SAN ANTONIO — Milo the dog spent part of his Friday night straining at his leash, enjoying the San Antonio River Trail near South Alamo Street.
Milo's human mom knows he loves being out on the trail, saying, "Everybody gets along. Everybody's friendly and everybody wears their mask if they feel they need to.”
Two-legged trail-users agree.
Since the pandemic started, more people than ever have been turning to the great outdoors to have a great and socially distant time.
BCycle, the national bike-sharing system, just released survey data that shows San Antonio riders are taking to the trails in record numbers. Mirroring a national trend, they said locally, bike rental rates are up 75% here when compared to the same period last year.
But it is not just bike rentals that are on a roll.
One man out walking his dog said he noticed that as soon as gyms closed because of pandemic protocols, there was a flood of people on the trail, including walkers/runners and people out with kids and dogs.
Surrounded by trail-users who were either masked or six or more feet away, Isaac Gomez said being safe on the trail seems to be working.
Riding bicycles with three friends, Gomez said, “Once we start, we keep our pace and we keep our distance.”
His friend, Sam Guzman, added he is happy he recently took up riding.
“It's great. There's a lot to explore. A lot of places in town I've never been to until these trails opened up,” Guzman said.
Noting that he sees people of all ages on the trails, Guzman said this might just be the one positive development in an otherwise bleak pandemic season.
“Kids are playing outdoors more, not inside playing video games, so yeah, it's been great,” he said, adding he believes people are becoming better neighbors. “We talk more with our neighbors, talk more with the community in general, like people who are out here on the trails.”
John Delagarza said there are a few rules that newcomers need to learn to help keep everyone safe.
“If you wear headphones, keep them on a low level so you can hear the people around you,” Delagarza said. “Keep your dog close to you because that can definitely tangle up a rider or runner. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings, especially children with families that don't necessarily pay close attention.”
Gomez, whose bike is equipped with a bell, said trail etiquette calls for bike riders to yield to pedestrians, and to let those on foot know when they are about to be passed.
“If you have a bell, it would be preferable to use the bell because the ring lets the pedestrians know you're going to pass them on the left,” Gomez said.
He also repeated what many who have less experience sometimes have difficulty remembering.
“Pedestrians do have the right of way. They should stay to the right-hand side,” Gomez said.
While officials said city, county and a number of parks managed by the San Antonio River Authority will be closed until Tuesday morning to prevent another spike in coronavirus cases over Labor Day, the trail system on many local rivers and creeks will remain open.
There are more than 70 miles of fully accessible trails in Bexar County and the system is open daylight to dusk.