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A bus driver in Portland changed my mind about sharrows with one sentence
I used to think sharrows were fine, you know, those painted bike symbols with the arrows that just sit in the middle of a regular car lane. For 2 years I rode a stretch on SE Clinton St and figured they were good enough since they at least remind drivers I exist. Then a TriMet driver pulled up next to me at a red light near 26th Ave and rolled down his window. He said, "Those arrows are just a suggestion to people who already don't look, and you're the one who pays for it." I asked what he meant and he pointed out that in his mirror he sees cars drift right through sharrow paint like it's nothing, but they slow way down for a real curb or a post. That stuck with me for weeks. I started watching how drivers actually reacted and he was right, the paint did basically zero. Now I skip that route and take the greenway two blocks over even though it adds 4 minutes. Has anyone else had a driver or rider tell them something that flipped how they see a whole street design?
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