That question was recently posted on the Detroit Bikes email list.

Perhaps it’s best to first answer the question, “What are sharrows?”

Sharrows are standard pavements markings as shown on the right. They are used on roads that are designated bike routes where there is not enough pavement to include a bike lane. The sharrows provide guidance to the cyclists on where to ride on the road. Cyclists should ride through the center of the marking.

Of course these pavement markings also let drivers know about the presence of cyclists.

All signs and pavement marking designs and uses are defined by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). We’ve listed the MUCTD information at the end.

Would Sharrows work in Detroit?

Yes, but only in limited instances, primarily when:

• There is not enough road width for bike lanes (even after a Road Diet)
• There is either no on-street parking or high-use on-street parking

Most city of Detroit roads do not meet the above checklist.

There is enough room for bike lanes on a majority of roads. For example, a recent non-motorized planning analysis found that over 90% of the roads in Detroit’s near east side would support bike lanes without any widening. The planner said 50% is considered excellent in other cities. He’s never seen a street network more readily available for bike lanes.

On Detroit roads without enough room for bike lanes, the parking is typically sporadic and not high-use. Why is this a big deal? On streets with parking, the sharrows would be located 11 feet from the curb. But, if there are rarely any parked cars on a road, does it make sense to ask cyclists to bike 11 feet from the curb irregardless? Probably not.

But there are some Detroit streets that could benefit from sharrows. For example, the curved entrance ramps from Jefferson and the Macarthur Bridge (to Belle Isle) could use sharrows to lead cyclists to and from the bike lanes.

Another good use of sharrows is to provide continuity to a bike lane when some sections of the road become too narrow. We’ve heard excuses that a road can’t have bike lanes because one short section is too narrow. Sharrows eliminate that excuse.

Of course the Detroit suburbs may also have more opportunity for sharrows since their roads are less overbuilt compared with Detroit’s.

Currently the cities of Flint and South Haven have sharrows with at least a couple others looking into them.

Read the rest of this entry »

Detroit’s Second Annual Road/Track Bicycle Show and Swap Meet will be August 22nd (starting at 8 AM).

It’s being held at Balduck Park (18401 E. Warren) on Detroit’s east side across from Bike Tech.

Limited vendor space is available for $30.

For more information, contact 313.884.BIKE (2453).

From The Hub of Detroit. Note that the ride begins at 2:30pm at the Hub of Detroit (3611 Cass Avenue in Detroit):

Thank you to everyone who made the 1st Annual Safe Streets Youth Ride an incredible success! Your donations and support keep the youth education programs at The Hub of Detroit going strong.

Everyone had a blast cruising with signs and streamers through Eastern Market, The Heidelberg Project, the Riverwalk, and downtown! Check www.thehubofdetroit.org for the action pictures we took on the ride, which we’ll post as soon as we gather them.

We have begun planning the 2nd Annual Safe Streets Youth Ride for August 28th 2010, and we are excited to announce that registration is now open! You can continue to support the program and its future graduates by registering for your ticket now!

http://safestreetsyouthride.eventbrite.com/

Please register for an Adult Cyclist ticket ($25) to attend the August 28th 2010 ride, or specify the donation of your choice if you want to give without attending the ride. All donations support The Hub’s youth education programs.

Congratulations to the city of Novi! Last night, their city council unanimously adopted a Complete Streets Resolution.

According to Novi City Councilmember Andrew Mutch:

“The resolution declares Novi’s commitment to adopting and following Complete Streets principles. It also directs City staff to develop a set of proposed standards and ordinances to implement “Complete Streets” policies and practices in the City of Novi. These efforts, in concert with the newly initiated master plan for non-motorized transportation, will enable the city to better meet the strong desire of Novi residents to live in a more walkable and bikeable city and to provide a transportation system that takes into consideration the needs of all users.”

We believe this is the first community in Oakland County to have a Complete Streets resolution or ordinance.

As for the master plan noted my Mutch, the city has hired a top-notch team. Leading the team is the Greenway Collaborative, which has a web page for more information on this planning effort, including this overview:

The City of Novi is continuing its efforts to promote healthy, active lifestyles through the creation of a comprehensive non-motorized transportation plan. The plan will result in a clear vision and implementation strategy to establish a safe, convenient and enjoyable environment for bicyclists, pedestrians and other non-motorized users. This project got underway in July and should be completed by the end of the year. The public is encouraged to participate in the creation of the plan through a web based survey available later this summer and two workshops to be held this fall.

The page does list two public meetings:

Project Visioning Workshop

This workshop will be held on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 from 7:00pm to 8:45pm in the Full Meeting Room at Novi Public Library. During this workshop participants will express there hopes and concerns and identify areas in the community where different types of non-motorized elements would fit.

Preliminary Plan Workshop

This workshop will be held on Thursday, October 26, 2010 from 7:00pm to 8:45pm in the Full Meeting Room at the Novi Public Library. During this workshop participants will prioritized and evaluated the Draft Non-motorized Network Plan.

Mark your calendars. The city of Novi is really moving forward.

DDOT and the Federal Transit Authority are hosting the initial public meeting for the Woodward Light Rail project this Saturday. The meeting purpose is “discuss the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Woodward Avenue (M-1) Light Rail Project from Downtown Detroit to Eight Mile Road (M-102).”

The EIS will consider impacts to bicyclists using Woodward — which is key. Light rail tracks along the curb are not always the best choice for bicyclists.

Earlier discussions were to not have biking on Woodward, at least below Grand Boulevard. It was suggested cyclists could use some streets paralleling Woodward. That overlooks the fact that people want to ?ride to destinations on Woodward.

Not accommodating bicycles on Woodward might just give Detroit’s Critical Mass something to protest.

Meeting Details

When: Saturday, August 14, 2010. Attend from 11am to 1pm or 5pm to 7pm.

Where: Considine Light Rock Family Life Center Auditorium (8904 Woodward Avenue, Detroit)