(Photos © J. Maus)
Ever since City of Portland Bike Coordinator Roger Geller first publicly mentioned a downtown sharrow project, many of you have expressed interest in learning more about it. So, here you go.
In June of 2008, on behalf of the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Geller submitted a grant application to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT, through their Bike and Ped grant program) for what he calls the Downtown Sharrows Project.
The $384,000 project (PBOT asked ODOT for all but $19,500 of it) would have installed 1,200 sharrows on 17 miles of streets in Portland’s downtown core. The sharrows would have been placed every 100 feet on every lane in every direction of selected streets.
Sharrows, or shared-lane markings, consist of a large bike symbol and two chevrons pointing in the travel direction. The markings have been approved for use by the Federal Highway Administration.
According to the grant application written by Geller, the project would “blanket” downtown with sharrows and the markings would “communicate to motorists they should expect cyclists to be ubiquitous throughout our downtown and that they are intended and welcome users of the downtown travel lanes.”
The reasoning behind this project was that PBOT often hears that people on bicycles feel “abandoned” when riding downtown due to a lack of developed bikeways.
“This treatment will communicate to motorists they should expect cyclists to be ubiquitous throughout our downtown and that they are intended and welcome users of the downtown travel lanes.”
— From PBOT’s grant application
For more experienced riders, taking the lane downtown is easy and preferred, since vehicle speeds are an easily bikable 12-16 mph. But for others, the heavy traffic environment is not welcoming. In addition to communicating to people driving cars that bikes are expected and allowed in the lane, sharrows also help guide less experienced riders to a safer position on the roadway (i.e. not too close to the door zone).
Or, as Geller puts it in the proposal,
“The shared lane markings will also help cyclists position themselves where they are most safe in such a low-speed environment: in the middle of the travel lanes rather than off to the far right or left sides of the roadway where they are susceptible to riding into an opened car door.”
In the end, Geller and PBOT feel the sharrow project will hasten a “self-reinforcing behavior change” — more people riding in the lanes and others realizing it’s legal to do so — that would result in more respect and sharing between all road users.
it clear that bikes can (and should)
be in the lane.
(Graphic: PBOT)
Unfortunately, the ODOT committee that doles out the grants, the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, was divided on the project and did not choose to award the grant.
Geller still likes the project and plans to keep looking for money to fund it.
What do you think? Have you ridden on sharrows? In Portland, there are several installed on NW 19th and they’re popping up all over the country (San Francisco has many in their downtown core, as does Seattle). Would this Downtown Sharrows Project get your funding vote?
Yes sharrows! Go Roger!
somehow, all the members of the committee have appointments thru 2013. that makes no sense; they don’t stagger these?
anyway, it’s a great & simple idea. keep us informed about progress & what we can do to help.
This would be a great step forward, especially if it would be accompanied by the removal of door zone/hotel zone/taxi idling “bike lanes”.
Sharrows are also desperately needed on NE Alberta. It makes me cringe to see 90% of cyclists on Alberta cowering in the door zone, then weaving out to get around the pedestrian bulb-outs. Alberta should not be considered a through street for motorists, and if we can’t get local control of speed limits, then sharrows and more assertive cycling would help slow car traffic down enough that drivers would opt for Prescott or Killingsworth.
I would prefer sharrows all over town, instead of bike lanes.
I LOVE the sharrows I’ve encountered in NW Portland. I feel that they do exactly what they’re intended for, and I’d be glad to see them throughout the downtown core.
Sharrows would make me much more likely to ride my bike out on lunchtime errands and to restaurants farther from my office. And if they help drivers see that no, I really can’t ride near the streetcar tracks, that’d be a plus.
And, as a NE Portland resident, I heartily second @Giant Hogweed #3 on Alberta. Love the street, am too chicken to ride on it. That just seems wrong.
I understand OBPAC’s reluctance to fund this project, as it’s quite nontraditional. This strikes me as more of an education and outreach type of project, using the pavement as a canvas rather than a website and billboards. It’s an interesting idea, and I wonder if it would work… it sure would turn heads and attract a lot of media attention! I like it.
Jumping ahead, did PBOT say how long they expect these pavement markings to last? That’s a lot of thermoplastic to replace when the time comes. I hope that it would come out of the general maintenance budget and not suck up bike funding to the tune of $400k every (5? 10?) years.
I LOVE it!
When I lived in NW, the sharrows on 18th & 19th made a huge positive difference to my daily commute. Drivers didn’t honk or tailgate aggressively at me as I cycled.
It would be nice to see this replicated downtown too.
sharrows are exactly the kind of low cost, highly effective tool that this city needs. Putting these up in downtown, along with some other key spots on the east side, would end up being an incredibly productive thing to do with little money. It gets the point across very quickly to motorists that these are shared roads (which is sorely lacking), and also gets cyclists to stay away from the “door zone”. I feel like this needs to happen, even if its just people going out with white paint in the night and doing it themselves.
Shawn and I went to Seattle for a few days for my birthday in November.
There were sharrows damn near everywhere (on truly steep uphills, there was often a separate bike lane, apparently called a “climbing lane” because you’ll be so slow).
We didn’t have any unpleasant interactions with cars for the two days we were riding through Seattle. Whereas in Portland I get passed too close on a fairly regular basis. Might be coincidence, might not–but I loved the sharrows!!
Best bike idea I’ve seen out of PBOT! I routinely use the sharrow lane on NW 19th and it works beautifully (cars queue up behind cyclists and wait for an opportunity to pass in the left lane). Car drivers easily understand what those markings mean and abide by them.
On the other hand….the frequency of sharrows on that map seems a bit much. Wouldn’t one set of markings per block be enough?
I would also like to express support for this project. Sharrows are much more effective in my opinion than traffic signs and they instantly give both people on bikes and in cars a clear signal that it’s OK to be in the lane.
As for the story above, I’m hoping to hear more about what concerns the ODOT committee had about the project. Stay tuned for a follow up.
This is definitely a project that could become a reality, but it will help a lot if PBOT heard loud and clear from the community that this is something worth doing.
AWESOME! This should happen!
I completely agree with #3, I just got honked at riding on alberta this morning. Drivers don’t understand cyclists rights. On Alberta I’ve also had people yell out their car windows to stay off a “main artery” as well as racial slurs.
And in the past several months I’ve nearly been doored there several times.
I forgot to add that adding these Sharrows would probably improve the situation I face there each day.
Fantastic!!! Every little bit helps. These are a great reminder for motorists that bikes also belong on the road. Maybe it’ll help them remember that rule when driving in areas w/o bike lanes or shared lanes as well.
Isn’t sharing fun?
For everyone mentioning Alberta…. at our Get Together event on Alberta back in August, I brought up the issue of riding on that street. I specifically asked Geller what PBOT could do to make it more pleasant.
I personally think the city should remove on-street car parking, but unfortunately they are politically scared to do that right now. However, to the point of this story, Geller said that sharrows would indeed be a possibility on Alberta.
I generally like this idea, but I agree with #6 above — the cost to install them will not be that great, but, I’m concerned about maintenance and replacement.
Also, there’s the idea that they will quickly become “Just another marking” to add to the mass of signs and paint that road users currently contend with.
Does anyone have the concern that, if LOTS of places have sharrows, those that do not could risk more bike-car friction as auto drivers mistakenly believe that bicycles are not permitted or recommended in those lanes lacking sharrows?
All in all, I’m in favor of as much accessibility as we can get. Portland has it pretty darn good, everyone. I live now in Tacoma, WA, and every time I return to PDX, compared with any city in the Puget Sound, I’m amazed by just how effective the bike infrastructure really is there.
This is so great. Yesterday at the height of dark, rainy rush hour I was riding down SW 4th (almost 5:30pm). There were 2-3 bike commuters parallel to each other in ALL 3 lanes as we slowly leap- frogged each other to Burnside–which was an amazing feeling, like Critical Mass almost! Most drivers did not bat an eyelash, but I definitely had a few moments when I could imagine drivers thinking “Why are they in my lane? Why aren’t they all the way on the right?” so I was still exceedingly cautious and defensive, assuming drivers might still want to take the lane and pass me (I was in the left lane). Sharrows would help here, and even more in streets where drivers are aggressive to the point of danger, like on 5th where drivers constantly squeeze me into the gutter and/or drift over into the bus lane in order to pass me, in their impatience to get by.
I think they’re a GREAT idea. Those already in NW work wonderfully.
The new big bike lanes on SW Oak and SW Stark are very useful but the one problem with them is that many motorists don’t ‘get’ that they are bike lanes.
With sharrows everywhere, the problem will get worse, the lanes will look similar to the sharrow lanes. How can we make these stand out as places for bikes only? Whatever the solution is, it should happen as or before the sharrows are implemented.
I think this $ would be better spent fixing the scariest part of my ride – the PSU “bike track” area where I get to dodge people going to and from parked cars. That area is now to be avoided.
I admit that I’m not generally a huge fan of sharrows. Oftentimes cities, like here in Minneapolis, install sharrows on the side of the road as an afterthought, as a way to express support for cyclists without actually building any meaningful infrastructure. I compare this to Vancouver, where the downtown has essentially reallocated tons of streetspace for cyclists with cycletracks and bike lanes from cars.
However, looking at these plans, if implemented to this extent, on every block, I think that you could cheaply send a statement that every downtown street is cyclist friendly, and that downtown Portland takes cycling seriously. Blanketing the city with these would make a profound statement about our transportation priorities. In the future, I’d love to see it extended out on major arterials (Hawthorne, Belmont, etc) without bike lanes as a way to normalize cyclists on the road.
Seems like a simple, “shovel ready” stimulus project to me. Do it! Also, lay some down on Mississippi to let all the Richard Petty’s know this is a shared street.
Removing on-street parking on Alberta will just push the cars into the neighborhoods. Some streets don’t have driveways so those would get even messier. Keep in mind that a lot of the cars on Alberta are not from the neighborhood anyway (e.g. somebody driving in from afar instead of walking or riding from close by).
From a Seattle cyclist perspective: Good Sharrows are not everywhere here. Some of the newer Sharrows have been installed better (not all of them). Most Sharrows have been laid down following the most minimal guidelines. Most are in the door zone, small, and placed on wider roadways in a manner that “guides the cyclist” to a specific place in the roadway. Evidence: http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/sharrows.htm “Use the sharrow to guide where you ride within the lane.”
Seattle’s community outreach regarding Sharrows has been dismal.
The pictures I’ve seen from Portland’s use of Sharrows are much better than Seattle’s (Portland picture above vs Seattle picture above – isn’t that Seattle Sharrow just to the left of the parking strip, right in the door zone?)…hopefully Portland can once again provide a better example.
another great reason to do this: to show Seattle the right way to do alternative transportation. again.
as someone who has tried to follow the worn-away little bike lane dots on dark, rainy nights – big is better. lots is good. but i do agree with the info overload concern. not a big deal on NE/SE 41st; downtown – more visual clutter?
Doesn’t the bike boulevard that’s getting installed on Going make riding on Alberta unnecessary? The narrow street + the parking makes it too big of a pain in the ass to ride, I much prefer the side streets there.
@ All- Obviously this project is a great idea.
WRT Alberta- this problem is even a problem on Freemont through Alemeda where the speed limit is 20. If I’m riding 19, you can’t legally pass me! its impossible. Sharrows would help in all ‘restaurant districts’ or whatever the city wants to call them. This should get funded ASAP
YES! My favorite thing about sharrows is that according to the 2004 study in S.F. they drastically reduce the percentage of cyclists riding on the sidewalk and against traffic.
The downtown project sounds great to me, but I agree with everyone about Alberta, too. And the remark about Going is a good example of the advantages and disadvantages of all these planned bike boulevards — sure, they are on quiet streets and can be nice for cross-town rides (as well as ideal for less-confident cyclists and kids), but not so good for retail access in commercial districts. There’s still a need for bike infrastructure up and down the streets in those more congested areas where we eat, shop, drink, etc. That’s why I think a dual-pronged approach of boulevards *and* sharrows/lanes makes the most sense. I’m sure we could all come up with a bunch of eastside streets that could use sharrows. My pet project would be NE 7th from the planned cycle-track at Weidler to Alberta — there are already lots of people on bicycles on this street, and it would appear that PBOT has prioritized turning 9th into a bike boulevard, where there are much fewer bicyclists and the obstacle of Irving Park to deal with. Why not do both? Serve existing riders on 7th with sharrows. Add a bike box at Broadway and get rid of the right turn lane. Make 9th, the quieter street, a boulevard for the less confident/slower-moving cyclists. Does anyone else agree with me on this sort of approach?
yes!
Totally agree with Giant Hogweed #3 Broadway “bikelane” is a joke in front of hotels. I can’t recall ever making up Broadway from Burnside to PSU without having to abandon the lane to avoid taxis and parked cars for hotel guests. Let’s see.. doing the math in my head says about $350 per sharrow. If they could get the cost down to $100 per then maybe it would be like the bricks in Pioneer square. You know, buy a sharrow with your name on it for downtown PDX. And I know the city would not go for it, but if we (the creative bicycling community) had a large stencil cut and some donated paint and labor… hhhmmmmm.
I was in Corvallis this morning for a meeting and saw some sharrows, and they seemed to be working quite well, although I only encountered a few cyclists.
Probably would have a much better application in Portland…..SE 39th?
Well I have never personally ridden a sharrow before. I think this is a good concept that could be made better. The amount of markings on the road seems excessive. The concern on maintenance cost has already been mentioned. With that many I would think the cars would seem to just tune out the markings on the road and might miss an important one like showing a right turn only lane. As an outer SE commuter I would like to see the amount of sharrows proposed for downtown come down in quantity and get some out here where better infrastructure is really needed. I feel in heaven when riding the inner east side or downtown. Much better then 40mph main roads.
I will contribute money to the fund to make this happen. I can’t afford to give much though!
Sharrows YES!, everywhere no. Mr. Geller YES! retrogressive politicians NO! why we’ve never done it that way before!.Not that I dont ever have to go, but how much were those solar toilets, it’s not like the sun takes care of it.
Hi 24, why not just bike on Salmon?
I forgot, isn’t there a sharrow example on SW Alder between 19th and around 14th? I normally ride that at night with minimal traffic but would love to hear if anyone rides it at a busier time.
Andrew – Corvallis is not a big bike town, which is weird for how flat & small it is. students walk or drive; most people drive, for that matter. i don’t think a bike community really exists there, although there are lots of bicyclists.
does that make any sense? lots of people bike but i never got the feeling that people consider C-town a “bike town” like we do in Pdx or even Eugene.
i’d also like to add that in SE, sharrows won’t matter until the horrible streets are repaired. it’s ghastly, especially the further out you go. when i lived out in Woodstock, it was a matter of trying not to get beat to death by the roads. more than a few times i got my head & neck jammed halfway down my body slamming into some crack or pothole.
Downtown sharrows…great idea.
Sharrows on the existing Sellwood Bridge…even better!
cyclist #29
“Doesn’t the bike boulevard that’s getting installed on Going make riding on Alberta unnecessary?”
Today, for example, I rode from the co-op at 15th to the vegan bakery at 22nd. Got some cupcakes, then rode to Concordia Coffee shop at 29th. To take Going instead for each leg of the trip would have taken me 8 blocks out of my way. Besides, a street with as much pedestrian traffic as Alberta should have lower traffic speeds, and more bikes on the street would tend to result in lower car speeds.
Great idea. I feel safer taking the lane.
plus one to comment 3. sharrows instead of bike lanes. i just had the same experience on alberta against yesterday, motorist sounding her horn at me as i waited for oncoming traffic to clear to make a left into the co-op. and ofter motorists passing too close, even though i have claimed the lane. but when i am running several errands on alberta, i have no interest in dropping down to going. (also not certain they intend to signalize the intersection with 15th when they turn going into a boulevard.) downtown on 10th or 4th, rolling the green wave, it would be useful to have sharrows clarifying to motorists that i have a right to take the center lane, so as not to get hung up behind motorists making turns. props to roger geller.
#35 Buy a Sharrow. Classic. I’d chip in for a couple if it’d fix the’door zone/hotel zone/taxi idling “bike lanes” Hogway mentioned in #3.
Though I would miss the excitement of mingling with harried tourists, their luggage, and cabs in rush hour traffic.
Yes Sharrows! I highly recommend they also get added to the NE/SE one way couplet of 11th/12th *and* reset the traffic signals to drop the speed by 3-5mph. With two lanes, it’s easy enough for cars to pass on the left. Catching the green wave is only possible on a fast bike with a motivated rider, not possible at an average commuter’s speed.
Sharrows are the best bang for the buck. Portland needs to use the giant bike marking on BIKE BOULEVARDS, too, instead of the paper plates that are invisible to drivers. Vancouver BC uses the large markings on all their bike routes (i.e. side streets) to let drivers know they’re on a bike boulevard.
SHARROW PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!