The Rangers at Paynes Prairie State Preserve (who are in charge of the Gainesville Hawthorne Trail) have forwarded the following feedback that they received on their web site:
“Is there a way to remind cyclists that the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail is a multi-use trail and is open to equestrians, walkers, pets on leash and bicyclists? I frequently meet-up with other dog enthusiasts to walk a few miles together on the trail with our dogs on leash. We always encounter speeding bicyclists who do not announce their approach or presence, and we have had many near misses getting hit or having our dogs get hit. NONE of the cyclists in all the times we've hiked the trail EVER used a bell to announce their approach/presence. They silently speed up on us and ignorantly expect us and our dogs not to spook into their path when they suddenly appear. This is a genuine problem.�
While most of us don’t have bells, we can speak up. As you approach pedestrians from behind, say something such as “On your left (right)� or even just “Bike!�. Slow down for just a second as you pass; there aren’t that many pedestrians on the trail.
Pass this on to your friends who ride the Trail; I suspect that a lot of them are not GCC members.