Citation

Vasilev M, Pitera K, Jonsson T. Transp. Res. Proc. 2017; 27: 1097-1104.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publications)

DOI

10.1016/j.trpro.2017.12.015

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sharrows are a type of lane marking used on shared-use streets to indicate that cyclists have the right to, and can be expected to cycle on the roadway. These markings are widely used in countries such as USA, Canada and Australia but have only recently been implemented in Norway. It is important to determine how sharrows function within the Norwegian context, including investigating how Norwegians understand sharrows and whether their behavior is influenced by the markings. To examine this, behavioral data was registered manually on-site before and after the implementation of the new marking. Additionally, surveys were distributed to both cyclists and drivers who use the street, in order to learn more about the users' perceptions of the sharrows and their effect. A decrease in sidewalk cycling among adult cyclists was observed, but no significant changes in cyclists' positioning in the roadway |were found. However, the results of the survey showed that the majority of the users understood the purpose of the new measure. Also, it was found that 69% of the cyclists reported a higher degree of perceived safety and 70% of the drivers felt that the sharrows has influenced the traffic safety along the street in a positive way. While the results of this study are not entirely conclusive, and specific to the location and conditions of the implementation, no detrimental effects were observed.

Language: en

Keywords

Norway; safety; cycling; Shared lane markings; shared-use street; sharrows