Transforming Hillcrest: A Video Explanation of the Uptown Bike Corridor

One of BikeSD's members and a local owner of several UPS stores, Dennis Stein, was having trouble understanding the full picture of what happened around the SANDAG vote to kill protected bike lanes on University Avenue this past June. So he decided to make a short video about the entire project's history and you can view that video here (embedded below):

The Uptown Bike Project was the first project that was part of the Early Action Plan within SANDAG's Regional Transportation Plan.The total funding allocated to the project was $40 million. Per SANDAG, the "project’s 12 miles of on-street bikeways are within the City of San Diego’s urban core communities of Uptown (Five Points, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, and Bankers Hill neighborhoods), Old Town, Mission Valley, Downtown, North Park, and Balboa Park".

The goals of the Uptown Bike Project were:

1.Mobility: Increase choices; connect communities
2.Experience: Improve travel safety for everyone, and create an exceptional biking experience
3.Community: Build on and support related community initiatives
4.Placemaking: Enhance community identity and public spaces
5.Economic Development: Improve public infrastructure and strengthen opportunities for community and business development

I've created a visual to show you the five corridors below. The red highlighted segments visually show the elevation one must climb to get up to the Central Mesa. This elevation is a challenge for most people. As you can see, most of the corridors already have painted bike lanes along with low vehicle traffic counts, with University Avenue being a glaring exception. University Avenue is the most deadly corridor as identified by Circulate San Diego's analysis for Vision Zero, a plan to eliminate all serious injuries and traffic fatalities within a decade in the city of San Diego.

After the Uptown Corridor is implemented (construction is scheduled to begin in 2017), University Avenue will get three blocks worth of protected bike lanes which will thus fail the goals identified by SANDAG above: including connecting communities and improve safety for everyone.

Hillcrest Business Association has retained their lobbyist to fight against possible protected bike lane implementation on 4th and 5th Avenue. The current painted buffered bike lanes is already being sued by former Uptown Planners head, Leo Wilson.
Screenshot from 2015-09-23 14:25:37

As the Stein's video alludes above, Level of Service, or the practice of prioritizing vehicle traffic throughput to the exclusion and detriment of all other travel modes killed the Uptown Bikeway Corridor on University Avenue. If you recall, our own Planning Commission identified a need to deprioritize Level of Service. And given the approximately 13% of Uptown residents who live without a vehicle (let alone the thousands that get by with one vehicle or want to live without a vehicle), their own voices are not being heard or acknowledged in this public process of where and how projects get funded and implemented.

Here is another point to chew on: below is a visual of the car-free residents in Uptown taken from the Census. The source is via Better Institutions. You can view the entire country's car-free status here.

Screenshot from 2015-09-23 15:42:03

 

In his email to all the people he spoke with about the video, Stein wrote the following:

A few months ago I was looking for an interesting project to make a video about to practice my video making skills.  The Uptown Bikeways project keep popping up.  In mid-July started interviewing people who had been involved in the process.
My goal from the beginning was to tell a balanced, objective story.  (If I didn't do this, please let me know.)  I was concerned that I might make a video skewed in favor of the bike community since a lot of them are my friends.  However, I also relate to the business owners as I own a retail business.
I was surprised as I started getting into the interviews how the conflict between the bike community and the business community was real in its early stages, but that there was a lot of agreement between both groups later on over Transform Hillcrest.  I was also surprised at how Todd Gloria, who both represents Hillcrest and is the chairman of the SANDAG transpiration committee, didn't get more involved in April and May to advocate for the Transform Hillcrest plan that the community was rallying around.  The story turned from one pitting bike advocates against businesses to one pitting the community against city and SANDAG leadership.  SANDAG is obliged to do what the transportation committee directs it to, so that mean Gary Gallegos did not kill Transform Hillcrest, but that it was the board of the transportation committee led by Todd Gloria.  I felt that the results of this whole process was that Hillcrest missed out on a huge opportunity.
(By the way, these jabs at Todd are specific to this issue.  From what I've seen, he's a very effective, reasonable, and hard working politician.  My understanding of this issue just leads me to a different conclusion than him on it.  I might make a pro-Todd Gloria video someday too about a different topic.)
My hope in releasing this video is that it will revive the conversation about what we want from our political leaders and about how we interact with them and the organizations they lead (SANDAG, City of SD).  I hope the video will put pressure on all parties to act in a way that is best for the community.
My hope is also to correct any errors that may be in this video.  Is there something big in it that you see in it that is incorrect or mis-leading?  Is there something glaringly missing from the video?  If we catch it quickly, I can do another edit before too many people see it.  (It takes hours to upload the video, so unless the change is very important, I may not make it.)  I'll probably also make some other versions of this video, like a trailer and a sub-5 minute version.
Send me any questions or comments you may have about the video.  It's been a fun project and I'm not looking for the next video to work on.  I've got some ideas and it will probably not have to do with a political issue next time!

Does the watering down of the project set a bad precedence for future bike projects around the region? Time will tell. Did the project destroy public trust in the process? Based on the emails and conversations I've had with our supporters since June, I can say: absolutely. Can you change things? Yes. The Hillcrest Business Association has vacancies on their board and a District 3 election is scheduled to happen in November 2016. You can play a role in changing institutions stuck on maintaining the status quo, and influencing future elections. More will be written about this in the upcoming months.


Throwback Thursday: Park(ing) Day

Tomorrow, Friday, is the third Friday of September which makes it Park(ing) Day. Three years ago, local urbanist, Howard Blackson made this happen:

parkingday2012
A makeshift Parklet created on Park(ing) Day in 2012. Photo: Dennis Stein.

Tomorrow, Downtown Partnership is planning on doing some events to celebrate Park(ing) Day at 4th and Market and 5th and Island. Stop by and check it out.

What is Park(ing) Day? It is a way to repurpose and re-imagine a metered parking spot for a few hours on a single day in September.

A metered parking spot is an inexpensive short-term lease for a plot of precious urban real estate. What is the range of possibilities for creativity in a space usually dedicated to the storage of a private vehicle?

The introduction to the Park(ing) Day manual begins as follows:

The vast majority of outdoor urban space is dedicated to the private vehicle, while only a fraction of that land is allocated to open space for people.

That range of repurposing the outdoor urban space is plentiful. By temporarily testing the range of possibilities, like on Park(ing) Day, we can demonstrate how much more we can do with our city's public spaces. For example, we can accommodate more commuters by converting curbside parking to bike lanes, we could put our roads on a diet and create parking protected bike lanes so that all road users can contribute toward a calming effect on our main streets instead of simply treating our main streets like speeding thoroughfares that are scary to walk or bike along. We can also repurpose vehicle parking spaces, our public spaces, into parklets that serve as gathering spaces for everyone instead of simply using curbside spaces as a storage spots for private vehicles.

Since that September back in 2012, San Diego has become home to two permanent parklets. The first one opened on August 2013 at Cafe Calabria, and the second by Mama's Lebanese last year, in September.

Repurposing curbside vehicle spots has also resulted in a handful of bike corrals, or bicycle parking spaces, such as on Adams Avenue by Cantina Mayahuel, in the College Area by Living Room Cafe, and another outside Modern Times Brewery at 30th and Upas.

But San Diego has so much further to go. The never ending demand for curbside parking defeated the louder demand for safe streets in Uptown earlier this year, and the city's desire to build a bypass bridge and a parking garage to facilitate even more vehicular traffic into the iconic Balboa Park, just got the green light from California's highest court.

I hope the photo above serves as an inspiration. Opening up public spaces for people, instead of vehicles, is a higher goal to aspire to. San Diego isn't ready to go there yet. But I hope it one day will be.


I-15 Bike Path Construction to Begin in Mid-December

Screenshot from 2015-09-14 15:31:31
the I-15 commuter bikeway is shown in grey

I just spoke with Caltrans Project Manager, Brooke Emery about the I-15 Commuter Bikeway (A multi-use, Class I path) as I was curious on when construction for the bike path would begin. Emery said that construction would begin in mid-December and will take 14 months to complete. The project hasn't been awarded yet.

What is the 1-15 Commuter Bikeway?
via SANDAG,

This Class I bikeway, which will be separated from vehicle traffic, will extend from Adams Avenue along a one-mile segment of northbound SR 15 to Camino Del Rio South. The facility will be 12-feet wide, paved, and striped to provide two-way travel. It will be separated from the freeway shoulder by a concrete barrier. There will be locations where wider paved sections will be provided to accommodate resting or passing bike riders. Lighting will be provided along the bikeway.

Today, if you want to ride from the Central Mesa to any point north (a major job center), and don't want to head west toward the coast before continuing north, your options are to go down either the Texas Street or the Fairmount Avenue - neither of which are streets that facilitate safe mobility, as drivers are expected to drive upwards of 45mph down both roads into Mission Valley, alongside bicycle riders. Riders are then expected to navigate past freeway merges before continuing north. The other option for a bicycle commuter is to take the Rapid bus, which has at most two bicycle racks.

But as SANDAG states in their Needs section,

"Currently, the only bike routes between Mid-City and Mission Valley are Fairmount Avenue, which has high-speed conflicts, and Texas Street, which has high-speed conflicts and a very steep, sustained grade. Neither route provides a convenient link for bicycle commuters between Mid-City and Mission Valley, and both routes result in several miles of additional travel.
The SR 15 Commuter Bikeway is rated a high priority project in the regional bike network established with the adoption of Riding to 2050, the San Diego Regional Bike Plan. This plan was adopted by the SANDAG Board of Directors in May 2010 and subsequently incorporated into the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (2050 RTP/SCS) in October 2011. The project also is included in the City of San Diego Bicycle Master Plan and the Mid-City Communities Plan."

Screenshot from 2015-09-14 15:08:46
visual from SANDAG

But besides the bike path, new transit only lanes are currently being constructed to offer Mid-City commuters another choice in commuting. Today, the Centerline stations and transit lanes construction on I-15 is currrently underway, more than three decades after the I-15 cut through the entire Mid-City community.

The two-year Centerline project will build new station platforms, as well as dedicated bus transit lanes, within the State Route 15 median from just north of Interstate 805 to just north of Interstate 8.

A lot of advocacy for the bikeway and for the Centerline bus project is because of Randy Van Vleck who works at the City Heights Community Development Corporation (and is a founding BikeSD member). I remember discussions in 2012 with Caltrans representatives who balked at the idea of installing lighting along the I-15 bikeway. I'm not sure why Caltrans expected everyone to ride in the dark but it is because of Randy's persistence that the facility design has been upgraded to include things like lighting. Thanks Randy!

For my part, I know I'm not alone in wishing that these projects can't come soon enough.


What to Do When You're a Victim of Road Rage?

Screenshot from 2015-08-27 15:13:59
Blood on handlebars. Photo via screenshot.

Before I get to answering the question in the title of this post, I wanted to write about a road rage incident that was reported this past Tuesday by Channel 10 News (KGTV).

On Tuesday night, a local rider was hit from behind while riding with eight friends on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights. To the Channel 10 reporter that covered the story, those friends were a "mob," immediately casting negative judgement on the riders. Angie Schmitt also recapped the incident on Streetsblog. Here is an excerpt:

A cyclist in San Diego was hit by a driver and managed to avoid more serious injury by jumping off his bike. Prior to the incident, the motorist had been honking repeatedly at the group the victim was riding with, according to this report from KGTV San Diego.

Although she struck a person, dragged his bike for blocks, and only stopped when confronted by the victims’ friends, the driver will receive no ticket and face no criminal charges. In fact, one of the friends who chased the driver down may be charged with a misdemeanor for banging on her window and breaking it. In KGTV’s telling, that makes the cyclists a “mob” and the whole incident “a tussle” between them and the driver.

I met with two of the victims last night to listen to their side of the story and connect them with a local attorney. Channel 10 placed the blame squarely on the group of friends who were riding home after spending the evening at the Velodrome. And while it's fair to say nobody should resort to physical attacks - against a person, or the machine at their control - it's also understandable that it can be a challenge to respond calmly and rationally when one is being threatened by a driver. Whether that was the right thing to do, however, should have no bearing on how the SDPD and the District Attorney choose to proceed with the case.

Riding a bicycle is fun, healthy, and a great way to experience our city. But without a dedicated and protected bike lane network, the inherent sense of ownership of space over our roadways rests solely with the driving public - despite well-meaning public safety pleas to "share the road." As the reporter in the video states, the riders were attacked on Adams Avenue—a road with no bike lane. However, Adams Avenue does have "sharrow" markings on the road. Riders are thus expected to ride in a manner that makes them visible, as well as, far away from parked cars so that distracted drivers don't inadvertently open a door and hit them (in the "door zone"). Adams Avenue, with its current design, creates conditions that are ripe for road rage conflicts between drivers and bicycle riders.

If you're new to the site, you may be wondering, "What are sharrows?" Here is the explanation from the city's own Transportation Department:

sharrowShared lane pavement markings (or "sharrows") are bicycle symbols carefully placed to guide bicyclists to the best place to ride on the road, avoid car doors and remind drivers to share the road with cyclists. Unlike bicycle lanes, sharrows do not designate a particular part of the street for the exclusive use of bicyclists. They are simply a marking to guide bicyclists to the best place to ride and help motorists expect to see and share the lane with bicyclists.

What do sharrows mean for motorists and bicyclists?

Motorists

  • Expect to see bicyclists on the street
  • Remember to give bicyclists three feet of space when passing
  • Follow the rules of the road as if there were no sharrows

Bicyclists

  • Use the sharrow to guide where you ride within the lane
  • Remember not to ride too close to parked cars
  • Follow the rules of the road as if there were no sharrows

In other words, bicycle riders are legally allowed to take the lane on a road that is both too narrow to share side by side with a driver, and lacks dedicated and connected bike lanes free of debris. Drivers aren't suppose to honk non-stop when they see a bicycle rider ahead of them (regardless of the presence of sharrows). And drivers, most certainly, should not use their vehicle as a weapon to hit a rider. Furthermore, California's Three Feet for Safety Act, is a law that requires drivers to give bicycle riders at least three feet of space before passing them.

I have reached out to the reporter who wrote the piece to talk about his writing of the incident, but I haven't heard back yet. I also followed up with the San Diego Police Department to ask about whether a police report was filed, since the intention of the driver was both to intimidate and injure. I haven't heard back from them either. I connected the riders, who were victims of the road rage incident, with a local attorney, a fellow cyclist, who has offered his services.

So what can you do if you're unlucky to encounter an angry driver on the street?

1. According to SDPD's Sergeant Flake, if you encounter a driver using their vehicle as a potential weapon (and to intimidate), please call 911 immediately. As he writes, "No one would have faulted the riders for calling 911 in this instance, as the driver was placing lives in danger."

2. Try to remain calm. I know it can be a challenge to assume the identity of a serene buddha when your life is in danger of being snuffed out by an enraged motorist, but try to remain calm. Try not to yell out curse words or flip the bird. Instead, let the driver's anger work against them and in the eyes of witnesses.

3. Describe to the 911 operator what is happening and get out of harm's way. Note details about the vehicle and the driver to use in your description. If you have a Go-Pro or other recording device, this is a good time to turn it on.

4. In the unfortunate case that you are struck by a vehicle, regardless of whether there are visible injuries, call 911 and file a police report. Try to get information (if possible with the help of a witness or an officer) about the driver so you can file a claim—either with the insurance provider or in a civil or criminal court against the driver. Try to be calm in stating your side of the incident. In general, after the SDPD completes their investigation, they forward the report to the District Attorney who then decides how to proceed. With Tuesday night's case, I hope that our DA refrains from charging the one bicycle rider with a misdemeanor for breaking a window and instead chooses to use public resources to address truly egregious road behaviors, such as using one's vehicle to intimidate and harm.

5. Once a police report is filed and you need help finding an attorney, please contact us.

6. Don't stop riding. While it may seem, at times, that the roads are filled with enraged drivers out to kill everyone on a bicycle, it is only a handful that really don't deserve the privilege or responsibility that comes with being able to drive. Take action if you encounter a bad apple, and get involved with us to make San Diego a better, safer city.


Foto Friday: Beach Side Bike Ride

San Diego is a beautiful city, but accessing its many resources is a challenge in part due to its many natural and man-made barriers. Part of the focus of the Beach Side Bike Ride was to showcase the route to the beach from the Old Town Transit Center. We wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to ride to the beach and have a great experience without the added stress of driving to the beach and looking for limited vehicle parking.

San Diego's many natural barriers for bicycling include our many urban canyons, rivers and creeks, and our mesas and valleys. The man-made barriers include our ever-expanding freeways that empty high speed vehicle traffic onto our neighborhood streets. Building a world-class bicycling city means we will eventually have a truly connected and accessible city. I hope that the Beach Side Bike Ride showcased how easy and accessible the beach was, at least from Old Town, and the work that needs to be done to make riding to the beach normal and safe for everyone. I hope you consider repeating the ride on your own and with friends, and then patronizing the many local businesses both in Old Town and in our many beach communities.

Below are a few photos taken on the day of the ride. You may view all of them on our flickr page.

Beach Side Bike Ride - 2015

Beach Side Bike Ride - 2015

Beach Side Bike Ride - 2015

Photo by Brooklyn Bicycles
Photo by Brooklyn Bicycles

Beach Side Bike Ride - 2015

Beach Side Bike Ride - 2015

A final photo: three vehicle parking spots can park 100 bicycles owned by 100 hungry bicycle owners.

IMG_4579

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Thanks to the hundreds of you that showed up to ride earlier this month to participate in the inaugural Beach Side Bike Ride. Much thanks to Casa de Reyes for being incredible hosts and providing a great space for people to mingle and dine. Thank you to BikeSD member Bill Lusk for recommending Old Town be the start of the ride. Thank you to all our volunteers, including Charlie Sears from The Awarewolfs for being the event photographer, and to our ride and registration volunteers for making this such a great event: Erik, Heather, Patti, Brent, Omar, Andy, Lisi, Kristin, Jay, Sharon, Aire, and Paul.