Railroad Forums 

  • Rail-Trail Safety! We need emergency phones on rail trails.

  • General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.
General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.

Moderator: railtrailbiker

 #461339  by krupa1020
 
The agency in charge of that trail would be the ones responsible for taking care of the emergency phones. Someone has to own the trail in order for it to be a trail.
What I was trying to say is that with an emergency phone, rescue workers know where you are when you need help. People time and time call on cell phones asking for help and have no idea where they are. The emergency phones are an exact marker, cell phones are not.

 #461355  by RussNelson
 
krupa1020 wrote:People time and time call on cell phones asking for help and have no idea where they are.
Mile markers, plus a map for emergency services listing the locations of the mile markers and the road intersections. But, just as you say, somebody needs to feel responsible for the trail and its users.

 #462953  by Red Wing
 
Add regular patrols. The best part of my day is doing a bike or foot patrol on the rail trails in my jurisdiction.

 #463086  by icgsteve
 
krupa1020 wrote:The agency in charge of that trail would be the ones responsible for taking care of the emergency phones. Someone has to own the trail in order for it to be a trail.
What I was trying to say is that with an emergency phone, rescue workers know where you are when you need help. People time and time call on cell phones asking for help and have no idea where they are. The emergency phones are an exact marker, cell phones are not.
cell locator systems are good to with-in 25-100 meters, that is good enough. it does not matter if the caller knows where they are, the 911 system locked into the cell tower system knows by a computer model that takes the signal strength at several towers and triangulates the location.
 #1008289  by Ken W2KB
 
lexon wrote:Emergency phones do exist if you live in 2011. They are called cell phones. Some have smart phones. It is rare to find anyone today with out a cell phone or or wireless device.

Rich
For those unwilling to purchase a cell phone and service, ask a friend for an old one they have replaced with another. Carry the old one for 911 calls which by law must be enabled even if there is no regular service subscribed so this is a zero cost option for emergency use only.