Comments (0) | |

Wednesday, Apr. 07, 2010

Maconc ouncil approves road markings for cyclists in College Hill area

The downtown area is about to become a lot more bike-friendly. Tuesday night, the Macon City Council approved a resolution to paint special markings for cyclists on the roads from Mercer University to downtown.

The project would be funded by the College Hill Alliance, a public-private partnership between the city and Mercer.

Advocates say the markings — called “sharrows,” from a combination of “share” and “arrow” — make city roads safer for cyclists.

Instead of using dedicated bike lanes, city engineering director Bill Causey, who sits on the College Hill board and is a cycling enthusiast, said the sharrows remind drivers to share the road with cyclists.

College Hill Director Pat Madison said his organization views the sharrows as a “demonstration project.”

This route will cost about $4,800, and if this works, he said he thinks College Hill will be able to raise additional funds to expand the use of sharrows.