Downtown Annapolis Partnership Grant Funds Bike-Friendly Sharrows

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The City of Annapolis recently received $20,000 from the Downtown Annapolis Partnership to install shared road bike lane markings on City of Annapolis streets. The markings, called “sharrows” by city officials, are intended to improve the sharing of roads by cars and bicycles. The markings indicate lanes where cyclists should ride and drivers should look for bicycles, according to a news release.

The markings are a step in implementing the Annapolis Bicycle Master Plan that was approved by the Annapolis City Council in 2011. Some of the roadways will receive “Share the Road” signage in lieu of sharrows.

“It’s a great visual cue to have the lanes marked,” said Jon Korin, chairman of Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, in the city press release.

The city currently has sharrows on Admiral Drive and portions of Bay Ridge Road. One of the streets to receive sharrows and signs is King George Street, on the East Coast Greenway route — and a common route to downtown and Eastport.

“Receiving this funding will help us to extend the network for bicycle friendly places to ride in the City – and requires no money from the City,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley, an avid rider along City streets.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, shared lane markings (sharrows) not only “convey to motorists and bicyclists that they must share the road on which they are operating, but also create improved conditions for bicyclists by clarifying where they are expected to ride and remind motorists to expect bicycles on the road.”

“Making downtown Annapolis bike friendly improves the life of our residents and visitors by giving them another healthy option to travel around this historic city and helps us to reduce the number of cars in our city center,” said Erik Evans, executive director of the Downtown Annapolis Partnership, in the news release. The money provided was a grant from McKee Foods as part of its Outdoor Happiness Movement program, which encourages a healthy lifestyle.

Alderman Rob Savidge said, "as the father of an eight-year-old cyclist, and as someone who biked to work regularly downtown, this is an excellent initiative to make it safer for our children and commuters to get around."

The City will install the sharrows and signs in March and April (as weather permits).

A listing of the streets to receive sharrows and “Share the Road” signage:

STREET # OF SHARROWS # OF SIGNS
Calvert Street 10 6
Cathedral Street 10 1
Conduit Street 2 2
Union Street 1 1
Market Street 2 1
Green Street 2 1
Compromise Street 8 8
Prince George Street 6 4
College Avenue 5 2
King George Street 11 11
Randall Street 4 2
St. John's Street 4 2
Franklin Street 16 8
Southgate 16 8
Lafayette Avenue 14 8
Granada Street 12 6
Spa View Avenue 4 2