Let’s Create Safe, User-Friendly Pedestrian & Bike Options for All Ages

My daughter and I walk or bike to school almost every day, so we know that better streets and sidewalks are needed in our city. This will ensure safe routes to school, as well as new ways to access shopping, work and recreation. By doing this we can make our city more livable while reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. While our Coastal Rail Trail is well loved, imagine if we had “rail trail” quality pedestrian and bike paths throughout Solana Beach.

The city has long term plans to improve the entire Lomas Santa Fe corridor, but funding for this major infrastructure project has not been identified. If elected, I will advocate for immediate improvements to several busy streets that see a lot of foot and bike traffic, especially during school hours. Several improvements can be made without significant expense. These include:

• Adjusting pedestrian walk light timing

• Lowering speed limits during school hours

• Installing flashing speed warnings

• Repainting crosswalks to make them more highly visible

• Adding centerline and shoulder rumble strips

• Increasing bike lane buffers and installing safe hit delineators to raise vehicle awareness of bike lanes

• Ensuring that bike lanes are free from cars and other obstacles

• Better enforcement of traffic safety laws

In the longer term, I will work to ensure that major improvements to transportation corridors such as Lomas Santa Fe Drive, North Highway 101, and Stevens Avenue are prioritized and receive funding for pedestrian and bicyclist safety. In the last couple of years there have been two deaths due to bicycle-car collisions on North Highway 101 in Solana Beach. I will press for separated bicycle lanes on these major corridors as well as increased signage.

I will also work to implement a “Vision Zero” plan for our community. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. The approach recognizes that people will sometimes make mistakes, so we have a responsibility to design and operate a transportation system that makes accidents less severe.

Solana Beach is not a large city, and the weather is ideal, so I envision a city where people can safely and enjoyably bike or walk to their local small businesses, restaurants, and shops. As we roll out active transportation options, we will have less need for additional parking and faster roads. While improving active transportation options is a key part of the City’s Climate Action Plan, the city has done little so far to implement the goals and measures outlined in its own CAP. Additionally, the city released a Comprehensive Active Transportation Strategy final report in 2015 which identified the need for a safe and integrated system of bikeways and sidewalks to encourage people to get out of their cars, but like the CAP the city has been slow to address these needs.