The 2009 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the national standard for traffic signs and road markings includes two new features for cycling safety. This MUTCD is the national code for pavement markings, signs, and traffic signals. State DOTs are required to adopt the MUTCD. They are not required to use every sign or marking but the new inclusion of the “Use full lane” sign and “sharrows” gives them the option to do so without filing a special request.
| Bicycles May Use Full Lane Sign |
 The white “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” sign is to be used on roadways where there are no bicycle lanes or safe shoulders for cyclists and when the lanes are too narrow for bicyclists and motor vehicles to share. The Uniform Vehicle Code defines a substandard width lane as one that is “too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the same lane.” |
| Sharrows |
 Sharrows, or Shared Lane Marking may be used in addition to the “Use Full Lane” sign. Sharrows alert drivers of the section of the road that cyclists will be occupying, and also instructs cyclists to ride in the correct direction. Sharrows are used in the road, not on shoulders or bike lanes. Where there’s on-street parking, the center of the sharrow must be at least 11 feet from the curb or edge of the road. Where there’s no on-street parking, the sharrow must be at least 4 feet from the curb or road edge. |
| Bike Lanes |
| Bicycle lane markings were listed in the MUTCD before shared lanes were recognized and differ in that they are exclusively for cyclists, and motorized traffic is excluded. Bicycle symbols are painted on the road with a solid white line. Bike lanes require a minimum width that is not possible on many roads, and in such cases, sharrows are a compromise solution.. |
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