Phoenix Political Pedal Power strongly appreciates that the City of Phoenix has begun to use Shared Lane Markers (SLM, aka Sharrows) for increasing cycling safety when street configurations warrant them. The first use is on 48th St approaching Guadalupe Rd. where the right-most traffic lane is too narrow to be shared by a cyclist and motorist at the same time.

The presence of a Sharrow has meaning to motorist and cyclist alike. To the motorists, it means that cyclists may be using the whole lane in compliance with State Law, ARS 28-815.A.4. To the cyclist, it indicates the safest position relative to the configuration of the road and is a discouragement to motorists trying to squeak by when there is insufficient room for a safe passing.

We hope motorists and cyclists alike will continue to Share the Road in this new configuration. In this case, Arizona Law provides for the cyclist to use the whole lane when it “is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane”. Sharrows have been used in other Cities and States for a few years and the results have been better for all users of the roads.

See P4 on FaceBook at http://www.tinyurl.com/p4bike. P4 functions as the political action arm of Arizona Bicycle Club (ABC), a 501(C)4 organization advocating save and effective cycling, and organizes many rides for all abilities and skill levels. ABC is a member of the League of American Bicyclists which provides education by certified instructors in cycling safety and ratings of the cycling friendliness of communities, States and businesses.

For information, call Gene Holmerud, LCI #1193 at 602.243.6136 or 602.390.5344

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In lanes without on-street parking, the width of the outside lane will be the
critical factor in SLM placement – not traffic volume, bicycle volume, presence
or absence of curb or gutter, etc. If the lane width (excluding gutter) is 14
feet, then a 4 ft offset is appropriate, as the lane can accommodate a motor
vehicle and a bicycle side by side in that lane. If the lane is narrower than
14 ft, then UVC 11-1205.a.3 (and the law in most states that is similar to this
provision) releases bicyclists from any obligation to stay to the far right. In
these narrower lanes, SLMs should be placed near the center of the lane, as a
placement to the right will likely encourage unsafe passing by overtaking
traffic within the lane – which can then increase the risk of a hit-from-behind
crash, and reduces overall safety.

A recent study of lane positioning vs. passing offset in narrow non-sharable
lanes showed a marked difference in passing offset based on lane position.
Riding to the right side of the lane was much more likely to encourage passing
by overtaking traffic with less than 3 feet of separation, whereas riding
toward the lane center (remember, this is a “non-sharable” lane) was associated
with much wider passing separation distances – an important factor in the many
states with “3-foot-passing” laws.

Note that the 35 MPH wording is a Guidance condition; i.e. recommended but not mandatory. An agency can install SLMs on roadways with higher speed limits, as long as engineering judgment or an engineering study indicates that it is appropriate.

rcm

I wonder why the 35 mph limit is there?