Recent Update on Uptown Bikeway Project

We partnered with Circulate San Diego, BikeSD, and Climate Action Campaign to take a stand against SANDAG's recent actions on the Regional Uptown Bikeway Project. The current condition of the proposed alignment on University is unsafe and needs to be addressed. We are continuing to advocate as this project, as it is vital to the community and an arterial corridor that must provide safer access to people that ride.

Below is the letter we drafted with our partners. We were given the opportunity to speak on behalf of people who ride yesterday in a meeting at SANDAG. We are advocating for you and for safer bicycling. More information about the Uptown Bikeways Project

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June 23, 2015

SANDAG

Transportation Committee, Honorable Chair Todd Gloria

401 B Street, Suite 800

San Diego, CA 92101

RE: Uptown Bikeway Project

Chair Gloria and Transportation Committee Members:

Since the June 5th meeting of the Transportation Committee, information has been brought forward through the media regarding the Regional Uptown Bikeway project.  We are concerned to hear about the reported meetings that were held with leadership of the Hillcrest Business Association, their contracted lobbying consultant (California Strategies) and SANDAG leadership prior to the staff recommendation that was released for the "Constrained Option”.  At no time were members of the community who supported SANDAG’s original design concept for the project invited to participate in these discussions and we believe the planning process during these pre-meeting negotiations was flawed.

On behalf of those signed below, we are requesting that the Transportation Committee reconsider their action taken on June 5th to allow for additional public input to be considered on the project.  In addition, we feel there was agreement on several elements of the Transforming Hillcrest plan that can be included into an alternative that would be supported by a vast majority of all stakeholders. We are very concerned for the unsafe and potentially liable position that SANDAG or the City may be placed in as a result of Committee’s action at the meeting to only provide the protected bikeway on a portion of University Avenue. We only hope to find a solution that will avoid this unsafe “gap” in the bikeway.

We respectfully request SANDAG to continue to work with all stakeholders and present design alternatives that will accomplish what they originally set out to do; increase safety, increase mobility and bicycle ridership, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and increase economic and place making opportunities throughout the corridor.

Our ultimate goal is to not stop or hinder the progress of the project but rather continue to find the best possible design alternative that will accomplish the goals for safety and increased bicycle ridership through an adequate, transparent public process. 

Finally, we welcome the opportunity to meet with you and representatives from SANDAG so that you can have a better understanding of our concerns and more importantly, hear our ideas for moving forward which is a goal we all collectively share.  We will reach out to you soon request a meeting.  We appreciate the continued effort that SANDAG is putting into this incredibly important regional transportation project.

Sincerely,

Andy Hanshaw

Executive Director, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition

Samantha Ollinger

Executive Director, Bike SD

Nicole Capretz, Executive Director

Climate Action Campaign

Jim Stone, Executive Director

Circulate San Diego

Cc:           Gary Gallegos, Executive Director, SANDAG

                  Charles “Muggs” Stoll, Director of Land Use and Transportation Planning, SANDAG