Bike Safety Signs Coming to Masonic Avenue

The city plans to paint “sharrows”—or "Share the Road" bike signs—on Masonic Avenue in the next two to three weeks, said Jeff Bond, Albany's Community Development Director.

Masonic has been getting since last fall when parts of the and its bike path were closed for BART retrofitting.

Because many cyclists choose to ride on the street, rather than on the fenced-in temporary path, on Masonic since October.

The signs are painted directly on the street in white, and feature a picture of a bike and two chevrons (arrows). They are meant to remind drivers and bicyclists to share the road. 

The signs will be painted 12 feet from the curb, Bond said, which is supposed to be a safe zone for cyclists, far enough from parked cars that they won’t get hit by opening doors.

Sharrows can be seen around Berkeley and El Cerrito, but have never been used on Albany streets before. City Engineer Randy Leptien approved the installation, Bond said.

The sharrows will be painted along the full length of Masonic Avenue through Albany, he said.

Two related cycling issues have not yet been decided, Bond said. One is how to stripe the new path on the Ohlone Greenway (for bike and pedestrian use) and another is whether to install the same fenced-in temporary path along Masonic when the next section of the greenway is closed for BART work.

Readers can share their thoughts on these matters with Bond at jbond@albanyca.org.

These two topics are likely to be on the , Bond said. The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Concerns about the BART project can be directed to the city's Public Works Department at 510-524-9543 or to BART's project information line for Albany, 510-412-5546, or by email to earthquakesafety@BART.gov.

Click the "Keep me posted" button below for an update when we post a new story about the BART seismic work.

If there's something in this article you think  , or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at albany@patch.com.