Balboa Park Master Plan Update Mobility Priorities
The City of San Diego is beginning community engagement to inform its update to the Balboa Park Master Plan. Unfortunately, initial community engagement omitted any input on mobility improvements to and within the park. Circulate sent a letter to leaders urging them to seek input on priority mobility improvements.
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November 6, 2026
Heidi Vonblum
City Planning Director
202 C Street,
San Diego, CA 92101
SUBJECT: Balboa Park Master Plan Update Mobility Priorities
Dear Director Vonblum:
On behalf of Circulate Planning & Policy, whose mission is to create excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy neighborhoods, I am writing to comment on the upcoming Balboa Park Master Plan update. Any effort to create a forward-looking plan for Balboa Park must consider how people get to and move within the park.
1. Community outreach must reflect mobility priorities.
Balboa Park is one of San Diego’s most treasured and iconic places. However, a park is only as good as it is able to be accessed and enjoyed. That is why the San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation’s vision is to connect all San Diegans to the City’s park system.[1] That is why the Balboa Park Master Plan Update identifies advancing mobility and infrastructure to improve connectivity and recreation as one of its priority areas of focus.[2]
Unfortunately, counter to these stated priorities, the initial public survey guiding the update omitted access and infrastructure entirely.
2. A Circulate pedestrian audit identified significant opportunities for mobility improvements in the park.
On May 30, 2026, Circulate Planning & Policy conducted a pedestrian audit to identify opportunities to improve the bicycle, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure in and around the park.[3] The audit found many opportunities to improve the pedestrian experience within the park including closing El Prado to vehicular traffic, improving pedestrian facilities, installing more curb ramps, and improving wayfinding. The Balboa
Park Master Plan Update is the perfect opportunity to address these issues and improve park access.
3. Prioritize the following access and mobility needs.
We were encouraged to hear Assistant Deputy Director Sameera Rao state at the October 15, 2026 Parks and Recreation Board Meeting that mobility needs would be considered in future surveys. We appreciate that commitment; however, this promise is not enough. We ask that the City Planning Department’s next survey include specific questions on the following priorities and incorporate them into the final plan.
· Close El Prado to vehicular traffic from Balboa Drive to Pan American Road E. Vehicular traffic on El Prado creates a high conflict zone for pedestrians and cyclists, especially the area around the Museum of Us, which has low visibility and high rates of pedestrian crossings. Additionally parking would not be impacted by closing this section of the roadway, as parking on the west side of the park is accessible from Balboa Drive and the Alcazar parking lot is accessible from Pan American Road E.
· Pedestrian Facility Improvements. There is significant opportunity to center the park around recreational spaces for park users. The reimagining of Pan American Plaza provides a good example of how gathering spaces and the pedestrian experience can be prioritized through cost-effective means. The update should plan for more of these spaces, and should further reimagine them to encourage gathering. Additionally, pedestrian paths, benches, wayfinding, and accessibility improvements like curb ramps should be improved.
· Bike Network Improvements. People biking to and within Balboa Park should be able to use separated bike lanes. Cyclists should be able to use Golf Course Drive, Pan American Road E, President’s Way, and Morley Field Drive without conflicting with vehicles or pedestrians.
· Bike Parking. There is currently insufficient secure bike parking in the park. Bike parking is essential bike infrastructure and should be treated as such.
· Crossings into the Park. There are many park access points that lack safe crossing infrastructure. For example, there are only three signalized crossings into the park from 6th Ave.
· Transit Improvements. The update should serve as an opportunity to make it easier and more appealing to take transit to the park. Transit stop improvements like bus benches and shelters improve the rider experience and help incentivize transit use.
4. Conclusion.
The Balboa Park Master Plan update is a significant opportunity to improve the park experience. The City cannot successfully improve the park experience if it does not prioritize improving how people access and move within the park. Doing so is also necessary for consistency with the City’s adopted Parks Master Plan, Climate Action Plan, Mobility Master Plan, and Vision Zero Commitments.
Sincerely,
Aria Grossman
Policy Manager
Circulate Planning & Policy
Cc
Andy Field, Director of the San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation
Marcella Bothwell, Chair, San Diego Parks and Recreation Board
Allison Soares, Chair, San Diego Balboa Park Committee
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, District 3
