Crime & Safety

Sharrows Roll Into CDM

Fifty sharrows are painted along East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar.

Crews painted sharrows along East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar late Wednesday in an attempt to make the roadways safer.

The Sharrows, or shared lane markers, were painted along East Coast Highway between MacArthur and Poppy avenues. City officials say the 50 painted markings will be in the traffic lane to help bicyclists avoid dooring, or when a car door is opened in front of a moving bicyclist, and to promote safer passing by vehicles. In addition, the sharrows will help increase the visibility of bicyclists to approaching motorists.

"It brings greater awareness to the driver to be aware of cyclists, plus I think it's a great message for both groups, as stated in the banners--same road, same rules," Mayor Nancy Gardner told Patch. "Share that lane, follow the traffic law.  If both groups do that it will be a safer stretch of highway."

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Sharrows are not bike lanes, but instead are used to help guide bicyclists on the road and to help drivers anticipate and share the traffic lane with bicyclists.

"We just need drivers to know bikes are there, and bikes to know drivers are there," Newport Beach police Lt. Jeff Lu said. "We will be increasing our presence to make sure everyone gets along on the roads."

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Last week the city placed police trailers flashing the messages, "Sharrows Coming Soon, "Bikes May Use Full Lane" and "All Users Drive/Ride Safely" on East Coast Highway and banners saying "Share The Road." City spokeswoman Tara Finnigan says the trailers and banners will remain in place through Nov. 7.

The Newport Beach City Council approved the CDM sharrows in July, but the installation was expedited following the bicyclist fatalities that occurred in September.

The sharrows on East Coast Highway are the second round of the painted marking in CDM. In 2010 sharrows were also installed along Bayside Drive between El Paseo Drive and Carnation Avenue.


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