Art on the Streets: A Guide to Alexandria's Bike Lane Graphic Designs

The bike lane images on the City's streets and their meanings

Alexandria’s extensive and varied bike lane graphics should be appreciated as public art, not just as signage. These designs contain meaning beyond the information provided to cyclists and motorists.  The bike lane images reflect community values—the City embraces bike travel even though its streets were generally laid out without cyclists in mind.

The bike lane graphics are described in the City’s Complete Streets Design Guidelines as being based on, “… the current best practices in street design in Alexandria, the metropolitan DC area, and around the world.”  The guidelines can be seen

The Complete Streets Design Guide refers to the comprehensive Urban Bikeway Design Guide published by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) which describes and explains bike lane graphics and symbols.  The NACTO guide can be seen

Cyclists asked about Alexandria’s bike lane designs had limited knowledge about what they mean.  Accordingly, what follows describes some of City’s most interesting bike lane designs and their meanings.

The Sharrows Image: A Bike Lane Graphic for Streets Without Bike Lanes

In a paradox, the most common bike lane image is displayed on streets without bike lanes.  Drivers and casual observers may wonder about the purpose of the chevron-like “roof,” or covering, over the image of the bike.

The NACTO design guide reveals what these are:

Shared Lane Markings (SLMs), or “sharrows,” are road markings used to indicate a shared lane environment for bicycles and automobiles. Among other benefits shared lane markings reinforce the legitimacy of bicycle traffic on the street, recommend proper bicyclist positioning, and may be configured to offer directional and wayfinding guidance. 

Thus, the implicit meaning of the sharrows (a combination of “shared arrows”) design is aspirational or values driven.  The graphic says, on behalf of the City, “We regret there are no bike lanes on this street, but, motorist, please do not forget about bicyclists. They are entitled to respect on our streets.” 

The directional guidance of the sharrows provides additional meaning.  It translates approximately to, “While there isn’t a bike lane on this street, if you travel on you may find one.”

The Sharrows Image: An Alternative Version

Artists often return to the same subject or theme. [1] This version of the sharrows image that includes a rider and suggested bike lane boundaries.  The bike frame is omitted--the helmeted rider appears to be peddling between two wheels in space. We do not see the rider in profile. He looks to his left, at us, because we are the oncoming traffic.

The Sharrows Image: A Post-Modern Version

The City recently unveiled this updated sharrows image on an eye-catching bright green background.  This design implies a bike lane in the four white accent bars on each vertical side of the image, but omits a rider.  The design and color underscore the City’s commitment to bike lanes.  The three arrows aligned horizontally above the image point back to this version of the sharrows image.

A question for further research: do the position of the image in the center of the lane and the implied bike lane borders signify that cyclists are entitled to ride in the middle of the lane?

The Buffered Bike Lane

This exuberant graphic introduces a bike lane with not just a bike, but also a rider, and a directional arrow.  What first seems to be a distorted ladder on the left side of the bike lane is, according to the NACTO guide, a buffer which fulfills important functions. 

According to the NACTO design guide, a buffered bike lane:

·         Provides space for bicyclists to pass another bicyclist without encroaching into the adjacent motor vehicle travel lane.

·         Encourages bicyclists to ride outside of the door zone when the buffer is between parked cars and bike lane.

·         Provides a greater space for bicycling without making the bike lane appear so wide that it might be mistaken for a travel lane or a parking lane.

·         Appeals to a wider cross-section of bicycle users.

·         Encourages bicycling by contributing to the perception of safety among users of the bicycle network.

If the city’s streets could be magically reworked it seems likely that there would be many more buffered bike lanes.

An Unbuffered Bike Lane in Dark Green

In this design the buffer is omitted, probably because the street is too narrow. However, the rider-and-bike graphic and directional arrow are evident.  A topic for further investigation: Why is the solid bike lane is introduced with a band of green under the rider-and-bike image?

 A Contra-Flow Bike Lane

A contra-flow bike lane runs the opposite direction from car traffic. The left border of the bike lane is the stern and familiar “do not cross” double yellow line because of the negative outcomes if either cars or bikes stray from their designated lanes on this one-way street.

An Intermittently Striped Unbuffered Bike Lane

Here, a vivid green on an asphalt background combines with a white-edged intermittent striped formation, and the rider-and-bike logo. The striped formation hints at unknowns down the road.

A short time later, a combination solid and striped bike lane in bright green appears.  The trigger for the transition from a solid background to stripes is uncertain—the interrupted curb, perhaps?

Almost Everything All at Once

Intricate designs can serve aesthetic and practical objectives.  Here, a buffered bike lane adjacent to a marked curbside parking spaces launches from a crosswalk that connects to a “no go” area.  The latter is denominated by a contrasting color and raised barriers that have been affectionately described by some Alexandrians as “armadillos” or “zebra butts.”   The effect is a synthesis of color, design and structure.

The Bike and Scooter Box

This unusual design, with physical barriers at its four corners, seems to be a parking area for bikes and scooters.  In fact, it is a bike and scooter box which is designed to facilitate right turns at intersections governed by traffic lights. 

The NACTO design guide states:

A bike box is a designated area at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection that provides bicyclists with a safe and visible way to get ahead of queuing traffic during the red signal phase.   

The Bike and Scooter Box: An Alternative Version

This design shows a bike lane adjacent to curbside parking areas that transitions from a solid to a striped configuration with a single vertical pillar that protects bike riders preparing to make a right turn.

 A Bike Lane Between Car Lanes

 Here, a bike lane arrives at an intersection positioned between a left turn lane for cars and a curbside right turn/through lane for cars. This bike lane would seem to be for courageous cyclists.

The Combined Bike Lane/Car Turn Lane

This near-abstract design is a rare combined bike lane/car turn lane designed to achieve several objectives. 

The NACTO guide explains:

A combined bike lane/turn lane places a suggested bike lane within the inside portion of a dedicated motor vehicle turn lane.  Shared lane markings or conventional bicycle stencils with a dashed line can delineate the space for bicyclists and motorists within the shared lane or indicate the intended path for through bicyclists.  This treatment includes signage advising motorists and bicyclists of proper positioning within the lane.

The amount of data conveyed in this design is impressive.  The dedicated car turn lane area, with its bold “WAIT HERE” sign, intrudes on the lower left corner of the bike lane image to reinforce the theme of motorist and cyclist peaceful co-existence.

What to Make of Alexandria’s Bike Lane Art

As ever, an aesthetic reflects the values and world views of its creators and its audience.  Alexandria’s extensive and diverse bike lane art affirms its bike-friendly values.  Even so, because of the City’s age and the development history of its streets, Alexandria’s 561 lane miles of paved roads [2] appear to vastly exceed the length of its bike lanes. The extensive and varied bike lane art affirms the City’s commitment to self-propelled transportation and provides a rewarding visual experience.

Your comments are very welcome.

1.  Henri Matisse executed a series of sculptures known as the five Jeannettes which became increasingly abstract.  More information can be seen

Vincent Van Gogh painted six portraits of his mailman, Joseph Roulin.   A fascinating exhibition, Van Gogh Repetitions at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., explored Van Gogh’s numerous paintings of the same subjects.  More about the exhibition is available

2. City of Alexandria Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2023, page 247.

Special thanks to Jamie Conrad and Kirk Fedder for assistance with this post.