Federal Highway Administration
Office of Transportation Operations
400 Seventh Street. SW, HOTO
Washington, DC 20590

To Whom It May Concern.

I am, writing in support of the City of Portland's application to experiment with a new type of bicycle marking: the shared lane pavement marking.

For the past decade, Portland has had a strong commitment to creating safe and convenient conditions for bicycling in the city. The results of the city's efforts have been significant in terms of increasing ridership and making the bicycle a legitimate choice when residents are considering their transportation choices.

In developing their extensive network of bikeways, Portland has discovered areas where bicycle lanes are needed but cannot be provided because of specific traffic operations or geographic constraints. These gaps in bicycle service diminish the utility of what are otherwise excellent bicycle facilities, acting as significant deterrents to those who wish to cycle. Portland has long sought a means to address these gaps in a manner that provides excellent service to bicyclists while maintaining adequate service for other roadway users. With Portland believes that shared lane pavement markings can accomplish this.

Shared lane markings, long used throughout European cities and in some U.S. cities, have most recently been tested in San Francisco. Found to improve operating conditions for cyclists in that city, San Francisco is now using shared lane markings on greater number of roadways. Portland wishes to expand upon San Francisco's success, provide further testing, and do it in a manner that leads to formal adoption in the MUTCD.

Given the potential of this new tool and Portland's ability to identify potential locations and conduct a formal test, I lend support to their application and encourage the FHWA to expedite their request to experiment, giving them all needed support.

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Earl Blumenauer Member of Congress