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| South Orange Street - Media, PA |
Back in 2016 the idea of designating specific lanes for biking, called bike sharrows, was first discussed. Back then the proposal entailed two phases. Phase one would cost approximately $20,000 and include road markings showing were the lanes are. Phase two would address traffic signals specifically for bikes and also cost $20,000.
This week, we saw the first designated street markings identifying the "sharrow" lanes. These can be found on S. Orange Street. You'll probably see more of these as the borough rolls out the program. Unfortunately, there's nothing on the borough's website or social media that really explains the program. Specifically how people should use them, both bikers and vehicles. Who yields to who? Can you ride outside of the sharrows? Etc.
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| Media Borough should provide something like this example to explain how sharrows work. |
I walk Media almost everyday and even at the height of Fall biking season, I don't see a lot a bikers. I don't see them biking, at bike stands or at the Media train station. Perhaps the sharrows will help, but I still think the enforcement to curb roll-throughs and speeding, which I have seen recently by the Media Police, is a better focus of resources. At least that's what parents who have concerns about their kids biking in the streets tell me.
Seems like too much money the road is still as dangerous to a bike or motorcycle with these sharrows lanes
ReplyDeleteI guess Drew Arata influenced someone on council well done but 40 k could be better spent
Is this some kind of satirical site like the theonion.com? Ok, I get it.
ReplyDeleteFirst food scrap recycling, now this. Too stupid to be true.
If get struck in the sharrows bike lane on my bike is the committee that authorized sharrows liable in any way. This is to encourage people to ride bikes be healthy
ReplyDeleteAnd cut down on CO2 emiissions but could have unintended consequences
Don't see how it makes it safer without actually changing the roads width or shoulder width ?
Media Police, please enforce the law regarding bikes. It's against the law to blow through a stop sign on a bike. I don't think biker realize that.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to MEDIALANDIA. Seriously are the folks on Borough Council binge watching Portlandia. Do they not realize that is a spoof PORTLANDIA is not a real town. Please stop trying to make Media Portlandia.
ReplyDeleteYou guys complain about everything. Not everything is political. Orange Street AKA State Road 3021 is maintained by PennDOT. Granted this is mostly educated conjecture but Media Borough most likely has nothing to do with it. PennDOT repaved the road recently and this is probably part of the final striping plan. PA and many states nationwide are doing what they can to incorporate "complete streets" ideals (bike/multimodal/etc friendlier) into their networks as they complete routine upgrades. Sharrows are pretty common all over the state and region. They usually go where the road is not wide enough to support full bike lanes but it is desirable to warn/inform motorists that they need to share the road with bicycles.
ReplyDeleteSo no I sincerely doubt this was Borough-funded. No it's not satire - it's a very mundane roadway improvement. I'm not sure why you'd have to be against fascism to stencil an arrow, but no these are much more durable, high quality, reflective paints/plastics that highway workers are paid to install. And no, if you want to bike around town or anywhere, continue to use common sense and obey traffic laws and you don't get to sue anyone if you are unfortunately struck just because the DOT installed markings to attempt to make your ride safer.
Hope that helps. Look forward to seeing what mundane thing you all will feel persecuted by next time! Hopefully no one on State Street kicks off "The War on Christmas" with a 'Happy Holidays' sign in their window...
Time will tell and I hope your correct media borough tax money and or grant money didn't lay out 20 k for
DeleteSpray painted reflecting bike sharrows on the pavement
If media borough did pay for it then I guess residents got an early Christmas present ?
Painting symbols on the road does nothing to educate motorists regarding their responsibility in relation to the symbols. If the State wishes to make bicycling safer, there needs to be a public safety push using social media, TV and radio as used to be the case decades ago to educate the public.
ReplyDeleteThis would also need to be a part of driver education and testing so that people would not suddenly find themselves ticketed for a symbol they had never seen, and should have no reasonable expectation of understanding.
I'm 65 and never heard the word sharrow used before today, having read thousands of books in my lifetime. And I agree with the writer regarding cyclists who disregard traffic signals/signs. Bicycle riders are supposed to obey the same traffic laws as drivers.
That's your problem, grandpa -- try using your computer for more than just solitaire, and maybe you would have learned something by now.
Delete"Thousands of books" ... classic
There are on North Orange too and almost right in the middle of the right lane. Unfortunately, someone is going to think if they ride within them they'll be protected from traffic and that's certainly not the case. Many complaining that they don't know what they were put there for.
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI. From Penndot "Motor vehicles must allow 4 feet of distance when overtaking a bicycle and travel at a careful and prudent speed. It is the motorist’s responsibility to provide this distance, not that of the cyclist." Cars need to respect the rights of cyclists (and vice versa). Whether or not the last cyclist you saw was riding to your satisfaction, you need to respect the next one that you see.
ReplyDeleteSharrow please install them on Brian Hall's street want to make sure Media Borough is an equal opportunity Sharrowists
ReplyDeleteCity Lab all things urban, from the Alantic Monthly has found that "sharrows might actually doing some harm by tugging bikes into moving traffic
What a mess this town has become. There are people (neighbors) fighting on social media about the merits of this decision. We moved here to take part in mindful discussion and now it's a GD civil war.
ReplyDeleteSo disappointed in this town.
Sorry but for 20 k this sharrows doesn't make the roads safer for people on a bike the cost benefit analysis isn't favorable. Add in the distracted driver on his or her phone and the net benefit is negligible
DeleteA public awareness brief on distracted driving would be money better spent
This is what happens when mibority group make idealic decisions that make Media look better then the rest of Delaware county yet we're not
link to online fighting?
DeleteYou are correct they're ideas that get sold to borough council that don't benefit a large percentage of residents. Mindful discussion
ReplyDeleteCould take place if these programs Genesis
We're born out of benefiting everyone in the Borough, not a handful of helpful that ride bike most of which are not commuters
But recerearional.bike riders who leave the borough and head towards Ridley creek state park