The bike path is a convenient way to get around town for many people. But at night, for some, the path is the last place they’d be found.

The 18-mile bike path goes from Southampton to Amherst, passing through Easthampton, Northampton, and Hadley. It contains two segments: the Manahan Rail Trail and the Norwottuck Rail Trail.

But the part the students at Williston are most familiar with is between the Eastworks building just off campus and the hockey rink, the length of which is roughly a mile.

Williston sophomores Brenna Ziter and Jayme Cerasuolo, both boarding students, told The Willistonian they simply continue walking straight if somebody begins walking towards them from the other direction.

Science teacher Tyla Taylor avoids the bike path after dark.

“I never go on the bike path at night because I find it creepy, I can’t see who is out there and there are noises and you don’t know where it comes from.” Taylor said. “I don’t feel safe.”

Taylor is grateful for the steps that Williston security taken to make the path safer.

“I appreciate the very bright lights,” Taylor said, referencing a recent installation of streetlights that Williston worked with the city of Easthampton to put alongside the bike path.

While Taylor does not like traversing the bike path at night, there are still some times when she feels comfortable using it.

During the day, she said she feels safe on the bike path and walks all around behind the gym. “But during night I try to stay as far away as I can,” she said.

Taylor told The Willistonian she does not carry self-defense, but always keeps her phone on her in case of emergency.

Ellie Parsons, a junior day student from Northampton, Mass., says she would rather take the long way to the day student parking lot through campus instead of going on the bike path alone.

“Typically if I am by myself, if not I would walk on the bike path,” she said.

Jacob Waah, a junior day student from Holyoke, Mass., generally feels safe in Easthampton, something he attributes to living in the area.

“I feel all around Easthampton,” Jacob said. “There are lights now, so it’s not terrible.”

Jacob told The Willistonian he “carries God” with him for physical protection. However, Jacob said he would stand up for himself if he had to.

“I keep walking obviously, but I’m always ready to defend myself,” he said. “But I’m not going to turn around, [because] that’s a little weird.”

Jacob gets why women might not feel as safe on the path as men.

Jayla Peets Butterfield is a new freshman from Bermuda. If she encounters what she feels is a dangerous situation on the path, she speeds up.

“I run to my destination if it’s a person or figure that I am afraid of, and if I am just afraid of my surroundings I would briskly walk to my destination,” she said.

Sarah Sawyer, a English teacher who likes to run on the bike path, has a strategy for how to keep herself safe.

“Sometimes if I see someone coming towards me and I can get off the path I get off the path,” she said. “But sometimes if I have headphones on and I see someone coming towards me that I think is creepy, I’ll take them [the headphones] out so they know I’m paying attention.”

Sawyer says she feels more relaxed than she used to.

“I think I don’t get scared as much as I used to though like when I was younger,” she said.

Sawyer also appreciates that Williston security has helped take steps to make the bike path safer.

“I think the lights are good,” she said. “The town has put in a lot of them so people can walk to the libraries and stuff like that.”

Despite this, Sawyer reports having seen several suspicious incidents taking place on the bike path.

“One time I was on the path and I saw a guy running, and then I saw the police running after him,” she said.

Sawyer says she would feel more comfortable on the bike path with a male presence.

“Generally speaking women don’t run at night,” she explained. “But I would run with my son and my husband.”

Sawyer feels safer during the daytime due to the fact that more people would see her were something bad to happen.

“I don’t know it’s like anytime that there are other people on it I feel fine,” she said. “Really anytime during the day I think around here is very safe,” she said.

Sawyer revealed what she does to feel safe when her daughter goes out on the path.

“I did get my daughter a little whistle thing in case she goes running,” she said.