Sharing
Sometimes when I see “Share the Road” on signs I think there needs to be a silly cartoon character to go with the message:
Don’t get me wrong, in a world without cycle tracks sharing the road is obviously a necessary thing. But on a sign it’s a little simplistic. It isn’t actually clear what type of sharing is supposed to happen- that’s left open to interpretation.
Perhaps there could be more “Bicyclists May Use Full Lane” signs. We can leave messages about sharing (and squeaky cartoon characters) to the kids.
Where I live in Logan Utah we have a few “sharrows” along heavily used streets. I like them. Drivers seem to notice them better than signs off the shoulder. Although many are improperly located within the lane, they do seem to help.
True… this is everyday on Beacon St in Somerville
So, they actually do this in school zones in Belgium. They are demarcated by a few things, including a cartoonish purple octopus: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4578526478_26864cd32b_m.jpg
I’ve heard at least one person say she understood that the signs were to remind cyclists to share the road with cars. I wonder how many drivers share her interpretation. Scary.
If you’d like the cartoon character whose job this is, look up “La Paz traffic zebras.” Who knows? Maybe they’re onto something. At least there, it seems to be working better than signs or police.