People driving on California Avenue in Eastchester can see something new: painted symbols of bicyclists called sharrows.
According to a press release from Peter McCartt, the sharrows were painted along the length of California Road on July 1 from New Rochelle Road to White Plains Road/Route 22.
The pictograms are prominent throughout New York City and most major metropolitan regions, but these are being described as “the first municiplity in Westchester County to have these on the roads.”
The sharrows are designed to help create a bicycle route from the south end of Eastchester to the north, painted only whre decisions need to be made by the biker on where to go and eventually will designate connection ponts like at Manchester Road leading to Eastchester high and middle schools.
Plans are to paint more sharrows to connect California Road with Pondfield Road, through Midland Avenue to Marbledale Road to Wilmot Road, and to meet up with the Bronx River Parkway Reservation bike path.
The sharrows are expected to keep motorists alert to bicycle riders, since the roads cannot accommodate separate bike lanes.
McCartt said thanks needed to go to Town Supervisor Tony Colavita, Bill O’Connell, the Eastchester Traffic and Parking Advisory Committee, Eastchester Police Department, the Department of Public Works and especially Jimmy Luciano and Franco Batttisa, and also to John Todaro.
