Research shows there’s no substitute for protected bike lanes, and sharrows may make roads more dangerous for cyclists.

Once a positive step for bike infrastructure, sharrows — “those little bike-shaped icons painted onto roads that are supposed to indicate where cyclists should ride” — are falling out of favor and could actually endanger people on bikes.
According to an article in Momentum, “Studies have shown that sharrows don’t actually provide any real safety benefits for cyclists. In fact, they may even make things worse by encouraging drivers to pass cyclists too closely.”
Dave Snyder, senior director of People For Bikes and a formerly passionate advocate for sharrows, has admitted that they haven’t worked. “Today, we know so much more about what it takes to make our streets safer for bicycling. We need separate bike paths; we need protected bike lanes on busy roads; and where the lanes are shared, we need actual speeds reduced to 20 mph or slower.”
The article concludes that there’s no substitute for safe, physically protected bike lanes. “The best bicycle infrastructure for safe cycling is dedicated bike lanes that provide physical separation between cyclists and vehicles.
FULL STORY: Sharrows used to make sense in theory, but are now mostly useless and possibly dangerous

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.

Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.

Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?
Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.

Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events
Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
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