Tomorrow: Bicycle Corral Celebration at Jake’s on 6th Wine Bar
Tomorrow at 4:00PM, join us and Jake's on 6th Wine Bar to celebrate the opening of one of the four most recent bike corrals that were installed by the city of San Diego. Thanks to the generosity and support of Jake's on 6th, everyone who arrives by bicycle will receive a 25% discount!
To RSVP and invite all your friends, you may do so on the Facebook event page.
And don't forget to continue contributing to our bike parking map. Bike parking installation has certainly grown in the last few years.
As a reminder, there are now four new bike corrals in the city installed within the last month! They are at:
- South Park – Mythology, 2365 30th Street
- North Park – Modern Times Brewing, 4026 30th Street
- El Cajon Blvd – Live Wire & Mama’s Lebanese Bakery, 4237 Alabama Street
- Hillcrest – Lotus Thai/Jake’s on 6th, at 3761 6th Avenue
See you tomorrow!
A Call for the Resignation of Uptown Planners Chair, Leo Wilson
Sign the petition calling on Leo Wilson to resign from Uptown Planners.
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Last month on July 8th, I sent an email to Leo Wilson, current chair of Uptown Planners Community Planning Group. The emailed called for him to resign from the Uptown Planners Community Planning Group.
Uptown Planners is the city recognized Community Planning Group that serves as an advisory board to the City of San Diego regarding land use and development projects in the neighborhoods of Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, Mission Hills and University Heights. In 2010 under Wilson's leadership, Uptown Planners rejected the city's plans to install bike lanes (stripes of paint) on India Street and Kettner Boulevard. Wilson stated (with zero evidence to back up his claims) that "the plan’s impact [was] extreme to small businesses,”. I have yet to find evidence anywhere in the country that dedicated bike infrastructure negatively impacts businesses. Today, we have sharrows on India street where someone on a bicycle is expected to "share" road space with a multi-ton vehicle that could kill them in an instant.
More recently, Uptown Planners, under Wilson's leadership, opposed the implementation of the buffered bike lanes on 4th and 5th Avenues.
Despite giving Wilson the benefit of the doubt and the time to demonstrate that he simply didn't have a bias against bicyclists, he has demonstrated time and time again that the only perspective he cares about are some of the out of date views on driving, while simultaneously advocating for the storage of private vehicles on public space - our city streets.
Our petition calling on Leo Wilson to resign from the Uptown Planners Community Planning Board was covered by Uptown News yesterday. The story included this response from Wilson,
It’s interesting because Ollinger attacked me for the [2011 India Street bike lane proposal], but that would have taken out over 100 parking spaces. That would have been devastating to businesses
A community leader needs to be both reasonable and open to perspectives from everyone. Wilson has demonstrated, as recently as yesterday, that the only perspective he cares about are drivers while voicing opinions with no basis in fact.
For more than nine years, Wilson as the head of Uptown Planners has shown no initiative or leadership to accommodate anyone by drivers. It's time he steps down so that someone who is a true community leader can actually lead Uptown to the future.
What questions should the Uptown community leaders be asking?
The Early Action Bike Projects, of which both the Uptown Bike Corridor and the Mid-City Bike Corridor are a part of, are funded by the half-cent sales tax measure, Transnet, that is managed by our regional planning agency, SANDAG. Transnet dollars represent one of the largest pools of funds in the county, and is not unlike other half-cent sales tax measures that have been passed around the state largely to fund transportation projects. The extension for Transnet barely passed voter approval in the 2004 elections.
Transnet, to most of us in the transportation advocacy world, represents a net good because it are seen as a dedicated funding stream that will make San Diego more walkable, bikeable, and thus livable.
However in 2004, despite a fairly diverse coalition supporting the extension of Transnet - it barely passed voter approval at 67% (1% point more than was needed for support as this was a tax increase). The language of the extension touted solutions for traffic congestion, and yet the Environmental Health Coalition and Sierra Club registered their opposition to the ordinance. The EHC detailed their opposition stating (among other things):
Transnet Cheats Urban Neighborhoods!
"Almost 85% of all transit infrastructure funded by Transnet will serve suburban neighborhoods."
So when reviewing how voters around the city voted on Transnet's extension, it is hard to gauge what they wanted - did they vote "Yes" because they wanted "traffic congestion" eased? If so, did they want wider roads, more freeways and a more car-dependent society? Or did they vote "Yes" because they wanted more transportation options like safer bike infrastructure, wide sidewalks and a robust and well connected transit network? Did they vote "No" because they didn't want funds from the urban neighborhoods to fund suburban (and the more car-dependent) neighborhoods in the region? Or did they vote "No" because they are opposed to tax increases?
It's hard to say.
The Early Action Bike Projects are part of SANDAG's 2050 Regional Transportation Plan(RTP), which after approval by the SANDAG board in October 2011 (despite healthy opposition to the plan) was subsequently the subject of a lawsuit. As written here previously, the RTP was eventually "found to be illegal by the San Diego County Superior Court. The court found that the plan did not comply with California clean air laws. Whether the plan will need to be totally redone remains to be seen." That decision is now being appealed by SANDAG instead of simply re-doing their RTP and incorporating the suggestions they've captured in their most recent RTP Update process. BikeSD is on the record with the SANDAG Transportation Committee asking for the agency to not appeal.
Of the $200 billion, SANDAG has set aside $2.5 billion for bicycle and pedestrian projects (not as impressive when you think about the fact that it is 1.25% of the total funds). Of that $2.5 billion, $200 million was approved last fall by the SANDAG board to implement the RTP's early action bike projects.
The Uptown Bike Corridor is scheduled to receive an investment of $43.4 million of those Transnet funds where the east/west corridor of University Avenue is the subject of much contention as it may (again, may) affect the removal of 91 parking meters (10% of total parking spots available in Uptown within a block of University Avenue). These parking meters currently bring in about $40,000 to Uptown annually according to San Diego's Uptown Community Parking District's Chief Operating Officer, Elizabeth Hannon.
Just so you didn't miss those numbers: the numbers we're talking about is the current revenue brought in of approximately $40,000 versus an investment of $43.4 million into Uptown to expand the number of transportation choices of Uptown's residents and visitors.
Meanwhile, while some Uptown community leaders bicker over whether it is worthwhile to accept a $43.4 million investment over the remote possibility that they may lose $40,000, SANDAG bureaucrats continue to take tax money collected from the urban neighborhoods in San Diego; allocating it on projects in suburban, car-dependent neighborhoods where parking is plentiful and driving is not as stressful. In other words, an urban community fighting over providing vehicle parking is nothing short of a race to the bottom and a race they are destined to lose. The suburban communities will always win the parking issue with their free and plentiful parking.
What should the Uptown community leaders instead be asking? They should be asking for an accounting of total Transnet revenue collected in Uptown and exactly how much of those dollars are being re-invested in Uptown. In Fiscal Year 2012, the city of San Diego generated over $26 million in Transnet funds. How much of that $26 million was generated in Uptown and how much was reinvested back in Uptown? That is the question that needs answers.
Uptown Business Owner, Uptown Planning Board Member: Extremely Important for Uptown to be Accessible to Bicycle Riders
Tonight, please attend the Uptown Bike Corridor meeting to speak up in support for cycle tracks/protected bike lanes on University Avenue, Fourth and Fifth Avenues.
Details are below:
February 6, 2014
6 - 8:30 p.m.
Roosevelt Middle School Library
3366 Park Blvd
San Diego, 92103
Flier
Jennifer Totah who owns Jake’s on 6th Wine Bar is a strong supporter of our advocacy in Uptown. Jake’s on 6th Wine Bar is located on 6th Avenue in the heart of Hillcrest. Totah was one of the business owners who completed our survey so that we could understand what San Diego's business owners were concerned with and how we could best garner the business community's support in implementing our mission to advocate for world-class bike infrastructure in the city.
Totah stated she was "absolutely" willing to "replace [vehicle] curbside parking in front of [her] business for vehicle parking access 1-3 blocks away" . She added that it was "extremely important to be considered a bicycle friendly business".
After tonight's meeting, lets patronize Jake's in Uptown to show our support for a business that is demonstrating their willingness to be a leader in the Uptown business community.
Jennifer Totah sent in an email reiterating her business' support for bike infrastructure in Uptown.
Jake's on 6th Wine Bar supports expansion of bicycle infrastructure as a critical economic development strategy for our business and Hillcrest. The investments other cities in California and the San Diego region communities that have invested in this infrastructure have seen incredible benefits. Businesses have increased retail sales, enhanced the attractiveness of their neighborhoods, and become destinations for the young professional. That is the key to our future.
This plan is a down payment on the future economic development of our region. Jake's is committed to enhancing the quality of life and economic prosperity of Hillcrest and now is the time to embrace this vision.
Uptown Planners aren't all opposed to implementing world-class bicycle facilities in Uptown. Christopher Ward, who sits on the Uptown Planners board was also strong in his support for increasing transportation options. In an email he stated,
Uptown is an urban neighborhood with the opportunity to maintain its status as one of America's best neighborhoods if we can evolve to meet the transportation interests of residents and visitors alike. Or in going through our community plan update, we can ignore that opportunity. People of all age groups want to choose safe and efficient bicycle, pedestrian, and multi-modal opportunities to get to downtown, North Park, travel within Uptown or access the regional bike network. Study after study shows that improving bikabilty and walkability improves interest in, and sales at, small businesses along our main streets. As an Uptown Planners board member, I support efforts to make bicycling safe and comfortable for all users.
Height Restrictions and Bicycles: Uptown is at a Transportation Crossroads
What is the Interim Height Ordinance, and what does it have to do with bicycles?
Currently, the Interim Height Ordinance (IHO) limits building heights in Hillcrest and Mission Hills to 65 and 50 feet, respectively. Prior to the IHO, the 1998 Uptown Community Plan allowed building heights up to 200 feet on some streets, and under these guidelines a 12-story hotel was proposed for 301 University Avenue in 2008. The project was out of scale for the relatively narrow street, so residents protested, and the City Council enacted the IHO for the two years required to complete Uptown’s Community Plan.
That was then. Now, over five years later, the Community Plan is targeted for completion in late 2015. Meanwhile the IHO has been extended repeatedly. Many residents and community leaders advocate for making it permanent, or even further reducing its height limit.
Why should Bike SD’s readers care about Uptown building heights? Because the Uptown Planners (the community planning group for Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, Mission Hills and University Heights) advises the city on both this issue and the proposed SANDAG Uptown Bike Corridor. Many of the board and community members who oppose smart growth in Uptown also oppose implementing safe bike lanes. Last year, Uptown Planners voted against even considering bike corridor implementation in their neighborhoods until the community plan was completed. In my next post, I’ll discuss the bike corridor in greater detail, and whether increased density can make neighborhoods more bike-friendly.
Since the IHO went into effect, the trend of millennials and empty-nesters moving to urban neighborhoods from suburbs has increased. Good resources on the subject include recent books The End of the Suburbs, Walkable City, and The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City. These new residents seek walkable, bikeable, active communities with various transit options to nearby downtown jobs. “Smart growth” and “transit-oriented development” are two terms describing the mixed-use construction built to accommodate them. There are numerous benefits to this trend, from reduced vehicle miles driven to increased public transit use, even increased innovation and reduced obesity rates. In San Diego, with projections of a large population increase in Council District 3, Hillcrest represents an ideal location for smart growth - without putting all new growth downtown, as some suggest.
Instead of addressing this demand, the IHO has arguably suppressed residential construction in Hillcrest. IHO supporters cited the Snooze AM building on 5th Avenue as an example of IHO-era construction, but it contains zero residential units. While there are many excellent examples of urban neighborhoods with human-scale architectures of 5 stories, commercial thoroughfares like eastern University Avenue, Park Boulevard, and 4th/5th/6th Avenues all present opportunities to carefully exceed this height without ruining the neighborhood’s character. To be fair, construction costs do increase significantly above 65 feet, and raising the height limit won’t magically produce affordable and middle class housing - but it would likely offer an improvement over the current lack of construction.
What are some reasonable alternatives to making the IHO permanent that permit mixed-use projects on main streets while retaining neighborhood character? One plan floated by city planning staff set 45-65 foot height limits for Mission Hills and Hillcrest, with discretionary review required above that level. Heights could surpass 100 feet if community amenities were provided, such as parks or plazas. Another plan offered by Walt Chambers on his Great Streets San Diego site considers commercial street widths. At a recent Uptown Planners meeting where Chambers’ plan was presented, the Uptown Community Planning Group Chair, Leo Wilson, acknowledged that height/discretionary limits between 65 and 100 feet might be a workable compromise.
Unfortunately, many community members are unwilling to budge from the IHO. Chief among their complaints are: congestion and lack of parking. However these problems are present in almost any urban neighborhood around the country.
Nearly all of San Diego was built for cars, often at the expense of pedestrians and bicycle riders. However I think Hillcrest is great precisely because it is different in this regard. The Hillcrest community owes its strengths of being more walkable with diverse amenities largely to its higher density (relative to the rest of the city). Furthermore, many potential new residents to Uptown have little desire to own a car and seek alternative transit options. So why do Uptown's leaders continue to insist on applying suburban planning principles to their community?
A diversity of incomes in Uptown could reduce congestion, since some lower-income workers would live near their jobs rather than driving in and parking. Instead, Hillcrest’s anti-growth stance is morphing it into a neighborhood that is exclusive only to individuals who occupy a higher income bracket. This is troubling, since the Uptown neighborhood used to welcome anyone - especially gays and lesbians who experienced discrimination. Now many of these same community members who used to be discriminated against are unwittingly discriminating against middle and lower-income earners, as they close the door to new residents due to their shortsighted stance on height limits and downzoning.
IHO proponents frequently state that the “good businesses will survive” without new growth, but doesn’t this aversion to increasing the height limit limit the total number of good businesses? Instead of a virtuous urban cycle of more residents attracting more businesses attracting more residents that we’ve witnessed in North Park and Little Italy, Hillcrest’s businesses struggle and the neighborhood’s vibrancy wanes.
Some residents have described a fear that outside developers would tear down historic architecture, but as a member of Save our Heritage Organisation, I support strengthening the city’s historic preservation laws in order to prevent this.
Bicycle riders will benefit from awareness of the challenges they face in implementing bike infrastructure in Uptown. The majority of the Uptown Planners’ board members, and the residents who attend its meetings, have demonstrated that they are either woefully out of touch or simply opposed to the interests of tomorrow’s Uptown residents. It’s important that we all participate in planning Uptown’s future, whether the issue is building heights or cycle tracks.
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You can read more from Paul Jamason at SD Urban
