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Dual tread trails: multiple use aided by multiple pathways

Trails with two adjacent or parallel treadways, often with different surfaces. While it is an axiom of trail planning that we can't afford to provide a separate trail for everyone, sometimes it makes sense to have two treads in the same corridor. The examples are from a variety of geographic areas, primarily urban greenways. Where there is a significant amount of bicycle as well as pedestrian traffic, the paving is often extended to 10 or 12 feet wide. Another solution is to provide an adjacent tread of crushed rock for walkers and runners and to allow cyclists to pass slower traffic. Runners often make their own informal trail in the dirt next to the pavement. Where equestrian use is present a typical solution is to simply let the horse riders make their own narrow trail. This keeps them a comfortable distance from others, but only works where steep banks and erosion are not a problem. Mountain bikers also take advantage of topography along the corridor to create a single track with more ups and downs.

Click on any photo to see it full size:

(Commentary by Stuart Macdonald, August 2009)

Good example of dual tread trail on Chesapeake & Ohio Canal at Fletcher's Cove; photo by Stuart Macdonald, June 16, 2007.

Paved trail on the river side of the canal and crusher fines trail on the towpath of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal at Fletcher's Cove; photo by Stuart Macdonald, June 16, 2007.

Paved trail on the river side of the canal and crusher fines trail on the towpath of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal; photo by Stuart Macdonald, June 16, 2007.

The paved trail is used more by cyclists while strollers and runners use the crusher fines trail; Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Washington, DC; photo by Stuart Macdonald, June 16, 2007.

Stone retaining walls, walks, bridges, and benches in Austin, Texas; photo by Stuart Macdonald, July 2006.

Crusher fines trail adjacent to concrete trail along Platte River in Denver; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 24, 2006.

Pink concrete widens main trail to maintain informal jogging path width where it crosses culverts along Cherry Creek in Denver; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 25, 2006.

Three parallel treads along Cherry Creek in Denver: besides paved trail, running path is adjacent, and muountain bike singletrack is in the floodplain; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 25, 2006.

Cherry Creek in Denver is crossed by low-water bridge for dirt trail and by steel bridge for paved trail; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 25, 2006.

Crusher fines trail adjacent to concrete trail along Platte River in Denver; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 24, 2006.

Crusher fines trail adjacent to concrete trail along Platte River in Denver; photo by Robert Searns.

Rumble strip is stamped into concrete trail where it leaves main paved trail to become parallel crushed rock trail; photo by Robert Searns.

Highline Canal dirt trail is paralleled by paved trail through Bible Park in Denver; photo by Stuart Macdonald

Minneapolis rails-to-trails project includes pavement marked for walkers as well as two lanes for bikes; photo by Stuart Macdonald, July 28, 2005.

Rail trail in Florida has second paved travel way separate from main trail through town.

Rail trail in Florida has second paved path to accomodate the many users.

This National Recreation Trail in Minnesota separates snowmobilers from adjacent paved path that is plowed in winter; photo by Chuck Wocken