Signs, Paint Clearly Separate GGB for Cyclists, Pedestrians

If cyclists and pedestrians cannot keep the peace themselves, perhaps a little signage and paint will do the trick.

With the side of the Golden Gate Bridge normally reserved for bicyclists closed for repairs, the east sidewalk has become hopelessly crowded and chaotic as walkers, joggers and other perambulators vie for space with bicycle users, according to the Marin Independent Journal. Bridge officials hope signs and some paint, showing that one side is reserved for walkers and the other for cyclists, will keep the peace.

The signs are on lamp posts and other spots on the bridge.

On a busy day, such as weekends, as many as 6,000 cyclists compete with 10,000 pedestrians for use of the sidewalk, according to the newspaper.

The bridge situation figures to get only tighter in upcoming months: once the seismic retrofit works is completed on the currently-closed west side of the bridge, a 300-foot part of the east side of the bridge will be closed. This means pedestrians won't be able to cross the bridge at all while that work is being completed.

The bridge will be undergoing retrofit work until 2016, according to the newspaper.