Workshops to Attend, News to Inspire and other Titbits from Around the Region

July 19, 2011

If you didn’t hear about it already, our neighbors up north were busy this weekend. They showed the world that the bicycle was speedier than an airplane. Wolfpack Hustle, an urban cycling group, decided to prove how feasible it was to ride 40 miles from Burbank to Long Beach and beat the airline that was offering $4 plane tickets to harried travelers who couldn’t figure out how to ride (a lot of great links on the story), transit or rollerblade around the major thoroughfare that is the 405 that was shutdown for repairs.

Meanwhile, one of the world’s greatest parks faces an unknown fate currently in the hands of San Diego’s City Council. In preparation of San Diego’s 2015 Centennial Celebration, Mayor Sanders had announced a desire to have the Panama de Plaza return return back to being a pedestrian plaza. In light of this, Qualcomm founder, Irwin Jacobs offered to finance the project which would result in the removal of parking from Panama de Plaza, but build a bypass bridge that would cut through a canyon and one which would remove traffic from entering Panama de Plaza and the creation of a new paid parking lot to be located behind the Organ Pavilion.

The University Avenue Mobility Study Community Workshop will be held this Thursday (July 21, 2011) at the Teen Challenge Center at 5450 Lea Street. The details are located in the flier below:
Flier

In line with the City’s General Plan, the purpose of this workshop is ensure that all users of University Avenue have equal options to traverse the corridor in all modes of transportation. I’ve been on the working group in an advisory capacity along with other bike advocates to ensure that tenets of the Complete Streets Act of 2008 were being adhered to. This included recommendations to narrow the street, ensure that a sidewalk was present along the entire section of the segment in question, and ensuring that provisions for cyclists were made a high priority. The segment of University Avenue in question is eastbound from 54th and University all the way to the border of the city of La Mesa. One of the options that I’m most in favor of will have a five to six foot bike lane along both the north and south sides of University Avenue along the entire University Avenue Corridor between 54th Street and 69th Street. Other options include sharing a bike lane with transit buses and having a combination of sharrows and bike lanes along University Avenue.

Earlier today, San Diego’s Bicycle Coordinator, Jim Lundquist made a presentation at the City Heights Area Planning Committee. He notified the committee that one of the high priority bike projects that will be implemented within the next three months would be the installation of Bike Lanes along 54th Street from Trojan Avenue to Market Street. This would be a major North-South thoroughfare.

It’s a new season and thus it is time to worry about the future of bicycle/pedestrian funding, again. On July 7, John Mica (R-FL), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House, announced his proposal for the next surface transportation re-authorization bill. His proposal eliminates dedicated funding for bicycling and walking, including Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program. Meanwhile on the Senate side, James Inhofe (R-OK), the lead Republican negotiator on the transportation bill, declared that one of his TOP THREE priorities for the transportation bill is to eliminate ‘frivolous spending for bike trails.’ The League of American Bicyclists has launched advocacy alert in light of this bad news.

On a bit more positive note, the Active Transportation Manager at the City Heights Community Development Corporation (CHCDC), Randolph Van Vleck sent us some very encouraging news about a recent City Council meeting. On Monday, June 27, the San Diego City Council passed a resolution to make transit and active transportation a priority in their official comments to SANDAG’s Regional Transportation Plan. City Council member, Marti Emerald, in response to the CHCDC’s written and verbal testimony, amended the resolution (Item S-402) to specifically include the SR-15 Bike Route to Mission Valley as highly prioritized projects to be completed at an accelerated rate. I’m sure once the projects are completed, City Council will have to fend off much gratitude from the region’s cyclists.

Up north in Escondido, the City of Escondido is developing a Master Plan for the Escondido Creek trail, a fully paved dedicated walkway and bicycle path along the Escondido Creek The open house is on July 20th in the Mitchell Room at the Escondido City Hall. RSVP at 760-839-6328 with Dan Hippert

Finally, the big news is that the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition finally announced the name of its new Executive Director, Andy Hanshaw. Hanshaw’s previous experience of the bicycle community was with organizing the annual Bike the Bay ride.