Keep an eye out in the next few months for additional bike improvements along Cherry St. The city Department of Transportation will be addming dedicated bike lanes and “sharrows” on E. Cherry between 23rd & 12th Ave.
Yesler way will also be getting sharrows between 20th & 23rd Ave.
Wondering what the difference is between the two? Bike lanes are the double-striped, dedicated corridors between the main travel lanes and the parking strip. Sharrows are the bike logos and chevrons that note the travel lane is shared between vehicles and cyclists. Generally sharrows are placed on downhill grades or where there’s not enough room for a dedicated bike lane.
SDOT’s Rick Sheridan also tells me that the city has been making note of all the existing lane markers that deteriorated over the winter. Crews will be out repainting those as the weather improves over the next few months.
Hmmm… Yesler Way already has a mix of bike lanes (on uphill portions) and sharrows (on downhill and flat areas) from at least Broadway to 34th Ave and has had them for nearly 2 years. Granted many of the markings deterioted within a year and were done in further by this winter’s weather. Any word on whether they are going to use higher quality paint this time around?
You’re totally right – I noticed them on my way to the EPCPC meeting tonight. Not sure why SDOT included those on their list…
Warning to bicyclists and motorists:
Bike lanes prescribe behavior contrary to normal and safe traffic maneuvers. Bicycle Driving instructors teach cyclists to ride with the traffic, and to stay out of the “door zone” next to parked cars — the space defined by many bike lanes. Bicyclists riding close to parked cars blend into the roadside clutter and are much more difficult for other drivers to see, particularly those turing or crossing paths with the cyclist. The problem increases significantly with any speed above walking.
Bike lanes steer cyclists into conflict with right turning motorists at intersections — while the cyclist is in the motorist’s blind spot. Bicycle driving instructors teach cyclists to get in line with traffic going their direction at intersections as this removes conflict and makes all drivers most visible to each other.
Expert bicycle driving sources:
Street Smarts by John Allen, booklet available on the web
Cyclecraft by John Franklin
Effective Cycling by John Forester