SURVEY: "SHARE THE ROAD" SIGNS INEFFECTIVE

-> Delaware got rid of its "Share the Road" signs about two years ago. They were widely misinterpreted — by both motorists and cyclists — as an exhortation to cyclists to stop "hogging" the road, or as a recommendation that drivers and cyclists share a lane (leading to tight squeezes and close passes). The state dumped the confusing message in favor of a less ambiguous one asserting that bicycles "may use full lane." A new survey (Bicycles May Use Full Lane" Signage Communicates U.S. Roadway Rules and Increases Perception of Safety: http://bit.ly/1ivTM8x) confirms that Delaware had the right idea. In all 50 states, cyclists have a right to the road — including the center of the lane, if that's the safest place for them to be. Turns out "Share the Road" had no effect whatsoever in leading people to respect cyclists' right to occupy a full lane of traffic. A sharrow helped a little. In the survey, by far the clearest indication that cyclists have an equal right to the road was a sign stating unequivocally that cyclists "may use full lane." http://bit.ly/1O0b4YA

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.