Michigan Street in Sturgeon Bay is being marked with bike lanes &, in some places, with a new symbol called a sharrow. Bike lanes are for bicycles only & are marked with the words “Bike Lane” or the bicycle symbol with an arrow over it, along with a solid or dashed white line separating it from the main travel or parking lanes. Bicycle lanes are designated for travel with the flow of traffic & should never be used to travel opposite the flow of traffic. Bicycles should always ride on the right side of the road. Motorists operating cars, trucks & motorcycles must use the travel lanes only & should never drive in the bike lanes, except when turning onto or off the road. Bike lanes are typically not wide enough to pass on the right of a turning vehicle &, therefore, this maneuver is discouraged. If attempted, drivers must yield to any bicycle using the lane. In areas along Michigan Street where there is not enough pavement for a separate bike lane, a sharrow symbol is used to designate that the lane is shared by both motor vehicles & bikes. The sharrow symbol is a bicycle with two chevrons over it. The symbol is placed to help position bicycles in a safe location on the road away from opening doors of parked vehicles & other hazards. The sharrow is also a reminder to drivers that they must slow down & pass bicycles only when it is safe to do so, giving at least three feet of clearance when passing.
