2008 News and Information
New Bike Route Pavement Markings - “Sharrows”
October 30, 2008
Where Bikes Share Wider Lanes with Vehicles
In mid-November cyclists and drivers will notice a new important cycling symbol appearing on the streets of Richmond.
Technically known as shared-use markings, and colloquially called “sharrows”, these road markings help cyclists and drivers share the street safely.
They will be used where bicycles and motor vehicles share busier streets, but where there is not enough width for separate vehicle and bicycle lanes.
Sharrows help:
- alert road users of the location cyclists are likely to occupy within the travel lane
- position a cyclist in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking, reducing the chance of a cyclist being hit by a parked vehicle’s open door
- assist cyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane
- encourage safe passing of cyclists by motorists
- reduce the incidence of wrong-way cycling
Examples of "sharrows" can be seen on:
- River Road in front of the Richmond Oval site
- Garden City Road (Francis Road to Granville Avenue)
- Gilbert Road (Granville Avenue to Lansdowne Road)
