Sharrow on Charles Allen Drive
Don't be alarmed. The sharrow is a bicycle rider's friend. Also called a "shared lane marking", the sharrow reminds motorists to expect bicycle traffic, and informs bicyclists where the safest lane position will be under normal traffic circumstances. For instance, sharrows can remind cyclists not to ride in the "door zone" of parked cars.These aren't fake sharrows either, like the ones that somebody painted on Peachtree Street in the middle of the night a few years ago. These are the real deal, presumably painted by the City of Atlanta. The city finally feels comfortable using sharrows, now that they have been approved by the MUTCD (the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices).
Basically, the MUTCD is a compendium of all the signs, pavement markings, traffic signals, and so forth, that have been approved for national usage, and their specifications. Most transportation departments will be reluctant to try any type of traffic control that hasn't been approved in this manual. Isn't transportation fun??
New sharrow on Georgia Ave next to Turner Field
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I'm glad to see these appearing around town! Ironically enough though, I was crossing over Charles Allen yesterday from 8th St. (driving) and 2 girls on bikes were riding on the sidewalk. I wanted to yell and ask if they noticed the sharrow symbols :) Charles Allen isn't exactly a horrible street to be riding on so not sure why anyone would use the sidewalk.
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