The town sweeps the two pathway segments early spring. I've taken a leaf blower to the off-road segment it in early November, after the leaves are down, although I missed doing that last fall. When I run along there, I usually kick away the pine cones and small branches that fall on the pavement regularly. I also have stopped too many times to take a stick and remove dog doo-doo from the surface. Dog owners: please pick up after your dog, and better yet, when the dog stops to do something like that, have him do it off the pavement. You are in charge of the dog, not the other way around. Assuming the dog is on a leash, sufficient pull on the leash will move the dog well off to the side. The dog will get the message quickly. Also, don't let the dog kick leaves, etc. back onto the pavement after he's finished his business. Have him face the other way. You are in charge.
The matter of cyclists using that off-road segment, vs the roadway, has come up before. Except for children, having cyclists use the pathway presents some risk to those on foot, while having cyclists stay on the roadway presents risk to the cyclist. That segment simply wasn't designed for both serious cycling and foot travel. The two really need to be segregated to some extent, for safety, and trying to accommodate all was simply outside the scope of the project.
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