connecting Columbia... at night

I know, I know, it's against the rules to use CA pathways at night.

(Technically, I'm pretty sure the pathways that we may or may not use at night are actually Howard County pathways, but that's against their rules, too.)

But walking to our village center would be triple the distance if we used sidewalks that parallel the road at nighttime.  So we use the pathway at night, and we carry flashlights.  And so do a lot of other people-- both walking and on bikes.  Well, some don't use flashlights-- there's some ambient light on the pathway, but not enough for my klutzy self.  Others, it seem, can see better in the dark.  Anyhow.

In trying to leverage our pathways for connectivity in Columbia, we have to consider nighttime usage of the pathways.  If we are serious about people using the trails to commute, we have to recognize that some commuting happens irrespective of sunset and sunrise, especially during the winter.

One time, Chris and I biked to the mall from our old apartment because it was an unseasonably warm day in the winter.  It got dark before we could get home (because that happens in winter-- duh).  We felt uncomfortable using the pathways, not knowing where we were going, so we ended up walking our bikes back home along Route 175. That was kind of scary and really annoying.

There are safety issues with nighttime pathway use, and in a few different ways.  The first would be physical safety, as in, "it's a lot harder to see at night."  The pathways in some sections can be twisty and hard to follow.  Any hazards are automatically more dangerous in the dark.  There's little to no directional signage, so it's easy to get lost.  Some pathways are more easily traversed than others in the dark-- more ambient light, located in less forested areas, paths that run along streets, etc.  Then there are safety concerns with regard to safety as in crime, something that cannot be discounted, rare as pathway crimes might be.  Both of these, I assume, could/would be liability issues for CA and Howard County, but it's cost-prohibitive to light the pathways-- and not really desirable for aesthetic reasons, especially for some of our more idyllic pathways.

It's an issue that any trail used for commuting grapples with, not just Columbia.  Bike Maryland, the nonprofit that advocates for bicycling in Maryland (in case you couldn't tell by the name, I guess) is supporting "24 hour trail access for bicyclists for commuting purposes and more" in their 2012 Legislative Agenda.  If that somehow passes, it might be something to be considered and figured out sooner rather than later.

There has to be some acceptance of risk on the part of people who use trails at night whether on a bicycle or on foot.  For me, whatever elevated risk exists is outweighed by not having to walk (at least) a mile and a half to the grocery store and not having to walk on the sidewalk along Broken Land Parkway.  While I'm glad it's there, it can be a little harrowing to use, especially at night with its dim lighting, tree overgrowth, and cars rushing by at 45mph+ a few feet away.

What are your thoughts on using the pathways at nighttime?  Do you have any ideas?  Are you a nighttime pathway user?