Thomas MacMillan Photo
Hieroglyphics have begun to appear on downtown streets, advising cars and bikes to share the road.
The symbols, called “sharrows,” are the manifestation of a long-anticipated project to designate bike routes into, out of, and around downtown.
A route into town from Westville is already marked on Edgewood Avenue (pictured). Sharrows are planned for parts of State, Orange, Grove, and George Streets. The route to Westville from downtown will be on Chapel Street. The plan also includes installation of signs to guide cyclists to Union Station.
Many of the sharrows have been put down and all the signs have been put up, said Jim Travers, deputy director of the traffic and parking department. The entire project should be done by the end of the week, he said.
Once everything is in place, the traffic department will issue a full media release, as part of an effort to educate drivers about the sharrows. The message: “These are shared road spaces. The street is not solely designed for the automobile. We are promoting biking on this road,” Travers said.
The sharrows are part of a larger comprehensive plan to make New Haven more bike-friendly, based on a 2009 report created by Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates.
The initial phase will cost $115,000 to $125,000. That money was allocated in the budget for Fiscal Year 2009 – 2010.