Look what I found -- a 'sharrow'!

I went for a lunchtime spin on my bike to Lake Avenue in Pasadena to grab a giant burrito at Chipotle. And lo and behold, while riding on the sidewalk like a wuss, I looked over and noticed a 'sharrow' had been painted on the street.

The paint is fading and could use some retouching. But I'm sure that's something that Pasadena Councilman Sid Tyler will want to immediately fix after reading this blog.

Attentive Bottleneck Blog readers may recall that L.A. Councilman Eric Garcetti introduced a motion last week calling for more sharrows, which are intended to help cyclists and motorists better coexist on roads without bike lanes.

On that note, I received a good e-mail today from cyclist Skip Nevell, who says it's going to take more than paint to get drivers and cyclists on the same page. Take it away, Skip:

Good Morning Steve,

The relationship between motorists and cyclists is governed by attitude.

I cycle on city streets regularly. Most motorists are respectful of cyclists and give them the space they need. Unfortunately, some are not, such as the lunatic who passed me with only a few inches to spare while seeking to save himself ten seconds of drive time.

When more people start cycling and the bicycle gains acceptance as a mode of adult transportation, social pressure will exert an appropriate influence on the minority who disregard cyclists' rights (visit almost any large city in Europe for an example).

Street markings won't get it done.

Regards,

Skip Nevell

--Steve Hymon

Photo: Steve Hymon / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[yours truly, Johnny Dollar]

Sharrows vs. Bike Lanes.
If you are talking about cars sharing space with
bicycles, it isn't as safe as bicycles having a marked
lane of their own and cars/trucks/taxis/busses having
a different marked lane(s) of their own. No one's using
"separate; but equal" anymore. Let's adopt it here.
Perspective from a bicyclist who was hit by a moving
vehicle that was making a right hand turn in front of me
from the center lane (hello, UCLA emergency room)
and who was hit by someone opening his door from a
parked car (again hello, UCLA emergency room).
Personally, the safest thing for bicyclists is for gas
prices to go to $7/gallon. It has that flushing the toilet
effect.

[don]

but do drivers know what these sharrows mean?Are they in the dmv test booklet?

[don]

but do drivers know what these sharrows mean?Are they in the dmv test booklet?

[Colin Bogart]

Skip's assertion is correct that more bicycle riders on the streets will result in safer overall conditions for cyclists. I look forward to the day when most Americans view bicycles as a valid transportation option and not just a form of recreation. Skip is forgetting that the primary reason for sharrows is to encourage cyclists to ride outside of the dangerous door zone, so we're talking about cyclists' behavior first and foremost. Secondary advantages include the prevention of wrong-way riding as well as a visual reinforcement of cyclists' right to ride further to the left than some motorists might like. In an ideal world, all cyclists would know it's dangerous to ride too close to parked cars and all motorists would know that cyclists have an equal right to the roadway (and sidewalks are for pedestrians, not cyclists). Anyone who rides a bike in this town knows that current conditions are less than ideal.

[BNG]

Once again Pasadena is ahead of the curve! The sharrows on Lake, the smart meters along Colorado, valet zones in Old Town, housing above rail stations, etc- Go Pasadena! Maybe some of the LA officials should take a tour and see how their neighbors are moving towards a more liveable, sustainable city that encourages alternative modes of transportation.

[Chris in Sacramento]

The sharrows are excellent! They're an affordable way to remind motorists that bicyclists belong on streets--sometimes even in the middle of the lane-- and they encourage bicyclists to ride away from parked vehicles. What's not to like?

Of course,sharrows alone won't make LA a world-class bicycling city. But bike-specific signage-- sharrows on the roads, directional signs to key trails or destinations--can create awareness that bikes belong. It's a nice step forward.

[HBC]

I think you can get a ticket for riding a bike on the sidewalk in Pasadena.