Rome marking sharrow lanes
Some lane closures are expected this week as crews begin labeling the shared bike and car lanes.
Sharrow stenciling in downtown Rome is expected to begin this week, and will cause partial lane closures. By the end of April, just in time for 700-plus cyclists, Rome is expecting the annual Up the Creek Without a Pedal race. “Sharrows” will be stenciled at the East Sixth Avenue trailhead, along the inner lanes of Broad Street and over the South Rome Bridge to the Kingfisher Trailhead. They will also go on East First Avenue from Broad Street to Glenn Milner Boulevard.
Shared lane markings, or “sharrows,” are road markings used to indicate a shared lane environment for bicycles and automobiles. Among other benefits, shared lane markings reinforce the legitimacy of bicycle traffic on the street, help keep bicyclists off sidewalks, provide directions and recommend the safest bicyclist positioning.
Bringing sharrows to downtown originally came out of the Downtown Development Authority’s Parking Committee agenda to explore alternative transportation opportunities in and around Downtown Rome. The sharrows were then approved in a public hearing at the City of Rome Traffic Committee, a committee made up of traffic engineers, police officers, and city commissioners.
“Rome boasts over 13 miles of beautiful greenways all of which lead downtown and dissipate, not quite connecting with one another to make one cohesive trail system,” said senior planner Bryan King. “These sharrows will help bridge the gap in Downtown Rome, while promoting livability and health. Sharrows will also help connect doorsteps to our thriving downtown business.”
For questions about these downtown sharrows, contact King at 706236-5025