‘Sharrows’ aim to help cars and bikes share roads

Special lane markings alert drivers to slow down and guide cyclists to a safer spot.

In the late 1990s, bicycle lanes were painted on streets in northwest Portland, a high-density neighborhood less than a mile from downtown. But congestion at traffic lights made reducing space for automobiles impractical in some areas. As a result, the project left a nine-block gap in the bike network.

Caught between the need for a continuous bike lane and the demands of drivers, Portland transportation engineers finally came up with a solution. Next month, the city will fill the gaps in the network with new shared-lane pavement markings, called "sharrows." Stencils of a bicycle with two chevron markings above it will be painted, two per block, in areas too narrow for a bike lane. The idea is to keep cyclists away from parked cars while promoting awareness of their right to use the road.

By Linda Baker | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

Full Story: http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0831/p14s02-ussc.html?s=hns