Bicycle Sharrows Could be on L.A. Streets by May

Photo by richardmasoner via Flickr
Nearly two years after a motion set forth by Council President Eric Garcetti, a pilot program to bring sharrows--street markings educating bicyclists and drivers on sharing the road--could become a reality. Installation of the street markings could begin February 2nd and be completed by May, provided all funders sign contracts allowing city employees to begin work, it was learned a Los Angeles City Council Transportation Meeting yesterday. In addition to the sharrows noted in Garcetti's motion--Vermont Avenue between Hollywood Boulevard and 4th Street as well as Fountain Avenue between the 101 freeway and Hoover Street--the following nine locations are in consideration, but officials emphasize these are only in draft and have not been finalized yet:
- Fountain from Western to Vermont
- Adams from Western to Hoover
- Reseda from Vanowen to Nordhoff
- Westholme from Santa Monica to Hilgard
- Verdugo from Eagle Rock to the city limit
- Workman from Alhambra to Avenue 26
- 4th from Wilton to Commonwealth
- Polk from San Fernando to Sunrise Ridge
- Abbot Kinney from Venice to Main
"My hope is we can accelerate this and get them all over the place and I'd like to get a timetable of how we go about getting there," said a frustrated Councilman Bill Rosendahl echoing complaints from the cycling community on how long the project has taken thus far. "I want to find a way to make it happen in the next year rather than waiting a couple, three or five more years."
As for the guerilla sharrows spotted last month, the city plans on removing them.