Safe & Healthy Streets

Here’s a Street Enhancement option for improving the safety of pedestrians while crossing the street, especially if the street is wide and therefore difficult to cross in one light cycle. This can be particularly important for older pedestrians who can’t walk as fast as they once did. The Pedestrian Median Refuge cuts the crosswalk into two sections. Since each section is shorter than it would be as one solid crosswalk, the exposure in the street is reduced. Also, the pedestrian only needs to look one direction before crossing each section. The space in the middle gives the pedestrian the ability to wait for traffic to clear or to wait for the next light cycle if he or she couldn’t cross the entire street in one cycle. Notice in the photo above that there is a pedestrian signal in the refuge AND on the far side of the street.

This is a mid-block crosswalk with a brightly painted refuge.

In the photo above, notice how the refuge area is angled, which forces the pedestrian to walk a little to the right. This is done to encourage the pedestrian to look in the direction of oncoming traffic. Some cities actually paint the word “Look” on the ground with an arrow pointing to the right. This angled refuge is a more subtle way of promoting the same action.

Some median refuges are more robust, incorporating an actual fence to help separate the pedestrian from traffic and guide him/her to the next crossing section.

For more images of Pedestrian Median Refuges click here.

When we first introduced the Safe & Healthy Streets project to City Council, we asked them not to think only in terms of bike lanes when it comes to street markings for bicycles. The Sharrow is one of the options we had in mind. This is the first of the Street Enhancement Toolbox options we’ll be posting in the coming months.

Formally called Shared Lane Markings, “Sharrows” (shared-use arrows) are a relatively new street marking approved for use in the state of California. The main purpose of Sharrows is to guide cyclists to ride outside the “door zone” next to parked cars. The door zone is the area where a cyclist could collide with a car door opened by someone in the parked vehicle. When a cyclist gets hit by someone opening a car door, it’s called “getting doored” among the cycling community. “Getting doored” is a fairly common and potentially deadly collision. Experienced cyclists watch for this hazard when riding past parked cars and usually ride outside the door zone. Less experienced cyclists tend to ride far too close to parked vehicles. Sharrows guide the less experienced riders outside the door zone and confirms the proper, safe position for all riders.

In addition to helping prevent the door hazard, sharrows discourage wrong-way riding, another dangerous and common cause of crashes. Sharrows also reinforce cyclists’ right to the road and serve as a visual cue to motorists that cyclists are likely to be present in the roadway.

Sharrows do not require the removal of any parking spaces so they’re ideal when bike lanes may not be a viable option. If you look at the Bikeway Map of Glendale, Sharrows might work very well on “Class III” streets which are smaller, lower traffic streets indicated in dashed blue lines. Some of these streets already serve as good bike routes since they are quieter, low traffic streets that still enable a cyclist to cross major streets or the 134 freeway.

Sharrows are typically painted multiple times along the length of a street. In California they are supposed to be painted at 250 foot intervals and immediately after every intersection. Sharrows can’t be used on streets with posted speed limits of 40 mph or more.

Sharrows are currently being used in 25 states, including California. Here’s a sharrow painted in Pittsburgh

Some cities paint Sharrows in areas without street parking, like this bridge in Portland. It still provides a visual cue to motorists that bikes belong in the roadway and where to expect cyclists to ride.

Glendale, CA

Welcome to the first official post for this site! To the right, you will find static pages that provide the background for the Safe & Healthy Streets Plan, the PLACE Grant, the main partners in this initiative, as well as some street enhancement examples that will be provided in the Street Enhancement Toolbox. At the time of this posting, the Toolbox is empty, but check back for updates soon! Also, please check back to this page from time to time as we plan to update it as the Safe & Healthy Streets Plan progresses. A community bike ride in the City of Glendale is in the works as well as other promotions and Bike to Work Day (May 14th). Stay tuned!

The Safe & Healthy Streets project has been presented to Glendale City Council and numerous departments within the City. We’re excited that we’ve been met with enthusiastic support at each turn! Now we are in the process of building a Stakeholder Group comprised of Glendale Community Members. If you are interested in participating, please contact the PLACE Grant Coordinator:

Colin Bogart
(818) 334-9731
colin@la-bike.org