The Sharrow Thread

[Standalone]

Woo hoo. New sharrows in New Haven. First I've ever seen in person.

Including ones that indicate use of both a middle straight-going lane AND the outside right-or-straight lane. Nice to see.

[Standalone]

[QUOTE=elihu23;11022537]

Seattle uses dashing at bus stops but it doesn't do the bicyclists any good whatsover (doesn't let bikes pass buses safely, its design is to prefer a bus to cross the stripe to get to a bus stop) seems it would be easier to just educate the bus drivers how to negotiate in the midst of bikes!

Buses are the absolute worst and most dangerous vehicles on the road! I get no mercy from them on the road! It's very disturbing.

I use a bus as part of my multifarious multimodal commute, and sometimes the bus drivers are the nicest people I meet all day. Not that I fully disagree with your statement... busses are pretty scary sometimes. Especially school busses, IME.

[Bekologist]

do you mind correcting that misquote? I have no qualm sharing the road with bus drivers. you mean to be quoting elihu23.

I was commenting on the dashing of bikelane stripes approaching bus stops. unlike dashes at normal intersections that provide clues for traffic mixing by bicyclists, the dashing provides no worthwhile guidance at a bus stop. it would be better if the bus drivers were simply educated about yielding to bike traffic approaching stops.

its ironic that elihu23 that pledges sharrows as the be-all, end all plan for bike traffic professes such a difficulty sharing the road with buses.

[ianbrettcooper]

(1) I like sharrows. I just wish they weren't called 'sharrows', which I think is uber-lame. I think it would be great if they replaced bike lane striping on ALL urban streets. The only problem with them is that they might encourage drivers to think that cyclists are only allowed on streets with sharrows.

(2) I think they should be used on roads with wide lanes (14' or wider). If it were up to me, they would be on all roads that allow bicycles.

(2) On wide lanes without adjacent on-street parking, I think sharrows should be marked right-biased.

'The Sharrowing' would, I think, be a good title for a horror movie.

[Standalone]

do you mind correcting that misquote?

not at all. it was a multi-quote. The board read it wrong. OK, fixed. Thanks for catching it. I didn't fix what elihu left out, the "[/"

[danarnold]

(1) I like sharrows. I just wish they weren't called 'sharrows', which I think is uber-lame.

What name do you suggest should replace 'sharrow?'

[genec]

What name do you suggest should replace 'sharrow?'

Just a sugestion... how about chevron?

chev·ron (shvrn)
n.
1. A badge or insignia consisting of stripes meeting at an angle, worn on the sleeve of a military or police uniform to indicate rank, merit, or length of service.
2. Heraldry A device shaped like an inverted V.
3. A V-shaped pattern, especially a kind of fret used in architecture.

[danarnold]

Just a sugestion... how about chevron?

After I wrote that question, I thought, 'What's the matter with just calling them 'arrows' on account of that's what they are?

[bcubed]

I really don't care for 'em. I mean, they don't actually do anything, do they? They say bicycles are allowed on the road; they already were, "sharrows" or no. To me, it's like bicycle infrastructure on the cheap. Imagine the following:

[Mayor's office functionary]: "Bob, the mayor says we need high-income young professionals to move into the city and pay wage tax, instead of the old pensioners we currently got. To that end, YOU are responsible for putting in 20 miles of bicycle-friendly transport this fiscal year. Your Christmas bonus is riding on it, Bob."

[Public Works Chief]: "Uh, okay, Joe."

Maybe I could build a rail-trail or "urban park"...nah, that puts me way over budget.
Bike lanes? Too much work, and besides, motorists would have my head. If it took away a traffic lane.
Hey, what about sharrows? Don't really have do much other than lay paint down.

[On phone to P.W. Director of Operations] "Hey, Rick, how many gallons 'a white paint we got down there?"