El Cajon Boulevard Gets (More) Bike Lanes

March 20, 2015

First bike lanes on El Cajon Boulevard. Striped in December 2014. Photo: John Anderson

Last December, El Cajon Boulevard got its first bike lanes striped between Idaho and Texas Streets – a mere four blocks. Today I learned from the city’s Traffic Engineers that El Cajon Boulevard is going to have more bike lanes striped between Georgia Street and Texas Street within the next few weeks. So now bicycle riders have a safer way and their own space to travel along the Boulevard for a bit longer than they used to. It’s a much welcome relief and safety measure from the current sharrows that exist on this six lane road that has historically only prioritized driver throughput.

Below is a map showing the current and soon-to-be-here bike lanes.

According to an analysis by Circulate San Diego, El Cajon Boulevard is the second deadliest street in the city (after University Avenue). According to traffic data by SANDAG, an average of 25,000 vehicles travel along El Cajon Boulevard every day.

Everyone wants El Cajon Boulevard to be safer. How much longer does everyone have to wait? Photo: Randy Armenta

What if we could shift just a small fraction of those 25,000 vehicle trips to walking, bicycling and transit? What exactly are the barriers on El Cajon Boulevard?

At last month’s Bike the Boulevard ride, BikeSD had a pop-up station on the El Cajon Bridge Deck over the I-15. Over eighty individuals showed up to weigh in on the current state of El Cajon Boulevard and propose solutions for a safer passage. This was right on the heels of the Boulevard’s first bike lanes that was striped in December.

What do people want on El Cajon Boulevard? Protected bike lanes, a road diet, bike parking racks, shade and dance parties on the bridge deck.

As you can see, people had a lot of great ideas for a safer El Cajon Boulevard. Facilitating bicycle travel for people who can’t or don’t want to drive would be a great way to do so. And I’m glad to see the slow progress along this critical corridor.

Can we do better? Absolutely, but for that you have to get involved. Join the Complete the Boulevard campaign to ensure that the Boulevard becomes a safe corridor for everyone and a thriving destination that is a joy to ride along.