Shared lane marking
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The shared lane marking is an experimental roadway marking installed in limited locations in the United States. This marking is used within travel lanes shared by bicyclists and other road users.
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[edit] Purpose
The shared lane marking is intended to:
- Indicate recommended lateral positioning for bicyclists within the lane
- Decrease the likelihood of collisions with suddenly opening vehicle doors ("dooring")
[edit] History
The concept for this marking was originally developed in Denver, Colorado in the 1990s. The original design consisted of an outline arrow with a bicycle symbol inside. The widened shape of the arrow, combined with the bike symbol, gave rise to unofficial names such as "bike in a house" or "sharrow".
In 2004, the City of San Francisco, California began experimentation with the shared lane marking[1], and developed a revised symbol consisting of a bicycle symbol with two sets of chevron markings above the bicycle. Based on the San Francisco experimental data, in August 2004 the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC) approved the use of this marking in the State of California.[2]
Several cities are participating in approved experiments with this marking at this time, including:
- Portland, Oregon
- Fort Collins, Colorado
Other jurisdictions have also installed this marking, but are not participating in officially approved or sanctioned experiments. There is a concern that the shared lane markings installed in some of these locations are not consistent with recent recommendations on marking design and positioning.
In January 2007, the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) endorsed the shared lane marking concept, and has recommended its inclusion in the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).[3]
[edit] Status
This marking is authorized for use within the state of California in accordance with the California MUTCD.[4] However, this marking is not yet included in the Federal MUTCD, and is not authorized for use on public roadways elsewhere in the US except by experimental authorization issued by the Federal Highway Administration.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "San Francisco's Shared Lane Pavement Markings: Improving Bicycle Safety", February 2004. [[1]]
- ^ CTCDC Minutes, August 12, 2004 [[2]]
- ^ NCUTCD Proposal on Shared Lane Markings [[3]]
- ^ California MUTCD, September 2006 edition, section 9C.103 [[4]]
