LBPOST.com: 2nd Street Sharrows Lane Makes Its Debut

Friday, March 12, 2010 | Home

2nd Street Sharrows Lane Makes Its Debut

by Ryan ZumMallen | Long Beach News | 06.29.09 |

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Belmont Shore's 2nd Street may have seemed a little bit, "greener" in more ways than one. In the latest effort by the City to increase bicycle-friendliness, a green stripe was painted down the right lane on both sides of the street, with the goal of promoting a shared lane for both drivers and bikers. Current law actually states that drivers and bikers have equal rights in that lane and all others like it in the city, but the "Sharrows" design is meant to increase awareness and foster a positive relationship with the biking community.

The lane made its debut on Saturday, and LA.streetsblog.org celebrates the idea in this article.

The Los Angeles news blog LAist.com also showed the Sharrows lane some love today with this article, highlighting some of the benefits of the new lane and also including a pretty funny video made by Russ Roca, biking-photographer extraordinaire who found that the cars were slowing the bikes down - not the other way around.

So, is it working? While Roca and many others have embraced the lanes, I saw a biker this morning trying desperately to stay out of the street despite the bright green lane saying that it was alright to do so. Maybe drivers and bikers both need a little time to adjust to this arrangement.

What do you think of the new Sharrows?

Related Stories: Belmont Shore

Comments

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Melissa
I think the 'Sharrows'Lane is a great idea, but I think it will take many bikers and some drivers to adjust to it. I am all for getting the bikers OFF the sidewalk. In spite of the signs posted, many continue to ride their bikes along the sidewalk. Hopefully w/ the Sharrows, this will end.

Allan C
What a great way to make 2nd street safer for both pedestrians and cyclists. For pedestrians by getting cyclists off the sidewalk where they don't belong - and for cyclists by giving them a place to ride where the are "out of the door zone" (in other words when someone opens a car door they won't get hit and knocked into traffic) and where they won't get hooked by cars turning right or left. Thanks to Pat West and his remarkable crew for razing the money (over $10 mm in grant money dedicated strictly to cycling improvements) and getting this done so quickly. And to Tony Cruz our cycling ambassador and Charlie Gandy our new mobility coordinator for championing the idea of making Long Beach the most cycling friendly urban city in the US.

LB RIDER
They are long overdue and need to be in other parts of the city.

liz
I love the idea of the "sharrows" to remind drivers that they are supposed to share the lane with bicyclist. I often walk my bike on the sidewalk when I'm on 2nd street because most drivers are not courteous to bicyclists, even adverse to sharing the lane, and I fear for my safety.

Joe Blow
So, does this mean bikers will start stopping at all stop signs and obey the rules of the road????

Carole Maclean
Is no one considering the safety of bicyclers? In speaking with one of the business owners of the weekend, we could not understand how this is not a HUGE safety issue. I love the idea of Long Beach becoming bike-friendly, but I believe this may not be the correct approach!!

Angi
Gave it a try this weekend: Friday night was yelled and cussed at by a few car loads of young people racing along 2nd to get to the next bar; that was pretty scary, especially when traffic was minimal and they had the entire left-hand lane to themselves. Saturday was better, since traffic was heavier and people less urgent in their vehicular goals, though we got pushed over by a few cars and just opted to take the usual path squeezed next to parked cars; however, a pedestrian met us at a next traffic signal and TOLD us to get into the bike lane -- I suppose he saw our struggle with cars and wanted to reassure us we had the right-of-way. That was cool -- we moved our rubber over and smiled at all the mad glares. Sunday's medium traffic was the best -- I think people were more relaxed and not in such a hurry, thus our ride down the sharrows was actually fun and uneventful. As a driver, I have no problem yielding to bikers and getting somewhere slower if I choose the 2nd Street route. Thanks, Long Beach, for slowing cars down! Can we do the same for Ocean Blvd?

Chateaux6
Why doesn't the city just make it a pedestrian and bike only road then it will eliminate all traffic on 2nd St. Of course all of the stores and restaurants will go out of business but, hey, it's bike friendly. I will avoid 2nd St. even more now.

RussRoca
Carol - Studies and statistics show that bicyclists are safer on the street as oppose to sidewalks since a) they don't hit other pedestrians b) more importantly, they don't hit cars as they speed through intersections (where most collisions occur). While riding in the middle of the road may seem counter-intuitive, it is the safest place to be in narrow lanes that don't permit side by side riding (like 2nd Street). This puts them away from getting clipped by doors and discourages unsafe close passing (cars just use the adjacent lane to pass). This is the belief that is endorsed by the League of American Bicycles - our nation's oldest bicycle advocacy group and the organization that has created a national bike safety curriculum. Angi- sorry for your experience. I hope it won't discourage you too much. When using the sharrow/stripe, ride in THE MIDDLE of the lane. This will discourage people from trying to pass within the same lane (they can still get around they just have to use the other lane). Chateaux6 - I'd encourage to watch this video ( http://vimeo.com/5367991 ) and see which vehicle is responsible for the complete standstill on 2nd Street...the car or bicycle.

BJD
One word. Confusing! If you're from around here you might get it but those that are just passing through town have no idea what they are suppossed to. Motorist are trying to squeeze out of the green lanes when they first approach them. Better signs are going to be needed before the public "gets" this.

Confused LB Resident
Who voted for sharrow lanes? And who voted to make LB the most cycling friendly urban city? It's not urban, it's suburban. 2nd Street is a retail center, not an employment center. Belmont Shore is a bedroom community, not a jobs center. Well over 90% of the local citizens commute to work by car, not bike. Their average commute time is around 40 minutes, which translates to 20 miles each way. Not a bikeable commute. Whose idea was it to clog 2nd Street with more bicycles? How about diverting bikes around 2nd Street? And while we are at it, isn't LB having budget problems? What is a cycling ambassador and a mobility coordinator? Are these guys on the public payroll? This stinks to high heaven of activists run amok.

Local Biker (w/motor)
I realize they had to get the bikes & boarders off the sidewalk... but painting almost the entire lane??! Nobody considered how slippery that'll be when it's a little worn & a little wet? A slight marine layer is enough, and, as an added bonus, the Shore washes down 2nd St several times/week as part of the regularly scheduled late night median floodings... *** By the way, What Is Up With That?!*** ...so I predict more cars will bump in to each other and more than likely a few bikers- the one's w/motors- will slip and face plant into the street. They actually PAINTED, painted the street!! This, from our "leaders." ...wonder what that must have cost. I thought we were broke. Things that make you go, hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm................

ubrayj02
The money that paid for this project, and the staff time, was not money directly from the City of Long Beach, but a portion of $11 million in GRANTS (free money from outside the City). The total $11 million was not spent on this project alone. And as regards the "this is a bedroom community" comment - wake up dude. The 20th century ended 9 years ago. Profligate state-sponsored auto-only lifestyles are on the way out. Do us a favor and ditch your precious car for an afternoon to try this out. You might not like it, but the health benefits of you doing that will lower all of our collective health premiums.

Wild Bill
I happened to be at Starbucks at 2nd and Covina Ave. when Channel 9 news filmed a story about this. California Vehicular Law already has in place the sharing of the road. So powers that be decided to make an expenditure of tax dollars from all of us to make a group of people feel warm and fuzzy. I would bet that most of the bikers that use man power to keep them in shape and wear their pretty speedos and block traffic on PCH/2nd from progressing on their appointed missions to go from point A to point B. I believe that most of them probably have large SUV's that waste precious fuels when not on the bikes. Also having a designated bike lane painted to share is OXY-MORRON. Like placing steel in acid it won't mix. I told Susy from Channel 9 that I give it 3 to 6 months before all start seeing flowers along the curb because the scenario has created a physical incumbrance upon an unwitting person. This appears to me to be a financial liability and an open flood gate for yet another attorney activist to engorge their wallets and encumber the tax payer in the process at a cyclists potential accident. I can only hope and pray that any accident created by this debacle is not a life ending scenario. It is difficult enough to find parking in the Shore when wanting to visit their establishments and assist their economy. Slowing traffic will always be a societal problem. There will always be the issue of more than one horse in a horse race which creats the selection process of a difference in ideas and actions between people. This could have the undertones of ceeping people away from the business in the shore due to yet another major conjestion in an area that is already bursting at the seams. Wild Bill

Paul
In the days since this experiment was created, I've seen many bicycles crowding between parked cars and the cars stopped at traffic lights so they could "move up" in traffic. And when they get to the corner, most that I've seen don't stop for the light; they just proceed on their way. Doesn't "sharing" mean mutually respecting the law and the traffic flow?

Long Beach News

LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.

Ryan ZumMallen is a graduate of the CSULB School of Journalism, writing for the campus' Union Weekly newspaper and serving as Sports Editor for one year. He has written for numerous news and sports websites and magazines, as well as television experience with Fox Sports and ABC Channel 7.