Description

Somebody posted a brand new "bike route: share the road sign" with black letters on a white background in front of Evans Hall. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment, but at the same time I feel a little insulted.
A. The sign design and wording is totally made up and not consistent with any design manual I have ever seen. There are plenty of better, more meaningful bike signs to choose from in the federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
B. In my opinion, only the following bike signs shall be posted in New Haven, no others: Bike Route wayfinding signs with destinations, distance, and travel time (white letters on green background); Greenway signs (customizable—branded for each greenway. New York uses circular and oval green signs with a custom design), Bike Lane signs (for use with bike lanes. White letters on black background); Bicycle May Use Full Lane signs (the sign equivalent to the Shared Lane Marking. For use where lanes are less than 13' in width, which is pretty much anywhere in New Haven. Black letters on white background.); and last, but not least, Bicycle Parking signs with arrows pointing to the bicycle parking, which should be required at any building entrance whence the bicycle parking is not visible (Evans Hall could really use these signs).
C. Better yet, why not put in some ACTUAL BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE?

Here's to hoping I never see another meaningless "share the road" sign posted in this town.