Health & Fitness
Curious about these new arrows?
Share the Road Arrows have been placed on three Highland Park streets. As part of the new Bike Walk 2030 Plan, they have been proven to increase safety on the roads for everyone.
You may have noticed these funny-looking arrows on Vine Avenue, Elm Place and Bloom Street in Highland Park. They are called sharrows, or "Share the Road" Arrows.
Sharrows remind drivers and cyclists to share the road. A U.S. Department of Transportation study found that sharrows increase passing space between cars and bicycles, and reduce both bike riding on sidewalks and bikes riding the wrong direction on the road. They make it safer for bikes to travel past parked cars, and let motorists know that they may see bicyclists more often on a particular road. By using the sharrows to determine the correct position on the road for riding, cyclists are less likely to weave around potholes, drain grates and other obstacles on the road.
Part of Highland Park's Bike Walk 2030 Plan, sharrows are a less expensive option than bike lanes and can be used on streets where a bike lane may not be appropriate. Here's a one minute film about sharrows from the city of Toronto. I hope you will notice these sharrows on the roads in Highland Park, and know that they help us all to travel to our destinations safely.
