails always will have a side for bikers and a side for walkers. Its pretty standard nowadays. People do follow these rules its simple. Go to the Farmington river trail that's in Hamden, you wont see one person walking in the bike lane.

People that ride bikes are always looking ahead, constantly aware of what is around and what is coming up in front of them. In most cases they're more aware of what is going on than the walkers. Bikers aren't ruthless drones, we just like to pedal up to a speed and keep the pace up, that's what you do on a bicycle. Just please stay out of the way and expect a biker to be in the biking lanes sometimes.

Just an FYI to this writer regarding the West Walk condo section of the boardwalk. There is no bike lane marked here as this is private property and there are signs at each end clearly stating no bicycle riding after 4:30 pm. We residents would really appreciate it if you would obey the signs.

Send me your name, address and phone number, kept strictly confidential and I will place your request in my column. Send to gripevine4wh@aol.com

Eleanore Turkington
gripe Vine
West Haven Voice
666 Savin Avenue
West Haven, Ct. 06516

Thats funny I just thought about that. I never ride through that section of the beach. I live on washington ave so I either go over to the church or straight down washington up the toward captains galley into new haven..thank you for your concerns, I know Murray thinks theres bigger problems than bikers riding through the west walk section.

People are ignorant. I see it all the time down there and I walk the boardwalk every single day. I notice that the majority of bike riders stay in the lane designated for them and to the West Walk resident, if the boardwalk was private there it would be fenced in like the rest of the place of is. The condo property is private as is the pool but the boardwalk is open for the public to enjoy but knowing some of the residents there they would love nothing more than to close that off to the general public. Simple common courtesy among both walkers and bikers would make the boardwalk even more enjoyable.

Hi: Send me your name, phone number and address, kept confidential and I will get on this issue.

Eleanore Turkington
Send to gripevine4wh@aol.com

Gripe Vine
West Haven Voice
666 Savin Avenue
West Haven,CT 06516

Hi Please send me your name, address and phone number, kept strictly confidential and I will be happy touse this information in my column.

send to gripevine4wh@aol.com
Eleanore Turkington
Gripe Vine
West Haven Voice
666 Savin Avenue
West Haven,CT 06516

Maybe you should ride your bikes in the street? Where else can you ride your bike on the sidewalk? I do agree, there are times when people could move to one side and let others move by, (even when just walking). Some just cant hear you when wearing headphones. However, I do not think the bikes should be allowed to ride (some moving very fast) on the sidewalk here. They should use the street like everywhere else.

well as originally stated....

There is a designated section solely for bicycle riders, there is NO disputing that. Get out of the bicycle side and there is no potential accidents. Maybe walkers should walk on the beach if you want to walk on the beachwalk..... Doesn't sound fair does it? Would you like walking on the side of the street where cars are driving? Just because some people don't ride bikes doesn't mean they should be banned on the beach, instead try following the RULES.

The bicycle is almost 200 years old everyone should be well adapted to it by now instead of bashing people because they still enjoy old fashioned hobbies.

Hi: Please forward your gripe and your name, address and phone number to Gripe Vine 666 Savin Avenue, West Haven or email your omplaint to Gripe Vine 666 Savin Avenue, West Haven,CT. 06516 I will be happy to look into this situation. Your identity will be ket strictly confidential.

Gripevine4wh!aol.com
Eleanore Turkington Ocean

Hi Michael74. You need to be aware of two things.
1/ the section that stretches behind the West Walk Condos is private property, and not marked on either side for bikes. Also, it is posted at both ends that there are no bikes allowed after somehting like 6pm to something like 6am. Check the sign (it also states no skateboards or rollerskates.... there's no enforcement, a systemically bad problem in West Haven).
2. The sidewalk from Sandy Point to West Walk Condos (passing Chick's) is actually not intended for bikes AND pedestrians, really only being wide enough for the latter. The city can't get its act together and make that clear. The utility poles and garbage cans make it even harder to accommodate pedestrians walking in both directions, and if they are walking a dog? And if they're walking two people side-by-side.? Forget it: you should be riding in the street according the established state and city laws. A sidewalk is NEVER intended for bikes, and it's just a symptom of West Haven's deep-seated dysfunctionality that they have not done anytihng about this.

I DO NOT RIDE MY BIKE THROUGH WEST WALK. For the second or third time....

and the sidewalk from Washington Ave to Captains Galley is not good for biking im usually in the street when I do ride that way depending on how many people are walking. I should have been more descriptive in my original post.

I think some people are getting the point about how the walk is divided due to increased bike traffic, not to mention the police are frequently riding around now as well.

Michael74, I sympathize with you, but i gave up a few years ago on riding through that maze of airheads. Yes, people walk in the bicycle section, and hence bicycles weave their way through the pedestrians. Ironically, so do the police on bicycles, so rather than set an example they're just adding to the problem.
I also mis-stated the case about Beach St. There is a section, from the skate park to Captain's Galley, that is marked/divided for bikes/peds, but where it stops, at the crosswalk to the parking lot, there is no indication or instructions to bicyclists as to where to go from there. Typical of West Haven. So dysfunctional.

Very interesting gripe. Send this to Gripevine4wh@aol.com and I will investigate it. Include your name, address and phone, kept strictly confidential and I will be happy to try to improve the situation.

Eleanore Turkington
Gripe Vine
West Haven Voice

I AM WITH YOU, MICHAEL74! People just walk around aimlessly and carelessly. I was actually injured a couple of years ago by some stupid old lady who was sitting on a bench but let her dog lay across the bike path, creating a trip wire effect and the leash burned right into my leg and actually tripped my friend. I wound up at the ER 4 days later because it turned into a staph infection...

Anyway, the BIKE PATH is there for people on bikes. I dont ride on the walk path. People on foot need to have the same respect I do.

Also, I dont ride on West Walk. I cut through where Foleys/Pete's is and pick it back up on Beach street.

But seriously... STOP LALLYGAGGING IN THE BIKE PATH, PEOPLE.

Send me your name, address and phone number, (kept strictly confidential) and I will be happy to put your comments in my column.
Eleanore Turkington
Gripevine4wh@aol.com

Gripe Vine West Haven Voice

Seriously, this is SO annoying, to the point where I only ride here at odd hours and never weekends. STOP WALKING IN THE BIKE PATH!

Let's get something straight here. There is a bike path marked along Beach St, but only from Captain's Galley to approximately opposite the skate park. It ends there. This is a sidewalk, and that's a designation assigned by the city. As such, it's ridiculous to thing that there is even room for both pedestrians and bicyclists, and we should be pointing our fingers at the city for not making this clear, and -- even better, but prolly never gonna happen -- actually use that ridiculously wide street to create a wider path that has appropriate widths for both bicycles and pedestrians. So if you are talking about that stretch from the skate park to the west walk condos, you are wrong to be riding your bike there, and the city is remiss for not making this clear through proper signage. There's no accommodation for how a bicyclist is to even cross where Washington and Beach meet, and btw, the sidewalk behind -- in front of? -- West Walk condos is private property, and they have signs up that limit the hours when you can even bike there.

Send this comment, along with your name, phone and address(kept confidential) and I will publish it in Gripe Vine at the West Haven Voice;
Send to gripevine4wh@aol.com

Eleanore Turkington

Send your comment along with your name, address and hone (strictly confidential) and I will publish it in Gripe Vine at the West Haven Voice.
Send to gripevine4wh@aol.com

Eleanore Turkington

email has been sent Eleanore. Not to be private but it starts with Jti.

Another thought, this time about the section of "boardwalk" that goes from the west end of West Walk and on to Bradley Point. Who's idea was it to stick all those benches and lamp posts and garbage cans right in the middle of what is already too narrow a bike path. And yes, a lot of clueless idiots ignore the markings and walk in the bike path. As a result, bicyclists ride in the walking area, and that sets off a ridiculous pattern of tension that could all be avoided if the city did this right.

Yes the space for cyclists is really slim. I regularly have to slalom around the cans and benches to avoid people, in turn it puts me at risk. Some people sit on the benches with their dogs and dont pay attention to where they are snooping and it makes a nice road block for walkers and cyclists. People that look at me like Im crazy when I ride by them.

Maybe if the markings on the walkway were more defined. Or even if the bike police actually started enforcing giving warnings or something.

The State's Complete Streets law went into effect in 2009, and requires the equal accommodation of all road users. As such, the City immediately needs to reconfigure these roadways -- between the Boardwalk, and the Kimberly Avenue bridge going into New Haven -- so that they accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists of all ages and abilities.

yes that sounds great. After the hurricane came though a lot of the walkways are completely destroyed. That will most likely take some time before its rebuilt. But a bike lane on some of the main roads would be nice too. It should've been done when they repainted street markings less than a year ago.

Hi Michael74,
Yeah, the bike police. you mean the ones who RIDE ON THE WALKWAY?? Rather than set an example, they simply add to the problem.

Hi Mark,
I was not aware of that law, but it's a great idea. Great, that is, if it's enforced. But if the city is as good about enforcing that law as it about the law that requires that no recyclable material be put into the waste stream, well, we're in trouble.

We can thank our police force for not enforcing the rules. In fact, they themselves ride their bikes in the pedestrian portion of the "board"walk (no boards... let's stop calling it a boardwalk).

Several lawsuits pending against WH police for supposed brutality. What are the police suppose to do? We criticise that they are too lax about the biking on the boardwalk when serious crime is increasing down there. The city puts too much pressure on them. HOW WILL THEY HANDLE the hoards that will follow the Big Lettered Signs pointing to our beach this summer? Only 9 patrolmen on any shift. I don't like going to the boardwalk anymore and I am a Westhavenite. It is worse on the Cpt's Galley side..less eyes and more secluded. Demand the city make changes. Protect the police, protect us.

Thanks for your concerns. Ive been avoiding the beach for this reason still after 3 years. now that the train station is coming its going to be worse

We need Mark in West Haven.
People like Mark know their stuff.

Totally agree it is the thousands that come from out of town

Two words for 2016/2017 - Pokemon Go!
That's what they're doing in the bike lane. Chasing imaginary japanese cartoons with their cell phones.... :)

As a local neighbor that does not ride bikes any more I believe that children and adults (and pets) should be the priority in the "boardwalk". We go for walks, to smell the sea air, to take in some exercise, etc. It is crowded and teenagers doing wheelies in the walking path does not help. I don't think this area is fit for "serious bike riders"...more for kids learning to ride!!! I hope we can all work on a compromise or some older citizens will surely get hurt (and they live right in front of this great recreation area!!).