---
title: "Sharrow"
url: "https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/sharrow/"
id: "ELM-SHR-39"
description: "A shared-lane marking, a painted symbol combining a bicycle icon and chevron arrows, placed within a shared vehicle travel lane to indicate that cyclists may use the full lane and to suggest proper positioning within it."
updated: "2026-09-26"
---

# Sharrow

`ELM-SHR-39`

Avoid Element

Sharrow

A shared-lane marking, a painted symbol combining a bicycle icon and chevron arrows, placed within a shared vehicle travel lane to indicate that cyclists may use the full lane and to suggest proper positioning within it.

## Why this pattern exists

On a roadway too narrow to provide any dedicated bike space, a sharrow at least communicates that cyclists are expected users of the lane and suggests where they should position themselves relative to parked cars and the travel lane’s edge; this pattern exists to document this lowest tier of bike accommodation and its real limitations.

## Key considerations

-   Provides no physical or even painted separation from vehicle traffic, and research has generally found it does little to improve comfort or safety for cyclists[1]
-   Should be treated as a last-resort or interim treatment rather than a target outcome; a corridor relying on sharrows is a candidate for future upgrade to a dedicated facility
-   May still hold value narrowly for wayfinding continuity between two stronger-facility segments where a short interruption cannot otherwise be avoided

## Related patterns

[Conventional Bike Lane](https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/conventional-bike-lane.md) (ELM-CBL-34), [Advisory Bike Lane](https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/advisory-bike-lane.md) (ELM-ABL-36) (facilities this pattern should generally be upgraded toward); [Stroad](https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/arterials/stroad.md) (ART-STD-05) (the explicit Avoid-status pattern this shares status logic with)

## References

1.  Evidence-based [Ferenchak, N.N. and Marshall, W.E. (2019), "Advancing Healthy Cities Through Safer Cycling: An Examination of Shared Lane Markings," _International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology_ 8(2). Chicago before/after study: sharrows produced no statistically significant safety improvement, underperforming both bike lanes and no treatment on injury reduction.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2046043018300583)