America Codifies Shared Use Lane Markings (Sharrows)
While the MUTCD is not everyday reading for many livable streets advocates, its contents largely dictate how America’s roadways are detailed, signed, and controlled, and therefore controls the widespread application of sustainable transport innovations.
Image Credit, Mike Lydon
Sharrows are comprised of a bicycle and chevron symbol, which communicate that bicycles and automobiles must share travel lanes equally. First used in the City of Denver, sharrows became more widely recognized following a 2004 study demonstrating that their application in San Francisco improved lane positioning for bicyclists and increased the amount of passing distance given by motorists overtaking bicyclists.
The study also reported that the marking helped cut down on the number of sidewalk bicyclists and reduced the number of people traveling illegally against traffic.
To be sure, Sharrows are no substitute for more substantial bicycle infrastructure, yet may be used in specific contexts where more robust bikeways are difficult to implement.
According to the National Associations of Transportation Officials (NACTO) and their Cycling for Cities initiative, more than 76 American municipalities are now utilizing Shared Use Lane Markings to accomplish the following:
- Help bicyclists position themselves safely in lanes too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane
- Mimics the effect of bicycle lanes on streets with constrained rights of way and alerts road users of the lateral location bicyclists may occupy
- Move bicyclists out of the “door zone” of parked cars
- Encourage safe passing by motorists
- Require no additional roadway space
- Alert all road users to the presence of bicycles
Sharrows
may also improve the overall visibility of the bikeway network,
especially along those thoroughfares where bicycle lanes end abruptly,
but the need for visible bicycle accommodation surely continues.
Image credit, Peter Furth
In
general, Sharrows should be applied to streets with moderate motor
vehicle traffic volume, and where right-of-way space is constrained as
to not allow the necessary width for bicycle lanes. Some locations,
such as Long Beach, CA and Salt Lake City, UT have taken the concept
further by experimenting with a type of marking that may be best
described as a hybrid between a sharrow and bicycle lane.
With
such markings now fully included in the MUTCD, it is likely that those
American cities that tentatively experimented with the marking will now
expand their use. Likewise, those municipalities who have either been
waiting for their official inclusion in the MUTCD, or who are not
familiar with facility type can now pursue sharrows as an inexpensive
means of improving the overall safety ad visibility of the bicycle
network.
For car-happy America, this indicates a step in the right direction.
From New Mobility Agenda
Comments
Sharrows FAQ
Q. I've seen these new markings of a bike with two chevrons/arrows above it on the streets. What do they mean?
A. These are "Shared Roadway Markings" which are intended to show where cyclists can ride on the street without being hit by a suddenly opened car door. Although it is the motorist's responsibility to check before opening their door, riding too close to parked cars (in the "door zone") is still a common mistake that can lead to serious injury. These markings will also be used in situations where it may not be obvious where cyclists should be riding, such as at intersections with multiple turn lanes.
Q. But on some streets, cyclists riding over this marking will take the entire lane. Aren't they supposed to move to the right?
A. Not always. According to the California Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 21202, cyclists are to stay to the right except to pass other cyclists or vehicles, to prepare to make a left turn, or when necessary to avoid conditions (including fixed or moving objects, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes too narrow for a bicycle and vehicle to travel side by side) that make it unsafe to continue along the right. Moving to the left in the lane to avoid car doors, for instance, even if it means taking the entire lane, is permitted by the CVC.
Q. Can't cyclists just look into parked cars as they ride and see if someone is about to open the door?
A. This can be very difficult to do. Cyclists, along with all road users, need to constantly scan the entire roadway for safety. Checking every car for a driver is difficult to do without compromising attention paid to the road. Also, it is often impossible to see drivers due to large parked vehicles blocking the view of other parked vehicles, tinted windows, headrests, etc. Car drivers should check their sideview mirror or look back prior to opening their door. It is the driver's responsibility should any collision occur (CVC Section 22517).
Q. If I see these markings in a lane, is the lane only for bikes?
A. No. This marking is used for shared lanes; lanes that are used by bicyclists and motorists. Shared lanes are different than bike lanes which are set aside for bicyclists and are marked by a solid white line and a different symbol.
More: http://www.sfmta.com/cms/bsafe/28372.html