CALIFORNIA BICYCLE NEWS AND CYCLING SAFETY TIPS BLOG

Despite the recent change in opinion of the Uptown business owners to support the installation of the bike lanes at the cost of parking spaces, other business owners are rallying against the bicycle infrastructure expansion. The owner of a Hillcrest-based restaurant, bar and brewing company recently met with other local business leaders and municipal representatives to discuss his concerns. In an open letter to the city of San Diego, the Hillcrest business owner lamented that the “91 parking spaces lost in Hillcrest…will have a devastating impact on all of our business.” However, the Hillcrest business owner fails to realize that the majority of business in both Uptown and Hillcrest areas is the result of pedestrian traffic. These days, it is common to park a block away from your destination and walk, so reducing the number of available parking spaces will not change much for consumers, given that most restaurants can…
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Previously, Uptown neighborhood associations had opposed the expansion of bicycle infrastructure. Last fall, the Uptown Planners met to deliberate the potential Uptown Regional Bike Corridor project. Uptown representatives were concerned about the already congested roads losing a lane on each side to make room for bike lanes. Many Uptown business owners were opposed to the project on the grounds that removal of the traffic lane and adjacent parking spots would hurt their businesses. Recently, the opinion of the Uptown Planners has changed considerably. The owner of one North Park business supported the project because his business relies significantly more on pedestrian traffic than motor vehicles. The North Park business owner said, “If there [is] capacity for 300 people inside, why would I care about the three parking spots that are gone?” In addition, the interim mayor Todd Gloria was present at the meeting. Gloria stated, “[w]e cannot build enough roads,…
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