Sharrows, First Bike/Ped Update Meeting Announced

Next week two big bike events roll into town. They aren't flashy, like a race or tour or show, but they offer the chance to make real change to bicycling in Salem.

The City sent out a news release yesterday to announce that sharrows will be begin appearing on city streets. They also announced the public kick-off for the bike plan update.

Sharrows

According to the sharrows release,

Public Works Department crews will begin to install new pavement markings called sharrows next week. Sharrow is shorthand for "shared lane pavement marking" (see attached photo). Sharrows indicate that motorists and bicyclists are to share the travel lane.

Crews will install the City's first sharrows on Chemeketa Street NE between Front Street NE and 13th Street NE, and in West Salem on Rosemont Avenue NW between Edgewater Street NW and 8th Avenue NW.

The City also set up a brief website with information on sharrows. The National Association of City Transportation Officials has more.

(Image: Seattle sharrows from NACTO)

Bike Plan Update



The City has also released a site for the Bike and Ped Update website. This will have information about the process and its events.

First up is the public kick-off. It will be Tuesday, August 24, 2010, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., at Pringle Hall, 606 Church Street SE. That's tucked in behind the hospital, just north of the Blind School parcel. The steering committee ("stakeholder advisory committee" or SAC) will meet and the public is invited.

Eugene is also undertaking an update, and it will be interesting to follow the two processes in parallel.