Sharrow on 12th NE

Sharrow on 12th NE, originally uploaded by Eric Gilliland.

Comments

[Grendel]

Anyone know how DDOT is positioning the sharrows? Is it a fixed distance from the curb/parking line or is the apex of the chevrons the recommended line of travel? This one looks to be shaded a little too far right especially when gaged against the white pick that's crowding the line.

[Lorin]

Just curious--what's the point of sharrows? Just to remind drivers that it's OK for us to be there?
If that is the point, is there any evidence (anecdotal or otherwise) that shows that they do lesson aggressive behavior from drivers?

[Contrarian]

I had the opposite reaction from Grendel: Holy crap! They put it in the lane! That's a violation of their own policies!

Policy is definitely to put it a fixed distance from the curb, in the door zone it there's parking.

The angle of the picture does make it hard to tell where they're painted. If it helps any, sharrows are supposed to be 39" wide -- although there's no guarantee they were painted properly.

Grendel's point about the white pickup crowding the line brings up an old trick of bike facilities planners: pretend that cars take up less space than they really do. Bikes too.

[Laura Walsh]

That's my block! Hooray!

Unfortunately, the installation of these sharrows seems to confuse everyone and created quite a fury on the over-reactive Brookland listserv. Several misguided folks seem to think that DDOT is spending an exorbitant amount of money on bicycle infrastructure by putting them on the street.

Also, almost no one seems to understand them. I live in a house with 8+ avid bike riders and no one else knew what they were. It would be helpful if there was some outreach on the point of sharrows to end the occasional panic that the entirety of 12th street is now a bike lane.

Which would be my preference... and Newton St. And a pleasant east-west and north-south carfree road.

But sharrows are a good start.

[ontarioroader]

I'm curious if DDOT will be including blocks with sharrows toward their claimed "miles of bike lanes".