Send a Letter to the Mayor & City Council to Show your Support for Creating More Slow Streets for People to Walk and Ride Safely
Send a Letter to the Mayor & City Council to Show your Support for Creating Safer Places for People to Walk and Ride Safely
A diverse group of organizations are requesting the Mayor and City Council provide adequate space & facilities for social distancing due to the COVID-19 crisis. With the decrease in vehicles on our streets, and the need to provide space for people to walk and ride safely, join us in requesting that this extra street space be used to provide safer conditions for everyone.
Click the green button below to can send a pre-written letter, or tell your own story and write your own.
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EVEN BETTER:
Write your own personal message to kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov. Modify this sample letter and copy/paste to your personal email app.
Dear Mayor Faulconer,
Thank you for taking action by beginning to implement Slow Streets during the current public health emergency in San Diego. Bold action is required to flatten the curve and ensure the safety of every resident of the city and more neighborhoods could benefit from Slow Streets.
My family and I use sidewalks and bikeways to access both essential services and get much needed outdoor recreation that provides both physical and mental health benefits. With the recent implementation of social distancing measures, however, it has become difficult for me and my family to walk and bike safely while ensuring proper 6 foot social distancing from other people doing the same. Meanwhile, the reduction in typical traffic means that our streets have cars that are driving faster than ever, making the choice between a crowded sidewalk or bikeway and fast-moving vehicular traffic both difficult and dangerous.
To mitigate these challenges, I request that the city considers the health and safety of all residents, and reallocate the extra street space from the reduction in vehicular traffic for the use of people walking and biking in more neighborhoods. This can be done by placing “no through traffic” signs on some streets, and reducing the number of vehicular lanes and increasing pedestrian and bicyclist space on others. Furthermore, I request that the city automate the pedestrian walk lights at traffic intersections across the city, because it is not safe to press pedestrian walk buttons and to practice safe hygiene.
I would like to see San Diego join the ranks of other forward-thinking cities implementing similar actions, such as Oakland, CA (Oakland is adding 5 miles of Slow Streets per week), Burlington, VT, Boston, MA, Denver, CO, and many other cities. I support the joint letter sent out by the diverse coalition of advocacy organizations here in San Diego and would like to see a hyperlocal walking & biking network in my community.
Thank you again for your strong leadership during this critical time for not only the City of San Diego, but the world at large. Thank you for beginning the implementation of Slow Streets. I look forward to seeing our city continue to take bold and immediate action in fighting the spread of COVID-19, and continue to ensure the health and safety of residents.
Sincerely,
_____________
And feel free to add these important CCs:
barbarabry@sandiego.gov, jennifercampbell@sandiego.gov, chriscate@sandiego.gov, christopherward@sandiego.gov, monicamontgomery@sandiego.gov, markkersey@sandiego.gov, scottsherman@sandiego.gov, vivian@vivianmorenosd.com, georgettegomez@sandiego.gov, talk@bikesd.org
Letter on new UCSD campus policy on micromobility devices
Dear Vice Chancellor Matthews,
We appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on UCSD’s proposed campus policy on the use of micromobility devices, announced on November 5, 2019 [1]. The policy would establish several new rules and regulations regarding the operation of scooters, bicycles, and other small devices on UCSD campus. The need to create a safe environment for all members of the campus community and UCSD visitors is clear: with expected growth reaching 65,000-plus students, staff and faculty, getting into and around campus will be increasing complex. This policy represents an important opportunity to set expectations of campus users — through commonsense stipulations such as being able to operate safely under different conditions and yielding right of way to pedestrians — but could be expanded to help address many underlying issues that result in conflicts on a daily basis.
First, well-recognized principles of urban infrastructure design inform us that providing safe facilities where people want to walk and ride is vastly more effective and equitable than outlawing and diverting these modes [2]. Modern urban transportation plans thus aim to provide balance among the various uses of public roadways, and in particular separate traffic moving at vastly different speeds, such as through the use of off-street paths and protected bicycle lanes. Currently, UCSD campus facilities do not provide a level of ease of circulation for people regardless of whether they are walking, riding or biking. Most destinations are not connected by bike paths where riders can avoid mingling with pedestrians, and main desire lines either prohibit riding or are shared use without any signed or designated areas for riders. Construction activity throughout campus is not fully mitigated, leaving narrower and less convenient paths for everyone. We therefore urge the administration to adopt proactive infrastructural approaches to provide physical and/or marked separation between pedestrian and micromobility modes on campus, facilitating all desire lines.
Second, due to the sprawling footprint of campus, entry points via public transit are far from many campus destinations. While parking is a perennial complaint, it remains the case that most buildings have parking options within five minutes walk, while bus stops of high-volume routes can be 15 or more minutes away. As the growing community opts to take public transit, using micromobility to and from these entry points will be increasingly attractive, adding to the complexities with enforcing restrictions on their use. The trolley extension will only intensity this conflict: the nearest stop to The Village dormitory, Pepper Canyon, will be more than 25 minutes away. We propose that safe and convenient paths for micromobility are established from all existing and future transit entry points to all major campus destinations, taking advantage of both perimeter and throughcampus routes.
Finally, major roads surrounding campus for the most part lack adequate facilities for micromobility users. Genesee Ave, Gilman Drive, and N. Torrey Pines Road, among others, have dangerous, unprotected lanes next to fast-moving traffic. The UTC area, where a large fraction of off-campus students live, is only two miles from campus and yet lacks safe routes to get to class. In spite of these drawbacks, the University community sees rates of bicycle use over two times the city and county of San Diego [2]. This need must be met with sustained support and encouragement for people to leave their cars at home when commuting to campus. Best practice for roads with speeds regularly exceeding 25 mph and 6000 cars per day is to establish protected bicycle lanes with vertical barriers or raised elevation from motor vehicle traffic [3]. We urge UCSD to work with the City of San Diego and SANDAG to create safe, protected micromobility routes for all ages and abilities to all destinations within at least two miles of campus.
Let us reiterate that we strongly support ensuring the safety of all people traveling around campus. We believe this can be done in a non-punitive manner that creates and reinforces a welcoming environment for everyone to commute to and around campus via a range of alternative transportation modes. We look forward to working with you to achieve this vision.
Sincerely,
Michael Davidson, Assistant Professor, UC San Diego
Paul Jamason, IT Services, UC San Diego; Board Member, BikeSD
On behalf of BikeSD, an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit advocacy organization. Our mission: To establish San Diego as a world-class bicycling city and create a more livable urban community by promoting everyday riding and advocating for bicycling infrastructure. https://bikesd.org/
References
[1]: “Proposed Addition to UC San Diego Policy and Procedure Manual (PPM).” November 2019. UC San Diego. http://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/ppm/micromobility.html
[2]: Toole, Jennifer, & Bettina Zimny. “Transportation Planning Handbook, Ch. 16: Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities.” Federal Highway Administration, US Department of Transportation, Washington, DC. https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Transportation-Planning-Handbook-Bicycle-and-Pedestrian-Facilities.pdf
[3]: University Community Plan Update: Existing Conditions Summary. April 2018. City of San Diego. https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/final_university_cpu_ecr_report.pdf
[4]: Designing for All Ages & Abilities: Contextual Guidance for High-Comfort Bicycle Facilities. December 2017. National Association of City Transportation Officials. https://nacto.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/12/NACTO_Designing-for-All-Ages-Abilities.pdf
2020 National City Council Questionnaire - Marcus Bush
Candidate: Marcus Bush
1) What are your top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience for residents and families in National City?
My top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience for residents and families in National City are planning for and constructing more protected bike lanes, encouraging our schools to get students to bike (bike/walk to school day, installing more bike racks at schools, etc.), and overall promoting more of a bike culture in National City by hosting more events.
2) How do Vision Zero and Climate Goals (such as mode share targets) fit with your vision for National City?
Although National City has been consistently ranked as one of the most walkable cities in the County, it also has a high amount of pedestrian/cycling accidents with vehicles. Vision Zero goals will make it safer for people to walk and bike which in the long run will help achieve Climate goals for increasing mode share shift and reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled, which ultimately reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions. However, as a City, we also need to look at updating our Climate Action Plan with more stringent goals and targets, which could be modeled after the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan.
3) Transportation is the largest source of the San Diego region’s GHG emissions (55%). What steps will you take to meet regional air quality and GHG reduction goals are met or exceeded?
As a Councilmember in National City, I would work with the Mayor and Council on updating our Climate Action Plan with more stringent targets for mode share shift and VMT reduction. That process could take a year or 2 and in that time, we as a Council could also do more to overall encourage and promote the bike culture in National City, by hosting bike events in the City, having our staff and elected leadership be seen biking, work with the school districts on potential incentives and programs to encourage the students and faculty to bike to school more, and continuing the city’s engineering staff implementation on bike lanes throughout the City. As a Councilmember I would also support the efforts of our SANDAG Board Rep, Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and her advocacy at the SANDAG Board so that we can continue to get more funding for regional bike projects such as the Bayshore Bikeway, which still has segments that need to be completed.
4) Safe bike lanes often face opposition due to slower road speeds or reduced street parking. How would you work with the community to address concerns without compromising safety or delaying bike infrastructure in the name of consensus?
I would work with the community early on in the process, using the community-based outreach model I used while working for Council President Georgette Gómez’s office to approve the Orange Avenue Bikeway. We did that by reaching out to schools, and community-based organizations to educate residents and rally support. Parents who wanted safety for their kids were a key priority and we were able to overcome neighborhood opposition by turning out supporters and focusing on safety for families over parking spaces for vehicles.
5) Please share a memorable experience you have of bicycling.
My most memorable biking experience was my bike-camping trip with Nicole Burgess, Georgette Gómez, her partner, and Nicole’s friend to Crystal Cove State Park just before New Year’s in 2018. It was truly a multi-modal experience, where we took the train from Santa Fe Depot to Irvine, rode our bikes to Newport and along the coast, then hiking up the mountains to our campsite.
2020 City Council Questionnaire - District 7: McIntyre, Wheatcroft
Candidate: Monty A. McIntyre
1) What are your top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience in District 7 for residents and families?
1. Maintain bike lanes so they are free of potholes, ruts or significant cracks.
2. Coordinate restriping when streets are resurfaced.
3. Support the continuing construction of proposed bike lanes.
2) San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan needs updating and projects need prioritizing in order to create a complete bicycle network. A large number of street resurfacing projects need to be re striped with bicycle infrastructure. How would you propose to fund the full build-out of the bicycle network needed to achieve the Vision Zero goals and meet the Climate Action Plan mode share targets?
We need to make the project approval process more predictable, faster and customer-friendly.
We will need to find new revenue sources to build-out the bicycle network.
3) Transportation is the largest source of San Diego’s greenhouse gas emissions (55%). The City’s Climate Action Plan bicycle mode share goals are 6% of commuter trips by 2020 and 18% by 2035, from about 1% today. What steps will you take to make sure these goals are met or exceeded?
We need to creatively look for ways to incentivize people to move to neighborhoods where they can work, work at home, or work at a place close to their home that they can bike to.
4) Safe bike lanes often face opposition due to slower road speeds or reduced street parking. How would you work with the community to address concerns without compromising safety or delaying bike infrastructure in the name of consensus?
We need to educate our citizens about the benefits of bike lanes and using bikes for transportation as an alternative to cars. Also, we need to make the project approval process more predictable, faster and customer-friendly, while ensuring all impacted residents have an opportunity to be heard.
5) Please share a memorable experience(s) you have of bicycling.
When I was in college, a firefighter friend named Ken, who rode his bike to work every day, suggested that we go on a bike ride from where I lived near Avocado Boulevard in La Mesa to Auga Caliente Hot Springs. Thinking I was in great shape because I exercised and ran regularly, I agreed. I rode my bike a little to get ready, but not regularly like Ken did. I had no idea, however, what I was getting myself into!
One weekend morning we made the ride. We rode from La Mesa up to Julian. There were many times going up the mountain to Julian that I had to stop and rest. I wondered if I would ever make it. I hung in there, Ken was patient with me, and we ultimately made it to Julian. We then rode full speed down Banner Grade to get to Auga Caliente Hot Springs. That was a blast! I don’t think I’ve ever gone so fast on a bike! By the time we made it to Auga Caliente Hot Springs I was exhausted. We enjoyed camping there for the weekend, but we decided to put our bikes in the truck and enjoy the drive home when we returned to San Diego!
Candidate: Wendy Wheatcroft (ENDORSED BY BIKESD)
1) What are your top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience in District 7 for residents and families?
- Expanding Vision Zero street, sidewalk, and intersection safety surveys to include and emphasize safety improvements at the network-scale, to create Vision Zero Neighborhoods.
- Coordinating the City of San Diego, San Diego Unified School District, and MTS to create an enhanced Safe Routes to School vision.
- Implementing a “Twenty is Plenty” campaign, while improving the built environment with significant traffic calming, to slow and divert traffic from neighborhood streets, and promoting travel-alternatives to cars, which are the number-one danger to bicyclists.
2) San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan needs updating and projects need prioritizing in order to create a complete bicycle network. A large number of street resurfacing projects need to be restriped with bicycle infrastructure. How would you propose to fund the full build-out of the bicycle network needed to achieve the Vision Zero goals and meet the Climate Action Plan mode share targets?
- Repeal the People’s Ordinance. An approximately $50 million influx to the City general fund would present fresh bonding opportunity to create sustainable, long-term infrastructure for current and future generations.
- Street infrastructure revenue from increasing the Transient Occupancy Tax should be directed first to improving the material condition of streets that also are identified for new cycling facilities in the Bicycle Master Plan.
- Future state and federal transit revenue assistance looks likely to come with strings attached related to increasing housing. Master planning neighborhoods must include Complete Streets requirements that ensure a transit station/bicycling infrastructure “hub and spoke” make-up at community scale as a community benefit.
3) Transportation is the largest source of San Diego’s greenhouse gas emissions (55%). The City’s Climate Action Plan bicycle mode share goals are 6% of commuter trips by 2020 and 18% by 2035, from about 1% today. What steps will you take to make sure these goals are met or exceeded?
- Implementing my previously listed top three priorities to unlock the latent demand for active transportation.
- Lobby to ensure SANDAG’s “5 Big Moves” once and for all includes the full funding and implementation of the SANDAG Regional Bike Plan Early Action Program.
- Reconstitute and fund the Civic Innovation Lab in the Mayor’s office to identify pedestrian thoroughfare, plaza, and cycling superblock opportunities to promote active transportation.
- Create and incentivize active transportation, not just through the built environment, but in a civic credit program for reduced fare access to MTS, Balboa Park museums, the San Diego Zoo, and other institutions throughout the city.
4) Safe bike lanes often face opposition due to slower road speeds or reduced street parking. How would you work with the community to address concerns without compromising safety or delaying bike infrastructure in the name of consensus?
- First, reducing roads speeds to improve safety is foundational to better neighborhoods and business districts. I will say so explicitly over and over again. It’s a feature, not a bug of what these projects are trying to do.
- We must educate the public, not just on outreach as it pertains to what we want to do here, but what has been successful at improving the quality of life in other cities. Education is the most effective tool for changing hearts and minds. Our city needs to meet our Climate Action goals, and part of that relies on making bicycling safer for our residents. The safety of the community comes before the ability to drive to your destination 30-seconds faster.
- It will be important to present proposed changes that may inconvenience residents and solutions to the above-named objections at that same time, early in the process, and build consensus across all stakeholders.
5) Please share a memorable experience(s) you have of bicycling.
I love renting bikes and riding in other cities. Most recently, I took a night time bike tour of Washington, DC, this summer while I was there for a conference. It was incredible to have such a different perspective of all the monuments. I also love a good bike ride on a warm summer night.
A couple of years ago when I took my oldest daughter to San Francisco for her 6th grade trip, we rented bikes one day and rode around the entire city. The end goal was to ride over the Golden Gate Bridge, but by the time we got to the bridge, we were so exhausted from riding all day long that we could not continue. However, we saw more of the city that I had seen in an entire lifetime. Even though she complained most of the way, she still talks about it and how much fun we had. The bridge will be for another trip!
My family loves riding bikes and I know many others do too. I am fully committed to improving bike routes across San Diego.
2020 City Council Questionnaire - District 5: von Wilpert, Wang
Candidate: Marni von Wilpert —
1) What are your top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience in District 5 for residents and families?
My top 3 priorities to improve the biking experience are (1) building upon the existing infrastructure to increase the amount of dedicated and protected bike lanes, (2) ensuring that our transit hubs have adequate space for bike storage so people can take their bikes to transit centers, and (3) promoting biking as a mode of transportation in addition to a recreational activity.
2) San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan needs updating and projects need prioritizing in order to create a complete bicycle network. A large number of street resurfacing projects need to be restriped with bicycle infrastructure. How would you propose to fund the full build-out of the bicycle network needed to achieve the Vision Zero goals and meet the Climate Action Plan mode share targets?
I view the bicycle network as a key part of our City’s infrastructure. As a deputy city attorney, I see lawsuits every day that cost our City much more to repair our broken infrastructure than had we invested in the front to properly maintain our streets, sidewalks, and storm drains. When I’m elected, I will prioritize fixing our most vulnerable infrastructure problems first that could subject the City to the greatest liability, so that we save money on unnecessary lawsuits that we can invest in important priorities such as the bicycle network in our City.
3) Transportation is the largest source of San Diego’s greenhouse gas emissions (55%). The City’s Climate Action Plan bicycle mode share goals are 6% of commuter trips by 2020 and 18% by 2035, from about 1% today. What steps will you take to make sure these goals are met or exceeded?
Making sure the City meets its Climate Action Plan goals is one of the main reasons I am running for office. I take the 110 Express Bus to work from Scripps Ranch to downtown, and I see how we can improve service and accessibility for commuters. I will prioritize making sure our City has a world class transportation system, to get cars and trucks off the road and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
4) Safe bike lanes often face opposition due to slower road speeds or reduced street parking. How would you work with the community to address concerns without compromising safety or delaying bike infrastructure in the name of consensus?
In many instances, street parking does not need to be reduced to accommodate a protected bike lane, which is a great win-win for motorists and cyclists alike. One of my important campaign priorities is ensuring that people have options for transportation, and that we meet our environmental protection goals. I will work to help educate the community about the importance of alternate transportation options
5) Please share a memorable experience(s) you have of bicycling.
I first learned to ride a bike at Miramar Lake in Scripps Ranch where I grew up. I biked all throughout college at UC Berkeley as my primary mode of transportation, and I didn’t even own a car then. When I worked in Congress in Washington D.C., I commuted on a bike every day using the Capital Bike Share bikes located throughout the district. I highly value biking as a favorite recreational activity, mode of transportation, and just plain fun!
Candidate: Isaac Wang
What are your top 3 priorities for improving the biking experience in District 5 for residents and families?
1. Mobility hubs connected by bus-only lanes (Biking serves as the last mile solution in a sprawled district)
I do believe biking should be the dominant mode of transportation to solve the last mile problem for transit stations (mobility hubs). Given the location of District 5 and it’s distance from our major job centers (La Jolla, Kearny Mesa, and Downtown), I don’t believe biking can be the near term solution for travel to jobs.
I’ll discuss bike superhighways in point #2. But I do think we can reduce most of the 5-10 minute trips (local services, parks, libraries) by switching to bike.
We should be creating Class IV separated bikeways in the minor arterials and collector roads (Class III and Class IV road classifications). Doing this would make traveling to transit stations much more feasible by bike. We also need to ensure bike storage at all transit stations.
With that being said, City Council makes decisions for entire city, not just their own district.
In denser districts like 3 + 9 + 7, we should take away lanes from cars and create much more extensive networks of Class IV bikeways in the arterials and collectors and even the neighborhood roads.
I will unequivocally vote yes on any protected bike lane or separated bikeway, even if it makes the city council member in that respective district unhappy. Don’t expect an urbanist in a blue city council district. Not everyone gets it.
2. Bike Superhighways (aka Bike Freeways)
I believe we need bike superhighways as a major transit priority and in the pipeline of projects.
We’re aware of how long these projects can take, and how terrible CalTrans is.
These projects needed to have been in the pipeline 20 years ago, but here we are.
I’m going to aggressively push for Bike Superhighways like no previous Councilmember ever has.
This doesn’t need any road widening! We need to take lanes away from cars, reallocate them to bicycles, and create physical separators.
These super highways need to connect both mobility hubs + dense residential areas to dense job centers.
In my ideal configuration, bike superhighways (if using highway lanes reallocated from cars) ought to be buffered by a physical barrier and a bus-only lane. Get me as far away from a car as possible.
||||| Travel Lanes ||||| Bus-only Lane ||||| Bike Superhighway |||||
Exit lanes might be a little tricky, but we’d need some bike traffic lights and use of shoulders.
There’s additional places where I’d like to see a ban on cars and a comprehensive bikeway network: Gaslamp, Little Italy, Park Blvd, Liberty Station, Point Loma
3. Creating disincentives for driving
Contrary to many elected officials and candidates who are cautious with their language to not upset drivers, I do believe we need a war on cars.
I’m very vocal about the war on cars. If we don’t reduce GHG emissions, our planet is going to suffer catastrophic consequences. This is scientific consensus.
We need to ensure there is no more free parking. We need congestion pricing. We need to reduce lanes. We need to aggressively shrink the footprint of cement in our cities.
We need an aggressive policy to convert parking lots and roads into something else. I believe the term is “Street Vacations”.
Question 2: San Diego’s Bicycle Master Plan needs updating and projects need prioritizing in order to create a complete bicycle network. A large number of street resurfacing projects need to be restriped with bicycle infrastructure. How would you propose to fund the full build-out of the bicycle network needed to achieve the Vision Zero goals and meet the Climate Action Plan mode share targets?
Answer: Any way possible
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
If we can find hundreds of millions for a stadium or convention center, we can find a way for anything.
It’s rarely a matter of not enough money, it’s a matter of priorities.
If I can re-divert funds from car infrastructure, I will.
If I have to use money from capital improvement funds.
If I have use money from the gas tax, I will.
If I have to raise taxes through a ballot measure, I will.
If I have to sell lottery tickets to create funds for bicycle infrastructure, I will.
Question 3: Transportation is the largest source of San Diego’s greenhouse gas emissions (55%). The City’s Climate Action Plan bicycle mode share goals are 6% of commuter trips by 2020 and 18% by 2035, from about 1% today. What steps will you take to make sure these goals are met or exceeded?
I think those goals are terrible and underwhelming.
The city with the best weather ought to have 25% cycling within 10 years, and 50% within 20 years.
This is doable, but you have to DESIGN for it and fight for it. I outlined in my top 3 priorities how to do it.
I think every city council staff needs an urban planner / designer on the team.
If you really wanted to increase mode-share, you have to create disincentives for driving as I mentioned in #3 above.
Every able-bodied City or County employee should be required to commute by transit or bike or walking. Or get rid of parking garages for city and county.
That will dramatically increase the sense of urgency to improve infrastructure for cycling and bus.
I will aggressively push for disincentives for driving. And I KNOW you know I will.
4) Safe bike lanes often face opposition due to slower road speeds or reduced street parking. How would you work with the community to address concerns without compromising safety or delaying bike infrastructure in the name of consensus?
We can significantly increase parking in a neighborhood by using angled parking instead of parallel. It gets a road diet in there and automatically serves as a traffic calming measure.
Slower road speeds is the point. I want it slower, because cars kill 30,000 people a year.
If they complain about a loss of parking, pair it with enough angled parking in nearby streets to compensate. If you have to walk a little, deal with it.
We may have to add some drop off zones for disabled folks; that’s always a legitimate concern.
But if you’re able bodied and can walk, you get zero sympathy from me.
Question 5: Please share a memorable experience(s) you have of bicycling.
Vienna, Austria
I rode down a mountain and cycled along a river surrounded by restaurants and public orchestras and people enjoying public spaces.
Do I want America to look like Europe? Hell yes.
There is nothing edifying about designing our cities for cars and having our cities look like cement jungles with gigantic billboards and strip malls.
Cities are best enjoyed and explored by bike. You can see much more than walking, but not have to be in a stupid car.
Urban design is key to all of this. Support a city council member who gets it.