Delaware 2013 Bicycle Friendly State “Report Card”
Between May of 1997 and March of 2008 (over 10 years), Delaware’s unemployment rate was between 3 and 4%. But for the last four years, unemployment has stubbornly...
We know what we want. And it all comes back to the “Bike and Pedestrian Improvements” program authorization for the Delaware Department of Transportation. We...
by Melissa Nann Burke The News Journal February 15, 2013 Relatively few Delaware workers commute by bike, but they might reconsider when cyclists are whizzing...
Courtesy of FABB – The first sharrows (shared lane markings) in Fairfax County were recently installed on Westmoreland St in McLean, VA. Bike lanes were installed in the north section of that road in 2008. Because the road narrows approaching Kirby Rd to the south, the bike lanes end. This is an ideal location for sharrows and one that FABB suggested needed sharrows.
While not a panacea, they do indicate to motorists that they should expect bicyclists in the road. They indicate to cyclists where it’s safest to ride, not hugging the white line or curb but into the lane. On a lane that cannot be shared safely with a motorist (less than 14 feet), cyclists should ride so that motorists aren’t tempted to pass unsafely in the same lane. They should either move to the adjacent lane if possible or wait until it’s safe to pass. [Continue reading ...]
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Poster’s note: These sharrows were placed by VDOT on a 2 lane road without parallel parking, in compliance with national MUTCD guidelines. DelDOT eliminated this provision from Delaware’s version of the manual, and has yet to install a single sharrow anywhere in the state. [Related Content]
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3 Comments
What is a “sub-standard width road”?
According to this Wikipedia article
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane>
the U.S. Interstate Highway System uses a 12-foot (3.7 m) standard for lane width. Is anything less than 12-ft sub-standard?
I wasn’t aware that sharrows were for only very narrow streets…..Is there MUTCD guidance for sharrows and lane width?
Added the word “and” according to National MUTCD guidelines. It is indeed MUTCD compliant to use them on lanes of varying width. Thanks for the correction.
While we can’t install sharrows on streets without parking in Delaware now, let’s move on the streets *with* parking (like Main Street in Newark and Market Street in Wilmington) where the sharrow marking is compliant with the Delaware MUTCD and where sharrows make obvious sense.
The shared street marking was originally developed because of the ‘dooring’ problem on streets with parking. Even if we can’t also have it on rural 2 lane roads without shoulders, it should still be employed to deal with the dooring problem.