CALIFORNIA BICYCLE NEWS AND CYCLING SAFETY TIPS BLOG

Sharrows, which are traffic lanes with markings painted on them to indicate a shared-lane, are everywhere these days. They supposedly remind drivers that bicyclists are allowed to use the road as well, and reportedly increase bicycle safety; but how true is that? A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado at Denver have found that sharrows actually do little more than cost the city money in wasted paint. After comparing safety results for streets in Chicago that recently had bike lanes or sharrows created, or had no change at all, the study’s authors found that sharrows are often less effective than making no change at all. Over the course of two years, the study revealed some interesting information. In streets that recently received bike lanes, researchers discovered that the route saw a 200 percent increase in bicycle traffic. Also, those lucky lanes reported a 42 percent decrease…
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