Local TV station CBS8 sent a couple of reporters out to Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa to check on the new bike lanes the city just installed a couple of weeks ago.
What the station found was not pretty. The crew was there for 2 hours and witnessed a total of 5 bike riders in the bike lanes, including one on an ebike and another who jumped onto a sidewalk to ride.
They also found that the plastic barriers used were ineffectual – several already damaged — and that because the barriers prevented street sweepers able to clean the gutters, the bike lanes had trash, rubble and shopping carts clogging them.
The crew also interviewed frustrated locals trying to find parking and businessowners afraid their businesses would dry up if potential customers couldn’t find parking.
This sounds a lot like what has happened in other parts of San Diego.
The city has spend millions installing bike lanes before consulting with the local communities, kicked out hundreds of parking spaces, and not place the lanes on less-traveled streets — before — we need to note — installing good mass transit.
The Rag supports safe, well-guarded bike lanes, working with the neighborhoods affected to figure out the best places to install them and to gear up mass transit options.
In the meantime …
A new California law will speed up the process to add bike lanes and walkways in coastal areas.
“I’m always constantly looking to see who is going where and at my lane in anticipation,” said Jason, who lives in Ocean Beach. He rode his bike to the dog beach Monday. “Whether it’s recreational or right now I’m off of work and I come to the beach and I decompress to get out of my car,” he said.
The new law allows cities to add lanes without a public hearing or other steps required by the coastal commission.
“I think they’re great to an extent. I think we have enough of them right now,” said Mitch, a Hillcrest resident. He says bike lanes are useful but should be added more gradually. “We’re hitting a peak and running cars out of the area and need those to get around,” he said. He lives in Hillcrest where he says the bike lanes have taken much needed parking spaces and made the area more congested.
“I think there needs to be more thought put into it instead of tearing up neighborhoods. besides having that you have all the traffic tie ups caused by the construction of these things,” he said.
The City of San Diego sponsored the bill after it wasn’t allowed to put bike lanes along west Point Loma Boulevard last year. The bill’s author, Catherine Blakespear, says a cyclist was struck by a car there and hospitalized shortly after. She says the crash showed the need for the lanes and danger when safety improvements get delayed. CBS8
A couple of years ago, I went to using my e-bike for most trips. I use it for shopping, commuting, meeting with friends for lunch, doctor’s visits, optometrist, and just about everything. I am 61 years old and not particularly fit, but I love using my bike for most things. My doctor is happy about it, too.
After seeing some European cities, I realized how much clutter and space cars take up. Cars are dangerous, dirty, damage the roadways, take up space, and make a lot of noise. They make our city less livable. I am very tired of San Diego’s ridiculous car culture. Such a waste.
It does not sound like this project was designed well enough. Sad to see. Nevertheless, San Diego needs a LOT more bike infrastructure if this city is going to continue to be a decent place to live. We must use cars less and other mobility modes far more.
For the mayor and his puppets to put in more bike lanes ESPECIALLY to take away parking from the businesses, is thoughtless and in fact does cause businesses to close. He did the same thing in North Park, on 30th. Street in 2020. Bike lanes do NOT have to be in front of businesses. They can be on an alternate street. The quantity of riders is miniscule compared to vehicles. If it’s supposed to be about saving the climate, the FACT is to narrow traffic lanes, causing idling vehicles in long lines, creates a whole lot more toxins in the air than moving vehicles. Everett Hauser, City of SD, said the “bike lanes are too slow for experienced riders”, so that’s why many still ride in the now more narrow traffic lanes with the cars and trucks. When I asked SANDAG’s Cris Cartrett, in a meeting why the bike lanes couldn’t go on Utah St. not 30th., he said to me, “there’s nothing to see on Utah St.” Those are the ONLY reasons, they could offer for taking parking from the businesses. Pershing is pretty now but even as a motorist, treacherous. No one wants to see a person get hurt or killed, but I see where people are getting killed by the trolly actually quite frequently. No one is concerned about those accidents. No changes are planned for the relocation of the trolley lines. The law of averages indicates when one or more people are not paying attention, the probability of an accident is increased. Comparably, in all modes of transportation car accidents far outweigh any other mode of transportation. And yes, all modes of all other transportation accidents are few and far between. Vehicles collide daily. All other modes do not. The few that use the bike lanes, get better asphalt, so they get a “softer ride” and millions of dollars are being spent on bike lanes, for a very few…City wide causing those in front of businesses to lose millions of dollars. Some thought and input from the communities is sorely needed, to enlighten the Council rep and Mayor of the reality, and alternative locations.
For 8 years, I have been asking the same question: What percentage of San Diegans are regular bicyclists? I have never gotten a straight answer. I was told more people would bike once we had bike lanes. That hasn’t happened. I’ve been told bicycling is popular in Paris and Amsterdam. San Diego is nothing like either city.
Government fiscal policy is supposed to rely on hard data to ensure a solid “return on investment” of tax dollars. According to Census data, the percentage of San Diegans who commute by bike has hovered under 10% for well over a decade. We have spent hundreds of millions to benefit less than a tenth of the population. Doesn’t that smack of elitism and privilege? What about all the people who are physically incapable of bicycle commuting? Or who live south of I-8 and work north of I-8?
As for bicycling’s “climate action” goals: Have you ever seen car fumes from backed-up traffic on a street where bike lanes have reduced car lanes from two to one? I see it every day in North Park. I also see bicyclists speed through stop signs and red lights — all day, every day. So much for safety.
The worst argument for bike lanes is: It’s great for ME! I can bike to Sunday brunch! Congratulations. You’re fortunate. Your circumstances have given you the liberty to travel by bike, and you live in a city that, despite its budget woes, has gifted you a disproportionate allotment of public resources.
You’re welcome.
I agree, for all this talk about social equity lately, the bike lanes are extremely costly and disruptive, while benefitting a tiny percentage of privileged citizens.
There’s no way commuters by bike are anywhere near 10%.
Kate, I could not agree more! Thank you for taking the time to break this issue down so eloquently. If only our city leaders had as much cognitive ability, then perhaps we truly would be America’s finest city!
John, you’re in no position to agree with anyone referring to others as “elitist” lol.
There is only one person responsible for blocking tens of thousands San Diego automobiles in Kearny Mesa. Same person is responsible for ALL the parking problems in the City of San Diego. Mayor Todd Gloria is the culprit. The solution is for everyone to vote for Larry Turner and get rid of the corruption at City Hall.
Thank you, Ron, Kate, and Pat S for all your very descriptive posts. We hope voters will make an informed choice for mayor and that choice is Larry Turner. Please go on LarryTurnerforMayor.com and learn more.
I just found data from the 2017 “American Community Survey” which apparently is recognized by US Census. They show 1% commuting by bike in San Diego. Newer data was not published due to the pandemic.
https://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/Where_We_Ride_2017_KM_0.pdf
I couldn’t find a parking space on Convoy or side streets when shopping for a car before the bike lanes were installed. Bondhead move to not do a proper study to find that parking is needed.
That being said, I walked the area the other day and found that many cross streets have a middle turn lane, is unnecessary. Some streets already have diagonal parking on one side, it should be added on all of the cross streets with sufficient distance between curb cuts to utilize diagonal parking, which gives about 50% more spaces on that side of the street.
The overuse of resources and disproportionate use of space point is interesting. I think this almost every time I go down W. Point Loma Blvd towards Midway and see seven lanes of a wide road dedicated to swift moving cars (2 in each direction for moving traffic, a shared middle lane, and 2 rows for parking). There is a point where the bike lanes stop and merge with vehicular traffic to save a few parking spots. 7 lanes for cars as bicyclists fend for their lives with no nearby parallel streets in that direction. It makes that route too dangerous for me to ride as a fit 40 year old man with an ebike.
The half-assedness makes nearly that whole stretch of bicycle infrastructure worthless which is sad. 1000s of people live over there that should be able to safely ride a bike to the beach along a mostly flat route that are coerced to wait in automobiles at W. Point Loma and Nimitz for sometimes several light cycles. I would love to ride bikes to Grocery Outlet and the food options that direction but sadly drive nearly every time.
I would love to see that road have two fully functioning bike lanes with a trolley down the center. Cars are not the only way to improve coastal access and work against climate goals if they are idling in traffic or not.