BikeWalkSolana Meeting (Zoom), October 2, 2023
The next meeting of BikeWalkSolana, the Solana Beach Active Transportation Committee, will be held on October 2, 2023, 5pm on Zoom. For an invitation, please email [email protected]
Agenda:
- Updates from the City
- Jimmy Durante – Via De La Valle – Valley Ave Bike Safety Discussion
- 2023 Walk & Roll to School Day
The 27th annual National Walk & Roll to School Day is Wednesday, October 12th. Walk & Roll to School Day is an annual event that involves communities from across the country (and globe!) walking and rolling to school on the same day. It began in 1997 as a one-day event. Today, thousands of schools across America participate every October. Over time, this celebration has become part of a movement for year-round safe routes to school. Join the movement!The Solana Beach PTA will be greeting all of the kids on Wednesday morning with flowers and other materials to make bouquets. Each kid will get one item, and then bring it to the main entrance area where they will place it in a vase for their teacher, and once all of the kids have rolled in we will bring the bouquets to the teachers. If anyone wants to lend a hand Wednesday morning from around 8-8:30 handing out flowers, we will be at both Skyline and Solana Vista schools. - California Clean Air Day
Clean Air Day is built on the idea that shared experiences unite people to take action and create new habits to improve air quality. Join the millions across the state that pledge each year, and commute by carpool, vanpool, transit, biking, or walking on October 4.
Take the Pledge
Meeting Notes by Jill Cooper
Those attending the Zoom meeting included Douglas Alden, Kristin Brinner, Jill Cooper, Paul Dickstein, Dan Goldberg, Howard LaGrange, Jon Luft, Shawna McGarry, Elaine Monaco, Karl Rudnick, Mo Sammak, Kristine Schindler.
Updates from the City
Construction on a city-wide pavement project to take place over 12 weeks has started.
- Highland Drive to Uno Verde: New pavement, raised medians, and striping including buffered bike lanes will make the street safer for all users. The raised medians will eventually contain drought friendly plants similar to the raised medians on San Andres adjacent to Highland.
- Acacia Street: This roadway currently has a very poor surface, and construction of brand-new pavement, new curbs, and striping will begin next week.
- Pothole repair: There are several large segments throughout the city that will receive a pavement overlay and a slurry seal.
Please contact Mo Sammak or Dan Goldberg at the City for resolution of any issues with pavement.
The COSB is moving forward to begin construction of the eastern section of the Lomas Santa Fe Improvement Corridor project, but it’s a lengthy process. Before the city can go out to bid for a construction company to do the job, it needs to receive funding obligated from CALTRANS. We don’t have that yet.
Dan is working on adjusting traffic signal times which allow pedestrians to begin crossing streets before motorists have a green light and also on improving the accuracy of magnetic wheel-activated loops on roadways.
Jimmy Durante – Via De La Valle – Valley Ave Bike Safety Discussion
Some parents are concerned about their children’s safety as they ride their e-bikes to schools accessed by Stevens Blvd in Solana Beach. It is difficult for cyclists to navigate a route going north from Jimmy Durante Blvd in Del Mar across Via de la Valle onto Stevens, as the 2 right lanes turn right onto Via de la Valle eastbound to the freeway. Jon has met with Dwight Worden and Clement Brown who directed him to present his concerns and suggestions for making the roadway safer for bikes to the Del Mar TPAC (Traffic and Parking Advisory Committee) in January. The hope is that Jon and TPAC would then present their plan to the Del Mar City Council in February when the city can amend its fiscal year budget and fund the proposed project. Jon’s proposal would be mostly for paint on the ground to direct northbound cyclists on Jimmy Durante approaching the intersection with Via de la Valle to a safe route and clarify to motorists that cyclists are sharing the roadway. BWS members discussed better routes for cyclists going to Earl Warren, Santa Fe Christian, or Skyline to take which might be slightly more mileage but lower stress. Kristine shared that the City of Encinitas is beginning to use green paint to create “crossbikes” (painted bike space adjacent to pedestrian crosswalk) near schools to separate pedestrians from cyclists for safer street crossings.
Upcoming Events
Clean Air Day organizers are working to entice more people to use public transit on October 4.
2023 Walk and Roll to School Day
BWS members Kristin Brinner, Haley Johnson, and Shawna McGarry will greet Skyline and Solana Vista students who are walking or rolling to school with flowers to place in their teachers’ vases on Wednesday, October 14.
City of Solana Beach Council Passes Resolution 2023-113 to adopt Ordinance 531 (cf. Item C.1. Report in packet)
Assistant City Manager Dan King and Assistant Katie Benson are overseeing the implementation of this ordinance which regulates bicycle use in Solana Beach, including allowing those charged with infractions to take a bike safety class instead of having to go to court. $10,000 has been allocated to finance the training and diversion program for first-time offenders. The COSB will work with local schools and the San Diego Bike Coalition on this.
Informational videos from the City of Encinitas
Kristine Schindler provided these links:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.ebikesmart.org – League of American Bicyclists Online E-Bike Safety Course
Information on German e-bike usage
Douglas Alden recommends this article about the uptick in e-bike use in Germany:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/30/world/europe/germany-ebikes-transportation.html