Somerville bikers get more room to roam

By John Laidler, Globe correspondent

The city has nearly completed work on a project to mark 11 more miles of local roads for bike travel this year.

The painted markings include bike lanes and sharrows – a symbol of a bike and an arrow denoting a road that is meant to be shared by motorists and bicyclists.

The city set out to mark the 11 miles of additional lanes this year after having marked 11 miles last year. All told, Somerville now has more than 30 miles of roads marked for bicycle use.

The painting, carried out by city crews, is part of an overall effort by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone to increase bicycle infrastructure and access that also includes expanding the number of bike racks in the city, according to Jacki Rossetti, a spokeswoman for the mayor.

She said that effort supports the goals of Shape Up Somerville, an initiative to encourage residents to live active, healthy lifestyles.

The most recent work, completed late last month, was the painting of sharrows on Prospect Street from the Cambridge  city line to the intersection of Webster Avenue, and Medford Street from Magoun Square to School Street.

Rossetti said the last remaining markings to complete this year’s 11 miles is the planned  lanes on Assembly Square Drive,  which is scheduled for October once roadway reconstruction is completed there.