Cincinnati Rolls Out New Bicycle Safety Signs

Signs Inform Motorists To Change Lanes Before Passing Bicycles

The City of Cincinnati has developed new signage promoting bicycle safety, the first of its kind in the region. The signs alert motorists that they should change lanes in order to safely pass cyclists.

The signs will be installed in corridors where the City has already installed "sharrow" (shared lane) pavement markings. Sharrows are pavement markings that are installed within shared travel lanes -- lanes shared by cars and bicycles.

The marking is a bicycle with a chevron above it. Sharrows can be helpful on streets where there is insufficient space to add bicycle lanes. Sharrows help cyclists position themselves within the lane safely to avoid being squeezed off the road or hit by suddenly opened car doors.

The signs are the latest in a series of steps the City has taken to make streets safer for motorists and cyclists. In June 2010, the City enacted a comprehensive bicycle safety ordinance requiring that motorists provide at least 3 feet of space when passing bicyclists and imposing fines on motorists who endanger cyclists.

"The City is working hard to make our streets safe and comfortable for cyclists of all skill levels. The new sharrow signage is just one more step in the right direction, toward a more aware and educated community where citizens are empowered to use bicycles for their everyday transportation needs," said Melissa McVay, City Planner with the Department of Transportation and Engineering.

The first signs were installed on Martin Luther King Drive yesterday, and additional signs will be installed on Central Parkway, Spring Grove Avenue and Beechmont Avenue later this month.