As soon as Mel Walker learned Ada County commissioners were considering new rules about speeding on the Boise River Greenbelt , he went out and bought a radar gun. He stood on a bench by the Greenbelt for two days, eight hours each, to track the speed of “devices” — anything with wheels — going by on the path.
He paid particular attention to people traveling over 15 mph in crowded areas, where even that speed could be dangerous, he said. Many of those riders, he found, were going much faster: over 20 mph in congested spaces.
He wasn’t surprised. As a volunteer Greenbelt Ambassador with the Boise Police Department for the last six years, he has “lots of bruises from speeding people,” he said.
Walker was one of about 20 people, several of whom were bike safety instructors or volunteers, who spoke at a Tuesday hearing in favor of a change to county code that will require users of the nearly 50-mile pathway to travel in a “reasonable” and “prudent” manner. Violators may be charged with an infraction — or, if they put people or property in danger, a misdemeanor.