According to a reader poll by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, trail etiquette and regulations tend to be broken the most by trail users on two wheels.
Readers who responded to the poll said bikers, e-bikers and those on electric scooters are passing too fast and too closely to other trail users.
The Journal Sentinel asked readers what their experience has been on the trails with other trail users. Here’s more about what they had to say.
Trail users on wheels are going too fast or passing too closely, readers say
The most seen breach of etiquette, according to the poll, lies with trail users on wheels.
Milwaukee County and state trails have a maximum speed users must follow. Anyone on wheels on the Oak Leaf Trail must keep to a maximum speed of 20 mph, while state trail users need to keep to a max of 15 mph.
The other two breaches of etiquette readers say they’ve witnessed the most are bicyclists not announcing when they’re passing, and trail users stopped in the middle of the trails.
Brian Hoffman, who uses the Oak Leaf Trail to cycle, stresses the importance of being aware of your surroundings.
“I have had inattentive bikers run into me,” Hoffman wrote. “I have had many close calls that could have resulted in serious injury if I wasn’t being super vigilant.”
Another reader wrote how they were hit by an e-bike after the biker failed to announce themselves and lacked control of their own bike; others have had similar accidents.
“An e-biker made an erratic turn and hit my husband coming from the other direction on a road bike,” Chris Merkel, who bikes on the Oak Leaf Trail and the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, wrote.
Oak Leaf Trail mentioned as the trail used most often
87% of readers who filled out the poll said they use paved multi-use recreational trails daily or several times a week. A large amount said they use the 135-mile stretch of the Oak Leaf Trail the most compared to other Milwaukee area trails.
Others mentioned the Ozaukee Interurban Trail and the Bugline Trail as their trails of choice.
Uncontrolled pets can pose a threat to other trail users
Our four-legged furry friends are welcome to join on the trails, but pet owners have regulations they need to follow.
According to the Milwaukee County Parks website, on the Oak Leaf Trail, pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet. However, the Hank Aaron State Trail website says users can keep pets on a leash up to 8 feet. Both trails expect pet owners to pick up after their animals and properly dispose of waste.
Pam Kassner, who mainly uses the Lake Country and Glacial Drumlin trails in Waukesha County, told the Journal Sentinel that too often uncontrolled pets pose a threat to other trail users.
“Just yesterday I had several instances of either a dog not on a leash at all or the leash is fully extended and the dog is on the opposite [side] of [the] trail,” Kassner wrote. “And sometimes, when I nicely ask to pull in [the] leash a bit more, I’m not met with the most pleasant of attitudes.”
Several other readers felt the same, with some writing to the Journal Sentinel that unleashed pets or careless owners resulted in them getting tripped, thrown off their bike or, in some cases, bitten.
“Pulled a hamstring while being chased by a dog,” Steve Stein, who enjoys running on the Oak Leaf Trail, wrote. “Owner said to me ‘he doesn’t bite.'”
Stephanie Perez is a 2026 summer intern for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be contacted at sperez@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Do Milwaukee trail users follow trail etiquette? What readers think
Reporting by Stephanie Perez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Stephanie Perez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
