Commonway
Version V. 2026.08.31

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.

Working assessment: this pattern’s status reflects a preliminary Commonway System judgment call, pending final review.

#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
  • 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

Conventional Bike Lane (ELM-CBL-34), Advisory Bike Lane (ELM-ABL-36) (facilities this pattern should generally be upgraded toward); Stroad (ART-STD-05) (the explicit Avoid-status pattern this shares status logic with)

Unsourced claim

Formal citations for this pattern have not yet been compiled from primary sources.

Suggest changes to this page (opens in new tab) Last updated August 31, 2026