What's That On The Road?

You may have noticed something new on some roads as you drive around town. And you may be asking, ‘Why is there a bike symbol painted on the roadway?’

The symbols are called “sharrows” and they indicate a shared bike lane. Sharrows are intended to remind motorists to share the road and also bring awareness to the presence of cyclists on the roadways. These markings have become familiar sites in many cities throughout the state and Simsbury is one of the first suburban towns in Connecticut to use these markings.   

The town has begun to mark out a bike route using sharrows on a 14-mile loop that is intended to encourage bicycling and will serve as the spine for the town’s bike network.

The loop includes: Stratton Brook Road, Old Farms Road, Holcomb Street, County Road, the lower section of Hoskins Road, Terrys Plain Road, East Weatogue Street and Riverside Road.  

The Simsbury Department of Public Works will paint about 30 or 40 sharrows (placards) with the image of a bicycle on the right side of roads that are often used by bicyclists, as a way to alert motorists, said Tom Roy public works director.

About 10 sharrows have been painted, and yes, they are painted using a large plastic template. Before painting more, Roy wanted to see how the sharrows were received and that the process was working.

Roy said he has received a few calls and emails. The response has been positive. In some urban areas the sharrows are spaced 250 feet apart, but that will not be the case in Simsbury. At the moment they are at the entrance to the major intersections of the streets listed above and they will be added to long stretches and turn-ins from infill streets.

Roy added that the signs do not mean these bike ways are appropriate for young children. The areas are more for adult bikers or people who commute on their bikes.

For biker Steve Noble — who has been working for nearly 20 years to get the rail-trail completed in the valley — the sharrows are a good thing.

“The concept of the sharrows is a good one — simply calling attention to the fact that cars and bikes should share the road, and drivers are obliged by law to stay three feet away from the biker when passing,” he said. “I just hope people don't get the idea that bikes are restricted to roads with sharrows. That is not the case at all.”

If you have any questions on the use of sharrows, contact the public works department at 860-658-3222.