Trail Watch riders keep Greenway safe

Volunteers report suspicious behavior, help fix flat tires, and provide a friendly presence on the trail

by Tesha M. Christensen

Trail Watch riders help keep the Midtown Greenway safe every night of the week.

Traveling in groups of three or more, the riders act as extra eyes and ears for law enforcement by observing and reporting suspicious behavior or unsafe conditions. Trail Watchers do not intervene in incidents they come across in the Greenway; rather they’re a friendly presence on the trail and report criminal or intimidating behaviors that are noticed during the shift to police.

The program began as an offshoot of the Minneapolis bicycle forum mplsbikelove.com in response the number of assaults and robberies on the Greenway that had happened in the fall of 2008. People talking together on the forum organized a citizen’s patrol. In 2009, the Midtown Greenway Coalition took over the program and formalized it. There are similar programs in cities such as New York, Portland and Anchorage.

FIGHTING PERCEPTION THE TRENCH ISN’T SAFE

Andrew Paule is a single dad with a daughter who uses the Greenway as a basic route from Uptown to the River Road. He joined the bike-mounted safety patrol because he thought it would make her safer, as well as other riders.

“The goal of the program has always been to make the riders on the Greenway feel safer,” said Paule, who leads rides on Fridays and Saturdays. “A perception existed that the Greenway was unsafe at night, and even though it is much safer to ride it than city streets, many people avoided it. Plus, the ‘trench’ (between 28th St. and Hennepin) is down, away from others, and can be eerie at night alone for some.”

“It’s important to know that crime against bikers and others is rare in the Greenway,” pointed out Midtown Greenway Coalition Executive Director and Longfellow resident Soren Jensen. “In fact, the Greenway is one of the safest places to ride a bike.” 

But like other places in the city, crime does exist, and Trail Watch riders help prevent it by their presence.

“I think we have had an impact,” Paule noted. “Crime is down on the Greenway significantly. We had zero incidents between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. for two years.”

There was a small crime wave this winter of two to three incidents near the 12th Ave. bridge. Trail Watch riders responded by patrolling that area more frequently, particularly during the time the incidents were occurring.

Gabriel Hoffman, the Seward representative on the coalition board, heads up the Midtown Greenway Coalition’s Trail Watch program and is the Thursday night ride leader. “I have come across the aftermath of several situations,“ he said. “We provide what help we can, and call 911, but most nights it is pretty quiet out there.  I keep my eyes open when I’m down there, but I’ve never had a problem, nor been in an uncomfortable situation.”

The Midtown Greenway Coalition encourages people to ride in pairs after dark when possible, and is launching a “buddy up” program this year.

“While Trail Watch will always be our #1 crime prevention program, the coalition has also recently started a Crime Prevention Task Force to look at more things we can do to help prevent crime, from working on more lighting and cameras, to hiring private security patrols,” said Jensen.

WHAT IS A RIDE LIKE?

Trail Watch riders set off nightly at around dusk from the Midtown building entry on 10th Ave., acknowledging that people using the Greenway tend to get uneasy around that time of day. They put on their vests and notify police dispatch that they’re heading out. Then they begin traversing the trail between Lake Calhoun and the Metrodome.

“For the first couple of hours after dark there are still a lot of riders out and we believe that many know who we are and feel safer because of it,” said Paule. “The police also know who we are now, and respond better. The dispatchers in particular know where we are now, and get cars out quickly.”

All rides carry a basic mechanical kit (fixing flats, broken chains, etc.) and will help people who are not able to fix their bikes. Trail Watch riders also sweep glass and pick up trash (especially glass bottles) to help out.

Each night the rides strike a different pace and tone.

“Friday night ride is a fast ride and we tend to do a lot of ‘up top’ riding,” said Paule. “We have had problems with people tossing rocks off of bridges, and problems with people hanging out on the Greenway. Being at street level allows us to peer down and see what is going on. The people who cause the problem spots know that we are out and looking for them and not simply riding along the Greenway.”  

Saturday tends to be the “pass out lights” ride. Paule and another rider buy lights and distribute them to people riding without. “It helps keep all of us safer,” he said.

Wednesdays used to be the WOW (Women Ride on Wednesdays) ride. In the winter, there’s hot cocoa on Sundays.

“The riders tend to know each other pretty well,” pointed out Paule, and each ride is a social event for those involved.

Just as there are more riders out on the Greenway during nice weather, so there are more Trail Watch volunteers during those months. “Biking is very seasonal for many people,” observed Paule. “They ride a lot during the spring, some in the summer (it’s hot) and basically stop for the fall and winter.  It’s like gyms - you can’t find a parking spot in early January, but you can use any weight station or machine you want in late summer at any time.  

“But, 30 years ago there were maybe a dozen people who rode in the winter. Now there are thousands, and every year more people are doing it. So we are getting more people out year round for Trail Watch.”

Some Trail Watch volunteers come out for several rides a week; others show up once a year. “It’s a volunteer thing and we view showing up even for an hour as a good thing,” noted Paule.

There is an incentive program for Trail Watch riders courtesy of local businesses. Bryant-Lane Bowl, Common Roots Cafe, Galactic Pizza, Pizza Luce provide free food once a month. Additionally, riders who participate in six or more rides in a quarter get a 10% discount on in-stock parts and accessories and a 5% discount on bikes at Free Wheel Bike, as well as maintenance and tune-ups from Bikes and Pieces. Wells Fargo donated $1,000 to continue development of the program.

Learn more at http://www.midtowngreenway.org. Or, email trailwatch@midtowngreenway.org.

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Q & A With Trail Watch Organizer Gabriel Hoffman

• What is the goal of the program? 

    “To keep the Midtown Greenway safe.  The trail is, in fact, a lot safer than the surrounding streets, and we want to keep it that way.”

• What's a typical night like on the Greenway?

“On a good night, where there are no incidents, it's just a fun ride with a bunch of friends.  And fortunately, most nights are good nights.”

• What sort of situations have you come across?

“Most nights, it is pretty quiet.  We sometimes get rocks being thrown off of bridges, and with some frequency we have to deal with people passed out drunk under one or another of the bridges.  On very rare occasions, we come upon the victim of a mugging (personally, I've only seen this once).  Then there are the occasional odd ones -- we had a person fall off one of the bridges and break his leg.  Most of the time, if we see anything, it is groups of young men who seem to be setting up for an attack, at which point we call it in and wait for the police from a safe distance away.” 

• What does a ride with the Trail Watchers look like?

“Rides last about two hours, and the mileage depends a lot on who shows up, and what happens while we are on the ride.  The most I've ever done in one night was about 25 miles, and the least (on a night with multiple events) was about 10.” 

This story printed in the May 2012 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.