Bike Business – Sharrows

Sharrows are shared lane pavement markings. You’ve all seen those white outlines of bicycles with double arrows painted near the edge of the road. They show cyclists the best place to ride on the road to avoid parked car doors, and they remind motor vehicles to share the road with bikes. The sharrow markings do NOT designate a place on the road for exclusive use of bikes.

Sharrows are typically used where the road is not wide enough to provide dedicated bike facilities, or on downhill lanes where cyclists might travel similar speed as motor vehicles.

Sometimes you will see sharrow markings next to a solid white line, as pictured below, right. The white line delineates a parking lane. Though a cyclist CAN ride in the parking lane, it is recommended that they remain in the traveling lane where the sharrow markings are, to be more predictable to motorists and so they aren’t weaving between the parking lane and the traffic lane. Motor vehicles should not drive in the parking lane, either.

Both motor vehicles and bicycles should follow the rules of the road just as they would if there were no sharrows. Drivers should remember to give bicycles at least 3 feet of space when passing.