Draft San Diego Regional Bicycle Plan – Open for Public Review & Comment

As you may have garnered, 2010 is shaping up to be an excellent year already for bicyclists. It is hard not to get excited about what is transpiring to be a year of the bicycle. Here in San Diego the Draft San Diego Regional Bicycle Plan is now available for public review and comment.

Public comment on the San Diego Regional Bicycle Plan can be sent in during the 30 day comment period beginning on March 25. The contact person for comments is :

Chris Kluth, Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Planner
phone: (619) 699-1952
email: ckl@sandag.org

The percentage of San Diegans who commute by bicycle is low, and by implementing recommendations from the Regional Bicycle Plan, the county hopes to increase the percentage of utility cyclists by creating a complete and integrated network of bikeways and support facilities. Policy actions to attain that goal include creating facilities specifically for bicyclists includes bicycle specific parking facilities, institutionalizing Complete Streets principles in the planning, design and maintenance of bicycle infrastructure. Also proposed are education programs for drivers, specifically new drivers, to teach them how to safely interact with bicyclists on the streets.

I thought the most useful data in the plan were the targets below on how the region intends to measure its rate of success:

  • By 2012 increase the percentage of people who bike for utilitarian purposes by 50%.
  • Increase in positive attitudes about biking and about bicycle facilities.
  • Increase in bicycle facilities from 106.9 miles of bike paths, 784.6 miles of bike lanes, 250.4 miles of bike routes
  • Increase in the proportion of arterial streets with bicycle facilities. Suggested target of 25% by 2017 to spur greater bicycle commuting.
  • 100% of elementary schools participating in Safe Routes to Schools Program by 2015
  • Independent recognition of efforts to promote biking by 2012.  League of American Cyclist’s Bronze Award by 2017 and Silver or Gold Award by 2027.
  • Annual reduction in bicycle collision rate per capita from 834 bike collisions in 2005, 853 bike collisions in 2006 and 704 bike collisions in 2007.

What do you think of the Bicycle Plan? Use the comments as an open thread.