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Shared Road-Use Markings Debut in Santa Monica | |
By Lookout Staff July 8, 2010 -- A new marking known as a “sharrow,” short for “shared lane arrow,” was recently installed on 14th Street between Montana and Washington Avenues as a way to remind cyclists and drivers that the road is a shared space for the two. The street marking is a white graphic that combines a pictogram of a bicycle with two arrows. Sharrows are also planned for 20th Street between the I-10 Freeway and Pico Boulevard, an area recently approved for a $5.2 million makeover. “The sharrow reinforces the rights of bicyclists to use the roadway as granted by the California Vehicle Code,” a City press release states. “It is used to assist bicyclists with positioning on the street where parallel parking exists but there is not enough room for a dedicated bicycle lane. By indicating a safe distance from both moving traffic and parked cars, sharrows are helpful in reducing collisions between cars and bikes. It also alerts motorists of the location a bicyclist may occupy within the roadway.” The 14th Street sharrows connect to the bicycle lane on Montana Avenue and the City says are anticipated to connect to a planned bicycle lane on 14th Street south of Washington Avenue. The sharrows were installed as part of regularly scheduled street maintenance. “By incorporating bicycle facilities into these ongoing projects, the City saves money, while continuously building out the citywide bicycle network as envisioned in the Land Use & Circulation Element (LUCE),” the release states. “The City will be evaluating the effectiveness of these markings.” The release continues, “Sharrows are only a small piece of the City’s approach to promoting cycling and reducing automobile trips.” Other projects the City says promote cycling include the addition of a bicycle lane on Arizona Avenue west of Lincoln Boulevard, the ongoing installation of new bicycle detection technology at signalized intersections and the Bike Valet Program that provides free parking at community and cultural events such as the Twilight Dance Series, Sunday Farmers’ Market, Friday nights on Main Street and GLOW. |
"The sharrow reinforces the rights of bicyclists to use the roadway as granted by the California Vehicle Code, “By
incorporating bicycle facilities into these ongoing projects, the City
saves money, while continuously building out the citywide bicycle network
as envisioned in the Land Use & Circulation Element (LUCE),”
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