[Durham INC] Durham Installs Pavement Markings to Improve Bicycling Conditions

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

 

 

 

For Immediate Release:  December 21, 2011

 

 

Durham Installs Pavement Markings to Improve Bicycling Conditions on
City Streets

First Shared Lane Markings Installed Along Chapel Hill Street

 

DURHAM, N.C.-The City of Durham Transportation Department continues to
take steps to improve bicycling conditions in the city. Last week, the
department began installing the first bike "sharrows" on Chapel Hill
Street between Kent Street and the bridge over N.C. Highway 147.

 

Bike sharrows, also called shared lane pavement markings, consist of a
large chevron and bicycle symbol. The pavement markings are used to
improve bicycling conditions on roads where bike lanes are desirable,
but roads are too narrow to stripe bike lanes.  

 

Sharrows are a simple, visible indication that motorists and cyclists
should share the travel lane. The markings reinforce safe cycling habits
and can help reduce wrong-way bicycling. Cyclists should ride through
the center of the sharrow to ensure safe positioning in the lane.
Motorists are expected to slow down and wait for the cyclist to turn off
the roadway or wait until they can pass the cyclist safely. The sharrows
are located at regular intervals in both directions. To view an image of
the new sharrows, visit the City's website at 
http://DurhamNC.gov/Pages/NNDetails.aspx?detailId=43. 

 

According to the City's Transportation Department, sharrows are approved
for installation on Lakewood Avenue, between Duke Street and Roxboro
Road. Additional locations are recommended for sharrow installations in
the Durham Comprehensive Bicycle Transportation Plan, which can be found
on the City's website at 
http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/dot/Pages/Final-Durham-Comprehensive-Bicycle-
Transportation-Plan.aspx. In the past few weeks, Duke University has
also installed sharrow markings on several campus streets.

 

For more information about cycling in Durham, contact Dale McKeel,
bicycle and pedestrian coordinator with the City's Transportation
Department, at (919) 560-4366, ext. 36421 or by email at 
Dale.McKeel at DurhamNC.gov.

 

About the Transportation Department

The City of Durham Transportation Department is responsible for a broad
range of transportation services, which include traffic signs and
signals, transportation planning, parking operations, street lighting,
the taxicab administration and bicycle and pedestrian planning. The
City's Transportation Department also oversees the Durham Area Transit
Authority (DATA) public transportation system as well as the DATA ACCESS
service for persons with disabilities. The City of Durham leads planning
functions for the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning
Organization (DCHC MPO). For more information about the Transportation
Department, visit the City's website at http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/dot
<http://durhamnc.gov/ich/op/dot> . 

 

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