sharrows

sent to me by an alert reader in bloomington, indiana.

he says it appeared in "the local paper."

Images of a bicycle and a chevron are painted onto College Avenue

near the corner of Sixth Street.

The symbol is referred to as a “sharrow,”

and is intended to remind drivers to safely share the road with bicyclists.

--Jeremy Hogan Herald-Times

. . . . .

The city of Bloomington has installed new road markings to increase bicycle awareness and safety on public streets. Called “sharrows,” short for “share-the-road arrows,” the new signs are painted onto the pavement on College Avenue from 11th to Fourth streets, and on Walnut Street from Fourth to Seventh streets. The markings consist of a bicycle symbol with two arrows pointing in the direction of travel.

“The city is always looking for new and creative ways to enhance bicyclist safety,” Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan said in a prepared statement. “The sharrows will help cyclists and motorists understand

how to interact with one another, and will help downtown

become an even more bicycle-friendly place.”

Sharrows are typically used where a bike lane would be desirable, but cannot be installed because of road width limitations. The new road markings provide guidance to cyclists and motorists, indicating that cyclists should occupy the central portion of the right travel lane. This positioning is intended to promote safe riding practices and reduce the likelihood of a cyclist colliding with an open door from a parked car or riding off the pavement. By emphasizing the cyclist’s right to travel in the middle of the lane, sharrows also help dispel the misconception that cyclists should always travel at the extreme right edge of the road.

Legally, sharrows do not change the rights or responsibilities of motorists or cyclists. They do not restrict motorists from using the sharrow lane, nor do they prevent cyclists from using other lanes.