The next meeting of BikeWalkSolana, the Solana Beach Active Transportation Committee, will be held on Monday, January 4, 2021, 5pm on Zoom. For an invitation please email [email protected]
Agenda:
- Updates from the City
- Shared Streets SANDAG 2.0
Any of the 18 incorporated cities or the County of San Diego are invited to apply for up to $5,000 to help implement temporary Shared Streets pilot projects in support of Bike Month 2021 in May. These jurisdictions may partner with other groups (e.g., non-profit, advocacy, community-based organizations) to implement the pilot. For every pilot awarded funding, an additional $1,000 will be allocated for a travel behavior and pilot impact assessment to be carried out by SANDAG in partnership with UC San Diego.
Applications must be received between December 4, 2020 and March 5, 2021 but will be processed and approved on a first-come, first served basis until all available funding is exhausted. Funding may be used to either extend the life of an existing Shared Streets 1.0 pilot, if it meets 2.0 program eligibility requirements, or create a new shared streets segment(s). Projects must be implemented between May 1, 2021 and June 27, 2021 and must be open to the public for a minimum of four weeks.
- Agenda ideas for 2021
Some recaps from the year past:
CalBike’s Best and Worst of 2020
StreetsBlogUSA Goodbye to 2020
Meeting Notes: (by Jill Cooper)
Those attending the January 4 Zoom meeting included Douglas Alden, Kristin Haukom, Shawna McGarry, Kristine Schindler, Dan Goldberg, Karl Rudnick, Jill Cooper.
Dan Goldberg, City of Solana Beach update:
The Lomas Santa Fe Corridor Improvement Project is progressing, but as the April 4, 2021 deadline with SANDAG approaches, it’s possible that the City may need to ask for a grant extension. Members of the City Staff had a preliminary meeting with representatives of the San Dieguito School District and the Seaweeders Garden Club of Solana Beach to discuss the proposed pocket park at the southwest corner of Lomas Santa Fe and Stevens on the Earl Warren campus.
BWS members asked Dan to expedite re-striping of the bike lane to the east of the freeway on Lomas Santa Fe and also on Highway 101 for cyclist and motorist safety.
Proposed Hwy 101 pedestrian crossing
There is a need for a safe pedestrian crossing between the east side of Highway 101 (Harbaugh Trails side) to the beach on the west side. Possible solutions include a bridge over, a tunnel under, or a crosswalk with on demand signals for pedestrians. BikeWalkSolana members will work with the City to try to find a solution for a dangerous area.
SANDAG Shared Streets 2.0
[Background information: Any of the 18 incorporated cities or the County of San Diego are invited to apply for up to $5,000 to help implement temporary Shared Streets pilot projects in support of
Bike Month 2021 in May. These jurisdictions may partner with other groups (e.g., non-profit, advocacy, community-based organizations) to implement the pilot. For every pilot awarded funding, an additional $1,000 will be allocated for a travel behavior and pilot impact assessment to be carried out by SANDAG in partnership with UC San Diego.
Applications must be received between December 4, 2020 and March 5, 2021 but will be processed and approved on a first-come, first served basis until all available funding is exhausted. Funding may be used to either extend the life of an existing Shared Streets 1.0 pilot, if it meets 2.0 program eligibility requirements, or create a new shared streets segment(s). Projects must be implemented between May 1, 2021 and June 27, 2021 and must be open to the public for a minimum of four weeks.]
We discussed the possibility of a Shared Streets plan for Cedros Avenue. On Cedros, there are currently 2 lanes with 2 way traffic: a southbound lane and a northbound lane. Our Shared Streets vision would change the current southbound lane to a one way lane for car traffic going south. The current northbound lane would become a lane dedicated to 2 way pedestrian and bicycle traffic. We understand that some business owners might object to fewer parking spaces, but there are studies showing that limiting car traffic and encouraging slower ped and bike traffic in fact benefits businesses.
Agenda Ideas for 2021
- Tour of Solana Beach post-COVID—early summer?
- Explore idea of a virtual joy ride using the San Diego Bike Coalition’s Holiday Joy Ride as a model
- Lomas Santa Fe Corridor Improvement Project plans to be presented to City Council again
- SANDAG Shared Streets 2.0 — Cedros Avenue
- Bike-In Movie—grant money is waiting
- Highway 101 pedestrian crossing—finding a safer solution
- Work with Harbaugh Trails and the Nature Collective across the lagoon to allow safe and courteous bike access. Karl agreed to call Doug Gibson at the Nature Collective to discuss, a held over action item from our previous meeting.
- Request City Council support to buy and install League of American Bicyclists “Bicycle Friendly Community” signs
- Electric bike education for families
New Business
Kristine shared the book Potholes, Parks, and Politics: A Guide to Getting Things Done Locally (without Having to Run for Office Yourself) by Lisa Robock Shaffer. Ms. Shaffer will speak at the BikeWalkEncinitas Zoom meeting on January 26. Also shared by Kristine: She is working on a City of Kindness mural installation for our city and applying for a Safe Routes to Parks grant.
Our next BikeWalk Solana meeting will be on Monday, February 1.
