Corvallis Hopes New Markings Helps Bikes And Vehicles Share The Road

The new marking is called the "sharrow" -- a combination of "share" and "arrow."

Photo courtesy: City of Corvallis

(CORVALLIS) - Whether you drive the streets of Corvallis in a vehicle, or traverse them on a bicycle, many things demand your attention.

You need to be aware of traffic, pedestrians and cyclists, traffic lights, and stop signs, to name a few.

Most drivers in Corvallis are familiar with the bike lanes around town that indicate where cyclists can safely ride with the flow of traffic.

Many do not know, however, that bicyclists are permitted to use the driving lane if there are no marked bike lanes.

An easily identifiable marking has been developed for use in special circumstances to let motorists know that they are expected to "share the road" with cyclists.

Sharrows have been placed on the pavement in the middle of the right-hand travel lane on Monroe and Madison Avenues, from 1st to 5th Streets.

The action was approved by the Corvallis Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) after reviewing different alternatives to complete an east-west link between 1st Street and the rest of Monroe Avenue.

The new pavement marking has already proven to encourage safer cycling and clearer lane-sharing between motorists and cyclists in other communities, reducing the incidence of wrong-way riding and sidewalk riding by bicyclists.

Watch for them the next time you are on either street, and "share the road" with bike commuters you may encounter.