The comments I have left on the questionnaire are ones of frustration as a driver, a bike rider and the mother of two teenage bike riders. I feel that for me the sharrows have at best been confusing and maybe even added to the danger because of that. Because bikes and cars move at different speeds, I think this makes it worse. I think people don’t know quite what to make of them and if you are from out of town, yes it reminds you that a bike might be around, but where? I think we needed clearly defined bike lanes and the potholes fixed so that we don’t have to swerve into traffic trying to dodge them. Thanks.

I agree with the preceeding comments. Maybe the reason it may be confusing is that it’s a big sign in the middle of the street. Not generally where bikes ride or should normally be ridden. I also like the idea of designated and marked bike lanes.

National crash data indicates that cyclists who follow the same rules of the road as motorists are safer than those who do not. Vehicle and traffic laws give cyclists all the rights and responsibilities on the roadway of motor vehicle drivers, as sharrows are intended to communicate.

As an experienced cyclist and motorist, I have observed that most bicycle riders don’t reliably follow vehicle & traffic law. I believe cyclists should be held responsible for doing so just as much as motorists. Cyclists should be held accountable as legal roadway users, and should be respected and treated as legal roadway users.

A cyclist riding over the sharrows is following the law.

What is the basis of comments that speak against sharrows by pointing out that “bikes and cars” move at different speeds, or by saying that a cyclist trying to ride over the sharrows will likely be hit by a car?

The assumptions inherent in these comments are that bicyclists are in danger when following the rules of the road indicated by sharrows because:
- motorists can not be expected to adjust their speeds for other legal roadway users;
- motorists can not be expected to comply with right of way laws in relation to cyclists;
- motorists can not be expected to be alert, responsible and in control enough to avoid crashing into slower moving traffic;
- members of our community who choose to ride a bike are expected to sacrifice their rights and their safety to the convenience or inattention of those who choose to drive.

If these assumptions are acceptable for determining how this community proceeds into the future, it doesn’t sound like our streets will contribute to Ithaca as a livable community.

“bikes and cars move at different speeds” ?? Bikes and cars by themselves don’t move at all. Bikes and cars do not act. Talking about the behavior of bikes and cars ignores that each of us, whether acting as a bicyclist and or as a motorist is an individual member of the community who is personally responsible for acting safely on the roadway and in compliance with the law.

Are those who expect motorists to run over cyclists projecting their expectations for themselves on others?

I’ve ridden my bike in the zone indicated by the sharrows more times than I can count and no motorist has ever come close to hitting me. None has ever acted like they might. Perhaps this is partly because I am as considerate as I safely can of motor vehicle drivers, giving them room to pass when it is safe to do so, and I make it clear that I am actually following all the same laws motorists are supposed to follow. When bicycling, I consistently behave as a vehicle driver and am generally treated as a vehicle driver by motorists. When I am a motorist, I am expected to deal with potholes without swerving dangerously in traffic; when I am a bicyclist I should be expected to do the same.

Bike lanes might be great if most cyclists knew how to use them. Unfortunately, misunderstanding of how to use bike lanes often results in cyclists making mistakes dangerous to themselves and others. I see this daily along the bike lanes on the Cornell campus. It is fortunate that most motorists on campus have learned to watch out for cyclists in bike lanes doing dangerous things.

I think the sharrows are a useful and important first step. But as several other commentators have noted, Ithaca is really not as ‘bike-friendly’ as it should be. Where are the separate bike lanes? More importantly, the edges of roads really need to be maintained, so that cyclists are not forced to swerve, or ride in the middle of the street. As the situation currently stands, to ride near the edge of the street is virtually impossible (between bad pavement and car doors) – better to take over the lane, as if you were a car. Works fine, but a city like Ithaca could do more to make biking convenient, safe, and enjoyable.