Sharrows - bike marking on road

[Alex Hempton]

We need another indicator for "sharrow" under bicycle route type.  Right now it gives the option for:

• bikes allowed, no bike lane
• bikes allowed, bike lane
• no bikes allowed

A sharrow isn't quite a bike lane, but it's more than "no bike lane."  More info on sharrows... (wikipedia)

[John]

I've been marking these as "Allowed, no bike lane" but "Preferred."  To me, this says to the cyclist, yes, this is a good road for cycling.  Similar to putting the "Preferred" mark on in Map Maker.  That's my interpretation, and I think in the strict sense, it's the way to go.  It defines it as more than just any other street, but less than a bike lane.  This causes bike directions to be more likely to route cyclists down this.  I think this combination best approximates things.  The street marking is just a guideline.  It doesn't afford cyclists any special privileges or anything, so I figured I'd treat these as regular streets that happen to be good for cycling (in the city's opinion, at least).

[Alex Hempton]

Hey John - yeah that sounds like a good practice.  In case anyone's interested, here's the info on "Shared Lane Markings" (sharrows) from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2009 edition (page 810 of http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2009/part9.pdf):

Section 9C.07 Shared Lane Marking

Option:

The Shared Lane Marking shown in Figure 9C-9 may be used to:

A. Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking in order to reduce the chance of a bicyclist’s impacting the open door of a parked vehicle,

B. Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane,

C. Alert road users of the lateral location bicyclists are likely to occupy within the traveled way,

4. Encourage safe passing of bicyclists by motorists, and

5. Reduce the incidence of wrong-way bicycling.

Guidance:
The Shared Lane Marking should not be placed on roadways that have a speed limit above 35 mph.

Standard:
Shared Lane Markings shall not be used on shoulders or in designated bicycle lanes.

Guidance:

If used in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking, Shared Lane Markings should be placed so that the centers of the markings are at least 11 feet from the face of the curb, or from the edge of the pavement where there is no curb.

If used on a street without on-street parking that has an outside travel lane that is less than 14 feet wide, the centers of the Shared Lane Markings should be at least 4 feet from the face of the curb, or from the edge of the pavement where there is no curb.

If used, the Shared Lane Marking should be placed immediately after an intersection and spaced at intervals not greater than 250 feet thereafter.

Option:

Section 9B.06 describes a Bicycles May Use Full Lane sign that may be used in addition to or instead of the Shared Lane Marking to inform road users that bicyclists might occupy the travel lane. 

[Will / NeoPhoenixTE]

Oddly enough, these Sharrows are used exclusively in bicycle lanes in my area. However, there's no parking permitted in those particular lanes. They're bicycle-only shoulders. Go fig.

[D C]

@Will / NeoPhoenixTE

     Maybe your city feels that Sharrows work better than standard bike lane markings in discouraging people from parking in them, even if it is the incorrect marking.  This brings up a valid question: Is their a standard bike lane marking in the U.S. other than "BIKE LANE" with an arrow?  Do Sharrows have the double arrow and bike lanes a single arrow?

@Alex Hampton

@John

     I would not be so quick to mark these streets as "Preferred".  I believe that in most cases, these markings are painted in response from members of the cycling community requesting separate bike lanes, but the city doesn't have the money or space to widen the road to add them (without taking out roadside parking).  In my area the county generally doesn't paint the markings, but uses yellow diamond-shaped warning signs.  This is probably cheaper (one sign per direction that covers the entire half-mile section in question) than painting the markings every 250 feet.  In my opinion, the county only uses them in high-risk areas where bicycles really shouldn't be allowed, but there are no other roads nearby to route them on.  The city paints them along the major city streets if there is no room to add bike lanes.  Smart cyclists in my area should realize that every time they see one of these signs or markings that they are about to take their life into their hands.

     My biggest concern is that most drivers don't take these signs seriously, if they notice them at all (too busy texting, etc).  And as someone who (like most adults in the U.S.) spends FAR more time driving than cycling, I don't feel that bicycles should be allowed on any road (especially major roads) unless there is a safe way for cars to pass them.  If there is a second lane in the same direction, or a wide lane with the bicycles staying to the far right, then I have no problem with them.  But if I have to creep along at 10mph for an indefinite period of time behind a bicycle, I will be VERY unhappy and probably consider taking some unsafe action to get past them.

[Robert Prinz]

I wholeheartedly agree. Here in the San Francisco bay area we also have sharrow markings which designate a street too narrow for a bike lane in which the cyclist should basically take the lane. The stencil is painted ideally in the area where the cyclist should be riding, both as an indicator to that cyclist where they should be and to car drivers to expect cyclist in that part of the roadway.

We also have streets that have specific auto traffic calming applied called Bicycle Boulevards. These routes have a special stencil and signage, but typically no bike lanes. They are for the most part exceptionally safe for bikes, but with the current 'bike lane' 'no bike lane' options offered on Google Maps a cyclist unfamiliar with those routes might choose to avoid them altogether.

I think at the very least a separate 'sharrow' or 'other bicycle-specific treatment' option should be offered.

It would be doubly nice to add yet another option for 'on street, separated bike lane', for streets like Market St in San Francisco, which have bike lanes that are separated from auto traffic by physical barriers, or a painted buffer zone.

[I MAP]

Now GMM is a universal thing and Sharrow markings are not. I guess, it will be very difficult to implement this:)

[Robert Prinz]

Sharrows are actually becoming increasingly popular road treatments, they even have them now in the town where I grew up in Michigan. They are already in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices which was adopted by the FHA in the US, and are also in use in several other countries.

I don't think people would be confused if they were added as an option in GMM, but as an alternative they could just change the 'bike lane' designation to something like 'painted or marked bike route' to indicate any kind of treatment, or just give the users instruction to mark any painted treatment as a 'bike lane'.

[I MAP]

+1

[Alex Hempton]

While "sharrow" markings may not be universal, they are in the Uniform Traffic Manual now.

On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 8:53 PM, General Map Maker on behalf of I MAP <google-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Now GMM is a universal thing and Sharrow markings are not. I guess, it will be very difficult to implement this:)

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[I MAP]

By universal, I meant - 187 Countries open for Mapmaker, if I am correct or approximate :)

[George Bowman]

You should review your attitude. Here in Texas, bikes are vehicles and bike riders have every right to use the road that automobiles have. Sharrows provide notice of this fact to drivers such as yourself and are very useful.

[George Bowman]

Sharrows are recommended for adoption in the upcoming revision of AASHTO, moving from an experimental to a recommended treatment. Google should get ahead of the curve and make plans to provide for more complete bicycle travel designations.

[Jason Porter]

I agree... this is something that should be added to GMM.  We have a ton of sharrows here already, local governments in Virginia began applying them actively to roadways about two years ago.