AUBURN, Ala.- The roads will now be safer for bikers in Auburn after sharrows were recently installed.
Sharrows are put in when roads are not wide enough for bike lanes to enforce the concept of sharing the road.
Currently, bikes are allowed on all roads in Auburn, but this will reinforce the viability of bikes in the roadway network. The sharrows have been used in the country since the late 90s, but this is their first time in Auburn.
The sharrows are in two locations in the city. The first is on South Donahue between East University and Longleaf. The other is on East Longleaf between Donahue and South College Street.
Traffic Engineer and Bike Coordinator for the city, Brandy Ezelle says in addition to making the road safer for bikers, the sharrows will help people turn to bikes as another form of transportation. “The more people we can get taking alternate modes of transportation: riding and biking, then the less cars we have on our streets and the less need for expansive infrastructure,” Ezelle said. “While we do provide infrastructure for bicyclists, it’s not as costly or expansive as it is required for cars. As more people go to the multi-modal options, take a bus to work or school, things like that, then it actually helps our roadway network and our congestion.”
Ezelle added that the city is looking at more places to add sharrows, and they can be expected to be completed within the year.
