Originally Posted by
noglider
Sharrows are dumb because drivers don't know what they mean and only a few people who ride bikes know. It's worse when they're placed in the door zone. I think it's ideal to place them in dead center of the lane or left of center. That way it will encourage people to ride in the center.
The guidelines for shared lane markings in both the MUTCD and the Traffic Control Devices Handbook are clear that SLMs should not be placed close to parked vehicles. That being said, some agencies unfortunately don't follow the guidelines. As a person who has written some of this technical guidance, it can be frustrating. Sometimes engineering judgment is overridden by political direction, and in other places practitioners may make decisions based on perceived vs. actual crash risk.
If there is a crash and the SLM is placed contrary to standards and guidance, the agency could be held liable, if the state's laws allows legal actions against public agencies. Some states (especially in the northeast US) have near-absolute legal immunity for public agencies, while others can and do get sued at the drop of a cycling cap.