Win for Bikes on Washington Street
On Thursday, February 11, 2021 the City of San Diego implemented a temporary protected bike lane. Some parking that forced bicycle riders into a shared traffic lane with cars traveling up to 50 or 60 miles an hour were removed and a restriping and flex posts were installed. This is a big symbolic victory for the bicycle community in San Diego which has been asking for safety improvements here for nearly a decade.
It was unfortunate that it took a tragic loss of life at this site to force change to happen. Many in the bicycle advocacy community have been advocating for safe bicycle lanes on Washington Street for nearly a decade as far back as 2013. The bike lane on the shoulder was painted over at some point around 2014 at the bottom of the hill at the India Street intersection to accommodate free parking. This dangerous condition existed for years after until on August 22, 2020 a bicycle rider was struck from behind and later passed away from the injuries. The City of San Diego’s new Mayor, Todd Gloria, has demonstrated that there is a new administration in town, one that takes the safety of all street users into consideration. Will there be more like this to come?
In September 2020, BikeSD submitted a joint letter to the City Council and held a press conference calling on the city to install protected lanes on Washington Street. This victory is small but represents a potential shift in the City’s actions to make our streets safer for all users.