I talked to Mike Piscitelli this am. Lets make sure that we keep the pressure on to put these sharrows down. It sounds like we are going to have to wait till next season as the contractor is too busy to get out there but we should ask that they be put in for Spring!

Agreed. I love the ones further down (past Chapel, for the commute to Union Station) but want to see them further up. Because drivers on State St. are often "just passing through" (suburbanites not familiar with the presence/legality of cyclists on streets), nearly every time I've been verbally abused ("Get on the sidewalk!" ??) or almost hit (someone aggressively trying to push me out of the lane at stop lights), it's been on State St. above Chapel.

what the heck is a "sharrow"?

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/complete_streets_law_complete/

Its a marking that indicates that bikes are allowed in the street.

sharrow is the combination of 'shared' and 'arrow'. it is also often called 'shared road marking'.

Straight up, no matter what, the nervousness a driver feels as he/she approaches a biker... it's a tough situation. I see a cyclist and I think, WHOA, must slow down.... and while I am slowing down I need to check my mirrors and look over my shoulder to see if I can edge into the left lane... ALL THE WHILE BE SURE I DON'T ACCIDENTLY REAR-END THE BIKER.

As a peaceful driver, I sense that tension. So, I think we, New Haven, should close certain roads to motor-vehicle traffic and restrict cyclists to those roads for their commute in and out of downtown.

"Sharrows" are LAME.

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Wouldn't actual bike lanes be a better solution than "sharrows"?

"Its a marking that indicates that bikes are allowed in the street."
Aren't bicycles always allowed in streets? Isn't it illegal to ride on sidewalks?

not all city streets are wide enough for a proper bike lane, (unless you remove street parking which i'm sure wouldnt be a very popular option)

and, yes, it is illegal to bike on the sidewalk (unless you are a child, accompanying a child, elderly or disabled)

however, just because the law supports bicycles in the streets does not mean that drivers behave that way. sharrows are used in hundreds of cities and towns to show cyclists where they can physically ride, and to alert drivers to their presence so that they will be prepared to slow and change lanes if neccessary to give the appropriate amount of passing room.

Isn't it intuitive for the average cyclist to be on the right? As to alerting drivers of their presence, I'm pretty sure they'll be aware of cyclists when they see them. Wouldn't some sort of driver education be more effective? Maybe if the cops were better drivers (see issue #56836) and could lead by example we wouldn't have this problem?

As someone who bikes through downtown and by the train station everyday, I'll be interested to see if any of this really makes a difference.

whether it is intuitive or not, it is actually sometimes more dangerous to be positioned as far right as possible. if there is space, i will certainly ride far right and allow cars to pass at will. but, state street and many other new haven streets are far too narrow, and many have parking on the sides which puts you directly in the "door zone". also, if you ride to the extreme right, many cars pulling out of side streets and driveways do not see you and turn out directly in front of you.

sharrows encourage cyclists to ride with traffic, as traffic. and they remind drivers that that position is where a cyclist belongs.

i agree that driver education would be fantastic, and some is planned in conjunction with the installation with these sharrows. some is also available on the city's website:
http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/TrafficParking/BikeNewHaven.asp

At some point, isn't it the cyclists responsibility to pay attention to doors and cars pulling out? Yes, I get @#$% when someone opens their door in front of me, but I'm glad that I have enough awareness to brake or maneuver around it. It's a two way street (ha!) and it's a bit unfair to pin the responsibility solely on the motorists.

geefin,
at every point, it is the cyclists responsibility for paying attention. i never pinned anything soley on motorists. what i am trying to spell out is that there is often not enough space on any given road for two cars to pass each other plus a cyclist avoiding an opening door or car pulling out without looking.

on streets like state, it is best to ride where the right tire of a car would be on the road, with traffic. if a car behind you comes up fast while a car is coming from the opposite direction, take the lane to prevent them from edging you off the road.

sharrows are an extension of this concept.

Will State Street be getting sharrows this spring? Interested to know. They've also been requested by a lot of folks on Whitney Avenue.

P.S. The new sharrows and bike lanes on Humphrey and Lombard, nearby to this street, are nice. Thanks TTP! Now we just need to connect them better with downtown.

I'm curious as well Mark, I ECC helping to lobby for this? Can you pass this post around ECC to get feedback and see if people want this.

Thank You traffic and parking for the sharrows on state and Humphrey. I've already seen new faces on the street biking to work.

Another photo of the sharrows on state. Yay!!