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Even though Park Police haven't issued a single ticket for speeding bicyclists on the Capital Crescent Trail, officers say the new speed limit and other safety changes are being used for education, not enforcement.

As the county Parks Department prepares a trail safety report, trail advocates and users say pedestrians and bicyclists alike are still adjusting to a trail that is growing more congested. Fundamental safety concerns persist.

"It might be the most heavily used trail in the U.S. in certain portions and at certain times," said Brian Woodward, southern region division chief of the Parks Department. "We're trying to say, can't we all just get along?"

The trail, about 11 miles long, runs from Georgetown to Silver Spring. According to a 2006 survey by the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail, the trail has 23,000 users every week.

Widening the trail's shoulder and removing rumble strips at certain street intersections are two options being considered.

The most controversial new safety provision, a 15-mph speed limit along 5.5 miles of the trail from downtown Bethesda to the District line, has generated little outrage but some confusion among bikers.

Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) Executive Director Eric Gilliland has been surprised by the small amount of feedback about the new provision itself. But the lack of discernable enforcement has raised another point of contention among the 7,000 members of the association.

"If they're not going to be enforced, then speed limits are effectively useless," said Gilliland, who emphasized that cyclists were not sufficiently consulted by the Parks Department and the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail, a trail advocacy group, when the speed limit provision was being considered.

But Lt. Karen Petrarca of Park Police argued that ticketing bikers would only make them angry.

She said instead of crouching in bushes with radar guns, the police are working to educate all trail users about safety.

While it is easy to complain about bicyclists going too fast, all trail users, from birdwatchers to large families to walkers using earphones, need to be educated, according to Petrarca.

On the whole, she called trail bikers, from commuters to "men in tights" training for races, a very cooperative group. Petrarca said she personally wishes she sees even more traffic on the trail and less on the Capital Beltway.

Gilliland said the rate of inquiries about commuting on the trail has increased dramatically. In July of last year, 20 people called about WABA's commuter assistance program that pairs new commuters with experienced riders. Last month the number jumped to 40.

Rumble strips for cyclists where the trail intersects Dorset Avenue may be altered or moved. Peter Gray, board chairman for the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail, said the rumble strips become too slippery during wet weather. Woodward said rumble strips at River Road may also be removed.

More safety-oriented signs, such as those telling bikers to notify pedestrians when they are passing, could be added in the future. The trail's shoulder could also be widened at certain points, according to Woodward.

The safety report by Integrated Trails Management that could be released in September will help to move the discussion forward, he said.

The Parks Department is currently reviewing a draft of the report, said Parks Department spokesperson Kelli Holsendolph.

Gray, meanwhile, said he will continue to advocate for widening the entire trail between Bethesda Avenue and River Road. The coalition would raise money for such a project, he said.

He also agreed with Gilliland and Petrarca that bikers have been unfairly singled out in the process. All trail users, Gray said, must act responsibly.

"They should be paying attention to the fact that this is a very heavily-used trail, not talking on cell phones, for example," he said.