FAYETTEVILLE — Those narrow walkways with water running over them near Scull Creek are not safe for bicyclists.

A number of nasty falls in the last few months on the Lindsey Trail near Gordon Long Park has prompted the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Division to post new signs warning riders to stay off. the narrow — and at times, slick — walking trails.

“We’re going to be putting up a bigger sign that says, ‘Slippery When Wet,’” said Connie Edmonston, Fayetteville Parks and Recreation director. “And right now we have fi ve signs.”

Jere Steiner, 48, a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, crashed his bike on the slick sidewalk in March, injuring his right elbow and hip.

“My right arm felt like it was dangling,” Steiner said. Because of his injuries, Steiner said 12 weeks passed before he could return to his mail route.

More signage warning him of the danger of the trail, which is both steeply inclined, curving and wet, would have helped, Steiner said. The wider, safer trail meant for cyclists runs along the west side of the park.

“I didn’t feel that the signage was enough,” he said.

His experience is not unique.

“I thought it could be dangerous, but I thought I could handle it,” said Brad Jones, Fayetteville Christian School superintendent. Jones also recently crashed his bicycle over the summer and suffered cuts to his face and ligament damage.

“I didn’t break anything, but I did go to the emergency room,” Jones said. However, because of the patient volume that day, he didn’t wait for treatment, and sought medical attention later.

“They have to do something there that really prevents bicycles from going down there,” said Jones, 50.

How many riders are wiping out on the Lindsey Trail is hard to pinpoint, officials said. Washington County Central EMS tracks calls to locations like the apartments nearby, but those calls can be for any number of reasons and many riders who fall are like Jones, and seek medical attention later, said Becky Stuart, director of Central EMS.

Steiner said one of the emergency workers helping him admitted to having fallen at the same location. However, Edmonston said her o

•ce does not generally receive large numbers of complaints regarding falls on the walking trails.

“At Wilson Park and some of the others, we almost never get any calls,” Edmonston said.

But riders want some action to prevent other falls.

“Now that I have had all this trauma, it seems that they should do something,” Steiner said.

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