A cyclist rides past a sharrow marking in Toronto, Canada in 2011. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Plans to create a bike route through town are now in the works, thanks to the careful planning of the Age Friendly Shepherdstown Committee.

On Dec. 12, committee member Linda Spatig discussed the possibility of using “sharrows” — shared lane markings, which lay out a route for cyclists to take on the road, rather than creating an altogether separate lane.

“This is a proposal that’s based on some work that the Age Friendly Shepherdstown Committee has been doing, to try to make the town more accessible and livable for people of all ages and abilities,” Spatig said of the bike path. “As we have been working this year, following our Action Plan, we have been working on non vehicular mobility and safety. The part I’m bringing to you tonight is the bike path proposal.”

Spatig noted that sharrows have been proven to increase safety for bike riders.

“The idea is to share the road, because there isn’t room to build a separate bike path. It will not take away any parking. It should be a benefit to safety,” Spatig said. “From what we have learned about the sharrows, they do benefit safety when they are used on small streets with a speed limit of no more than 35 miles per hour. All of these streets are in that category.

“The route connects all five of our town parks as well as, eventually, the future bike path to Morgan’s Grove Park,” Spatig said, referring to the as-yet-unfinished bike lane project alongside Potomac Farms Drive. “It also connects to the C&O Canal on Lock 38. It comes across the [James Rumsey Bridge] and pulls into the loop around the football stadium, then makes its way down to the Blue Moon Cafe.

Plans for the project have already been discussed with Shepherdstown’s Public Works Committee, Parks & Recreation Committee and Town Council. In addition, agreements have been made with the organizations that the bike path may impact, according to Spatig. C&O Canal Towns has agreed to put up signs sharing Shepherdstown’s bike path with cyclists at Lock 38. Shepherd University has given permission for the placement of a sign, to inform those cycling from the C&O Canal that they need to turn left onto campus, to remain on the bike path. The Wayfinding Project, which plans to place three stylized signs around Shepherdstown and similar ones in Harpers Ferry and Bolivar, has also agreed to share the bike path information.

“They have agreed that, at all of the appropriate places where we’re going to have signs, they will include bike path information,” Spatig said. “We think there will be additional signs needed, in addition to those, but we don’t know how many.”

According to committee member Marty Amerikaner, approximately 60-65 sharrows will need to be placed on the bike path. Many sharrows are simply created by painting over a stencil onto the road. Unfortunately, the paint only lasts about a year, so all of those kind of sharrows have to be repainted on an annual basis. A more lasting option, however, would be available.

“It’s using material that you can buy from a company that uses some kind of a heating element to seal this kind of material onto the pavement,” Amerikaner said, mentioning Public Works is already using this material on town parking spaces. “It lasts 70 times longer than paint. It’s more expensive on the front end, but it lasts a whole lot longer.”

An approximate estimate for the painted stencils would be $1,000 a year, compared with an estimate of $5,000 for the more permanent option, according to Spatig.

“It would be more expensive [initially, but would end up being more efficient and cost effective,” Spatig said.

The Town Council unanimously approved the bike route in its December meeting. Further planning will be need to be made, regarding the sharrow markings and signage, before the bike route will be installed.

“The Panhandle Pedalers Cycling Club is a group of approximately 60 bicycle riders and families who enjoy riding the Jefferson County and local Shepherdstown roads and bicycle paths. The C&O Canal is also a popular regional bicycle path nearby. We support the bike route plan proposed by Age Friendly Shepherdstown, which goes through the streets of Shepherdstown and the connections they make to local roads and paths that we use,” said Panhandle Pedalers Cycling Club President Jonathan Moss. “Well-signed bicycle routes promote access and safety. The Panhandle Pedalers Cycling Club would be interested in assisting Shepherdstown in completing the connection between West High Street and the Route 45 bicycle path to the Maddex Square shopping center.”