Stephen sent me this photo of an alternative sharrow, "priority shared-lane markings", design that was spotted in Allston, Massachusetts. He adds that
There are also signs telling drivers they need to move to the left to pass. I'm only one data point, but I rode in the "lane" for its full half-mile length without being passed unsafely, honked at, or tailgated.
It sounds like the concept is still being evaluated, but I think it is miles ahead of the normal sharrow, which in my experience produces no change in driver behavior whatsoever.
There is more here, courtesy of the Boston Globe. They call it part of a national experiment to test innovative bike facilities.
In coming months, Boston Bikes staff will take a census of how many cyclists use that stretch of road to determine whether the “sharrows on steroids” increase ridership. Next spring, they will paint the area between the dashed lines lime green, and conduct another ridership survey.
Freedman’s office will report their findings to the federal government. And if they’re successful, the idea may get exported to other cities around the country — and to other parts of Boston.
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