What are those markings on the street ("sharrows")?

Main Street, Durham joins Daniel Street, Portsmouth — and other communities across the country — in encouraging a sharing of the road by motorists and bicyclists. The "sharrow" marking (a combination of "share" and "arrow") indicates lanes used by both cars and bicycles. Drivers and cyclists alike have the right to use the FULL sharrow lane. 

Sharrow markings are often used when there is not enough space to allow for separate bike and motor vehicle travel lanes. They alert both drivers and cyclists to take extra care. 

In Durham, you can see sharrows on Garrison Avenue between Madbury Road and Main Street — and more recently on Main Street in a couple of "pinch" areas or areas in which a bicyclist may make a lefthand turn from the righthand lane on Main Street onto Madbury Road (in front of Libby's).

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NH law (RSA Section 265:143) states that bicyclists and motorists have the same rights and duties under the rules of the road (with a few exceptions). See the NH Department of Transportation's brochure under SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS, below.

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The Federal Highway Administration for the first time included information about this signage in its 2009 edition of the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices" (MUTCD), the national standard for traffic signs and road markings. 

According to the MUTCD, the sharrow assists cyclists with lateral positioning in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking in order to reduce the chance of a bicyclist's hitting the open door of a parked vehicle. It also assists bicyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane. The sharrow may be used in addition to or in place of the "Bikes May Use Full Lane" sign.