It is time the town built sidewalks that run the whole length of Ruggles Street with serious consideration to also building a bike lanes. The sidewalk and curbstones in the downtown are beautiful, but it now time to plan correcting this serious safety issue as part of summer 2012/2013 projects before someone gets hurt.

As an outdoor distance runner who has lived in town for the past 20 years (and with an 88 year old father in law who walks in town), I appreciate that most motorists use care & caution while driving.

Here are my thoughts on how we can better share the road:

Runners/Pedestrians: Yield to drivers. Don't assume they see you no matter how bright your clothing. And for goodness sake, if you're on a street with no sidewalk, run/walk single-file. If there are cars coming in both directions, step off the side of the road. Your run will not suffer for a 2-second break! Wear reflective gear if you are running in the dark. If the sidewalks are covered in snow, run loops around quiet neighborhoods rather than out on main roads (I've run 26 half-mile loops of my neighborhood before ... it can be done!)

Drivers: Slow down ...most posted speed limits in town are 35mph or less. Yield to pedestrians, stop at crosswalks (the Westborough PD enforces this law, especially downtown), and please look right before you turn right. Realize most pedestrians exercise caution when we're out there, but just like motorists, there's always those who just don't.

I agree with all of the posters so far. As Chief Gordon stated runners are considered pedestrians and have the right of way, however both motorist and runners/bikers have to work together. Being an avid runner and cyclist I have had many drivers who think they own the road and like to try to play tag with their cars.

Having sidewalks and running paths are ideal but this isn't our reality in most of Metrowest. I am not sure why people like PatchDog find it so difficult and get bent out of shape to show some courtesy to your fellow neighbors who are just trying to get some exercise. PatchDog, feel free to just give us a friendly beep of the horn as you drive by eating your Dunkin Donuts and we will slide over and give you a friendly wave back.

How is a runner endangering you and your family as you drive in a 2,000 pound vehicle???? And elaborating on the plethora of non-road places to run would be helpful for all of us running deviants.

Drive the speed limit, it's not that much of a problem.

Patch Dog, sorry to say this but you are a fool (and I'm being polite here) SLOW DOWN and give as much room as you can to a runner/walker/biker, simple huh ! and if you can't figure out how to share the road with people on it then maybe you should give up your drivers license as soon as possible because you clearly don't know how to drive.

I'm curious, reading this debate, if there are roads in town that runners avoid because they are too dangerous. (I am thinking of the stretch of Bowman that shoots off of Ruggles, as it can barely fit two passing cars.) Are there roads to avoid or that you think need extra caution on the part of drivers?

I find Ruggles to be one of the most problematic. It is highly traveled, people drive way too fast on it, it is tight, and there are a number of blind spots for both runners and drivers.

According to PEDSAFE, if a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, the risk of death is 5 percent at 20 miles per hour, 45 percent at 30 miles per hour, and 85 percent at 40 miles per hour. I am a long-time runner, and I do whatever is possible to only run on secondary roads if they have a wide shoulder and clear visibility, and only to get to the next quiet neighborhood street. Personally I would never run on Ruggles - too narrow, bad visibility, etc. I don't even like driving on that road because cars go too fast. As a driver I've seen runners in dangerous situations (like last winter, trying to run on secondary roads with high snowbanks) and I can understand how accidents could happen, even when driving defensively. As a runner I do whatever it takes to be safe. Sometimes that means running on the track or running in circles in my neighborhood, which all my neighbors can attest too!

Running the roads can be hazardous, for both the runner and the motorists. However, in all the years I ran the roads no one to my knowledge was ever hit. My group did 7 Boston Marathons and many 10K so the training begins in Jan when there is a snow and ice issue. We ran on sidewalks if available but when your doing the long training runs you have to run in the road. We tried to avoid Ruggles and Mill Rd for safety reasons. Those who don't are taking a greater chance. However, motorists need to share the roads while runners and bicyclists need to be mindfull of vehicles. It's a two way street, SHARE IT and RUN SAFE
Glenn Parker

Runners/Pedestrians: Please face oncoming traffic! I can't tell you how many times I've seen those running/walking with their backs to traffic. You're supposed to face the motorists! Seeing them would be a great help to all involved.
And I agree with Jennifer - "...if you're on a street with no sidewalk, run/walk single-file. If there are cars coming in both directions, step off the side of the road."

MaryJo: In answer to your question, I think people should slow way down on Ruggles, many drivers are just booking it on that road. I run Mill Pond and Chestnut frequently, don't find either one very dangerous as there are few cars on the road during the mid-day. I tend to avoid Fisher St. when school is either about to start or getting out, even though there is a sidewalk, it's pretty chaotic around those times.
I agree with Glen, it's a two way street in every way--meant to share with runners, walkers and cyclists alike.

That's why they're called "public" streets, Doggie. In your magical kingdom, only cars will go on the roads. Or you could move to Montana.

Patch Dog, do you honestly think no one should walk down a road, what if there are no sidewalks on the street I live on ? should I never leave my yard unless I'm in a car ?

Very true, Jennifer, but it would be much less crowded without as many nasty cars, bikes, and walkers getting in our way. Parts of Montana have grizzly bears, though, so I guess we would still be putting our lives in peril. I'm just going to start watching more TV.

Patch Dog, you sound like a very angry motorists with an ax to grind? Good luck with your campaign to bannish runners and cyclist from using the public ways. FYI a public way is defined as a way to which the public (motorists, runners, cyclist even rollerbladers and skateboarders) have a legal right of access.

I was just thinking of a few more things that should be banned if we use Patch Dog's logic, no more parades ! yup that pesky Memorial Day Parade should be held on the sidewalks and so should the Little League Parade. No more 4th of July Block party ! heck the people don't even move they just stand there blocking the road while they watch the band (well ok some are dancing in the streets, lock'm up). and the biggest one of all, that 10K road race that leaves the High School and heads right up the middle of West Main street (maybe about 100 runners at one time running in the street, crazy !) and doesn't it end back at the High School via Ruggles Street ?....that's just a few things that we would need to ban in our town....and for stuff outside of our town, what about that Boston Marathon...

I feel like I'm in the minority here, but I can see both sides of this issue. I drive Ruggles daily, and I am okay with a runner on Ruggles. I'm okay with a bike flying by. But there are times when runners and/or walkers are three across the lane and give no thought to the cars coming around the bend behind them - almost defiantly staying across the lane despite the stopped cars. It scares me, especially when I see cars hit brakes because the driver was not expecting a road block when coming around a bend. The Eli Whitney intersection comes to mind (you know, I stop and take pictures of the wicker deer sometimes - lol). I think if multiple runners/walkers are together, simply going to a single file would be much safer. And, speaking from experience, that sometimes doesn't happen. I think Glenn said it best: it is a two-way street, so to speak. I suspect this is what Patch Dog is referring to, and not parades or organized races... but I don't want to speak for Patch Dog... I suspect he will do that just fine.

As an early morning runner (5 a.m.) I wear lots of reflective gear and a headlamp. I also run facing oncoming traffic. And I use sidewalks wherever practical. Many sidewalks are crumbling or uneven, and in the dark (even with a running light) are dangerous. Most motorists give us plenty of room. Then there are the jokers who blare their horns as if we are infringing on their right to the road, or who even deliberately direct their cars at us. The answer is just for both runners and motorists to be acutely aware of the road and what lies ahead, and for motorists to drive the freaking speed limit. I can tell that Patch Dog never has run. A treadmill?
You gotta be kidding me.

If you look at Patch Dogs other comments on here regarding athletics and the school budget there may be a deeper issue that he needs to address. Just because we run on the roads we aren't all the mean jock who shoved you in a locker. If you could let us all know your license plate number so we can keep our distance it would be appreciated.

It's not law, it's common sense and that's always a risk factor whether you are in a car or on foot. You can run single file on the shoulder and have a car with excessive speeds or drive the speed limit and have runners 3 across going with the traffic. Ruggles is a problem in the dark, in the rain, in the winter, when school gets out, on the weekends, etc. Drive the speed limit, use common sense and maybe assume the other guy isn't using common sense. We've all had those magic moments where we get distracted and have to pull ourselves back to reality. And above all, put the cell phones away.