Advocates Demand Safer Bicycle Facilities

Action Item: Send a Letter to Demand Immediate Improvements to the Bicycle Network in Response to the Increasing Frequency of Preventable Deaths

Action Item: Join BikeSD and seven partner organizations in demanding immediate improvements to the bicycle network in response to the increasing frequency of preventable deaths; 25 miles of protected bike lanes per year

On Monday, July 26th, BikeSD, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, Climate Action Campaign, Circulate San DIego, and a number of other partner organizations held a Press Conference at Bird Park in North Park, close to where Laura Shinn was killed while biking to work, and demanded  that bike projects stop being delayed as well as the construction of 25 miles of protected bicycle lanes in the City of San Diego every year.

 

BikeSD and partner organizations also wrote a policy letter detailing these demands [PDF]. 

You can join us in demanding immediate improvements to the bicycle network in San DIego to prevent more serious injuries and deaths, achieve our Vision Zero goal of zero deaths by 2025, as well as address our Climate Action Plan’s modeshare goals of 18% of San Diegans getting around via bike or scooter in Transit Priority Areas, by sending a letter to Mayor Todd Gloria, SANDAG Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata, as well as your San Diego city councilmember (table available at the bottom of this page with their email).

Click here to send an email right now (Don't forget to add your city councilmember)

EVEN BETTER:
Write your own personal message to MayorToddGloria@sandiego.gov, hasan.ikhrata@sandag.org, as well as your city councilmember according to the table at the bottom of the page, and and please BCC: campaigns@bikesd.org. Modify this sample letter and copy/paste to your personal email app:

 

Mayor Todd Gloria, Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata, and City Councilmember ______,

I support the letter sent by eight community-based advocacy organizations demanding the immediate improvement of the bicycle network in San Diego in response to the recent wave of bike rider deaths. These deaths were completely avoidable and it would be unacceptable for us to maintain the status quo, which would only guarantee the continued loss of our neighbors, friends, and family members.

 

San Diego must quickly expand the rate in which it is building protected bicycle lanes and paths, expedite bikeways already in the pipeline such as those part of the SANDAG Early Action Plan, decrease speed limits on dangerous roads, and fully fund and finish the mobility action plan. San Diego must do these things in order to ensure that we meet our Vision Zero goals of zero traffic deaths by the year 2025, as well as our Climate Action Plan goals of 18 percent of trips being completed by bikes or scooters in transit priority areas.

Sincerely,

_____________

San Diego City Council Districts and Councilmembers

Council District Councilmember Councilmember Email
District 1 Joe LaCava JoeLaCava@sandiego.gov
District 2 Jennifer Campbell JenniferCampbell@sandiego.gov
District 3 Stephen Whitburn StephenWhitburn@sandiego.gov
District 4 Monica Montgomery-Steppe MMontgomerySteppe@sandiego.gov
District 5 Marni von Wilpert MarnivonWilpert@sandiego.gov
District 6 Chris Cate ChrisCate@sandiego.gov
District 7 Raul Campillo RaulCampillo@sandiego.gov
District 8 Vivian Moreno VivianMoreno@sandiego.gov
District 9 Sean Elo-Rivera SeanEloRivera@sandiego.gov

Use this map to find out which city council district you are in.


Rise Up Town 2021 Slate

BikeSD Endorses Rise Up Town Slate of Candidates for Uptown Planners Election

Rise Up Town 2021 Slate

The BikeSD board voted to endorse the Rise Up Town slate of candidates for the Uptown Planners election. Uptown Planners serves in an advisory role to the City of San Diego on topics related to land-use, development, and discretionary projects in the six neighborhoods of Uptown: Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Bankers Hill, University Heights (west of Park Blvd), Five Points/Middletown, and the Medical Complex.

The Rise Up Town platform states "The best way to support a thriving community is to make it easier to access by walking, busing, rolling, biking, and scootering. Our candidates bring stronger voices who favor more mobility options — and increasing the safety of everyone on our neighborhood streets. When people feel good about strolling or rolling through their neighborhood, they shop more, they meet up more, they do more. We want Uptown Planners to promote mobility and transit options for people who live in here because it makes Uptown a better place to live."

Several BikeSD volunteers have been involved with Rise Uptown in the past or on the current slate. We are confident in the slate's ability to make Uptown San Diego a more pleasant place to bike and scooter. Getting a Community Planning Group in Uptown that supports micromobility infrastructure is critical to making San Diego a more bike and scooter-friendly place, as recent history has shown.

If you live or own a business in Uptown, we strongly encourage you to vote in the Uptown Planners election on June 30th, July 5th, or July 6th. To find out how to do so, visit the Rise Up Town website or download their slate card (PDF).


Mourning the Loss of Swati Tyagi

Swati Tyagi with her son, Miransh. Source: San Diego Union-Tribune, originally provided by Tyagi's family.

We are very saddened by the loss of Dr. Swati Tyagi, PhD who was tragically killed this week when a driver struck her from behind while she was riding her bike southbound on North Torrey Pines road as it approaches La Jolla Village Drive.

Dr. Tyagi was a scientist at the Salk Institute, which issued a press release describing her as an accomplished scientist, who was recognized with the 2017 Salk Women & Science Special Award.

She left behind an 11 month old son and husband. BikeSD has reached out to Dr. Tyagi's husband to express our condolences.

The section in which Dr. Tyagi was killed contained an intermittent class II bike lane with no buffer, adjacent to a high-volume and high-speed road. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Bikeway Design guide, such a road should have a fully-protected bicycle lane or separate adjacent bike path.


Double Century for The Center

In celebration of Pride Month and National Bike Travel Weekend BikeSD board member Brer Marsh has decided to attempt the Ventura to San Diego Double Century. On Sunday the 6th at 5 a.m. he will start in Ventura and attempt to arrive in San Diego before midnight.    He attempted this ride a few years ago and fell short by 25 miles.   This weekend he will try again but as a fundraiser for one of Uptown’s most beloved institutions,  The San Diego LGBT Community Center.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center in Hillcrest makes sure every person feels and knows that they are welcomed, valued, and supported.  As a nexus of the Uptown LGBTQ community, each day they actively recommit to be a more vibrant, bold, innovative, safe, and modern Center than the day before.

The San Diego LGBT Community Center enhances and sustains the health & well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities to the betterment of our entire San Diego region.

All donations will go to The Center.

https://pledgeit.org/double-century-for-the-center

Please make a per mile pledge and help him reach his goal. You will also be able follow his journey using a LIVE location link.  Check in throughout the day to see how far he’s gone and watch our social media for updates.

It will be an epic ride and we would all love your support.

See the route:  https://www.strava.com/routes/…

 


2021 Ride of Silence

San Diego's annual Ride of Silence is a solemn group ride to honor those injured or killed while biking. This ride has reached a global scale that now takes place in over 20 countries on the third Wednesday in May, with thousands of people riding their bikes to remember, support each other, and heal collectively.

This ride is a no-drop yet silent group ride that is appropriate for all ages and abilities. During the ride, we will stop to lay flowers and observe a moment of silence at the sites of recent biking fatalities and honor those we have lost while spreading the message that people who bike represent precious lives.

While we may not know the names of everyone who was injured or killed on a bike or as a pedestrian last year, we are all deeply affected when we lose someone in our community.  Together, we will ride, remember, and reflect.

WEARING A MASK IS REQUIRED!

Meet up will be at the County Administration Building Fountain on Harbor Drive, facing the water. 

7:50 PM: Meet-up

8:10 PM: Roll-out

San Diego's Ride of Silence Ride should take around 2 hours

Register on EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-ride-of-silence-san-diego-tickets-155744310425

Map: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1553130?units=miles

Map of proposed Ride of Silence route for 2021.  Old town to Pacific Beach and back.