As part of the City Bicycle Network Improvement and Enhancement Project (CIP 905613), shared lane markings (Sharrows) were installed on Montevideo Avenue between Alcosta Avenue and San Ramon Valley Boulevard. Montevideo Avenue is listed as a tertiary bike lane in the Bicycle Infrastructure Master Plan, which was approved by the City Council in 2018.
”Sharrow” is a public pavement marking that depicts a bicycle and a V-shaped arrow. It is a traffic control device used by the California Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to provide bicycle lanes where there are no lanes or where the lanes are too narrow for safe lateral movement of cyclists and cars. Sharrow noted that cyclists and cars travel in the same lane. The bicycle pattern indicates where a cyclist should position himself to maneuver sideways safely.
Shared lane markings reinforce the legality of bicyclists on the street, encourage bicyclists to position themselves properly to avoid hazards such as parked cars with doors open, provide direction on bike routes, reduce oncoming bicycling, and facilitate safe passing. Shared lanes support a cohesive and connected bike network in San Ramon.
In some cases, cyclists may take control of a lane. An example of this situation is a street classified as a Type III bike lane, such as Montevideo Drive. The California Department of Transportation has adopted the Sharrow system and developed signs to help communicate that cyclists may take control of a lane. Look for signs that say “Public Road” and “Bicycles Allowed in All Lane.”
CVC 21200. (a) Every person riding a bicycle on a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the rules applicable to drivers of motor vehicles.
CVC 21202 (a) Any person riding a bicycle on a roadway at a speed lower than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction shall ride as close to the right curb or edge of the roadway as practicable, except in the following cases:
(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions that would make continued travel along the right curb or edge unsafe (including, but not limited to, stationary or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, obstructions on the ground, or nonstandard width lanes) in accordance with Section 21656. As used in this section, “nonstandard width lane” means a lane that is too narrow for safe travel by bicycles and vehicles side by side.
For more information about the Sharrows project and other bike path improvement projects, email Raoul Roque at raoul.roque@sanramon.ca.gov or call (925) 973-2654.
Post time: Mar-18-2025