Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Durham Getting Friendlier for Bikes

Developing and fostering alternative forms of transportation is a priority for The City, County of Durham, Downtown Durham, Inc. and the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau - organizations charged with the mission of making Durham an even greater place to live, work and visit. With an influx of improvements to road conditions, Durham will soon be an even friendlier city for both recreational and commuting bicyclists alike.

The City of Durham Transportation Department continues to take steps to improve bicycling conditions in the city. Last week, the department began installing the first bike “sharrows” on Chapel Hill Street between Kent Street and the bridge over N.C. Highway 147.

Bike sharrows, also called shared lane pavement markings, consist of a large chevron and bicycle symbol. The pavement markings are used to improve bicycling conditions on roads where bike lanes are desirable, but roads are too narrow to stripe bike lanes. 

Sharrows are a simple, visible indication that motorists and cyclists should share the travel lane. The markings reinforce safe cycling habits and can help reduce wrong-way bicycling. Cyclists should ride through the center of the sharrow to ensure safe positioning in the lane. Motorists are expected to slow down and wait for the cyclist to turn off the roadway or wait until they can pass the cyclist safely. The sharrows are located at regular intervals in both directions. View an image of the new sharrows, also available on the City’s website.

According to the City’s Transportation Department, sharrows are approved for installation on Lakewood Avenue, between Duke Street and Roxboro Road. Additional locations are recommended for sharrow installations in the Durham Comprehensive Bicycle Transportation Plan, which can be found on the City’s website. In the past few weeks, Duke University has also installed sharrow markings on several campus streets.

With its compact urban core and miles of scenic roads, Durham is evermore the place where great cycling happens.

No comments:

Post a Comment