Will Replacing Parking Spots With Bike Lanes Help Businesses?

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, we also can’t build enough freeways… and streets are not just for cars, they are for people too.” In other words, the loss of a lane of traffic is justified by the overall reduction of congestion as more people switch to two wheel transportation.

With the election of pro-bicycle mayor Kevin Faulconer, the man responsible for the bike share program, San Diego is well on its way to become a bike-centric city. It is hard to believe that it was only five months ago that members of the Uptown Planners said that San Diegans who wanted to ride their bikes to work should move to New York.

I Need A Bike Accident Lawyer In San Diego

However, San Diego is still in a state of transition, which involves a lot of roadside construction and confusion on the roadway. As such, it is critical that bicyclists watch out for negligent motorists that are unaccustomed to sharing the road with bicyclists. If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, our San Diego bicycle accident attorneys can help. Attorney Joshua Bonnici is an experienced cyclist himself, so you can trust that he understands the hazards of bicycling. For more information, contact us. To schedule a free consultation, call our firm today at (858) 261-5454.

[Did You Know: The San Diego bike share program cost $7.2 million to construct, none of which was tax payer money.]

Bonnici Law Group, APC—San Diego bicycle accident lawyer

Source: http://voiceofsandiego.org/2013/09/04/tensions-linger-as-bike-share-plans-gear-up/, http://voiceofsandiego.org/2014/02/10/uptown-might-be-warming-to-bike-infrastructure/