Circulator - 06/21/2024 - Circulate San Diego

Published June 21, 2024

Save The Date: Circulate’s Summer Membership Mixer
Big Win for Safe Streets
UC Community Plan Update
Hillcrest Specific Plan Envisions 2.4% Growth
Circulate Releases “A Better Coastal Commission” to Extensive Press Coverage and Interest
Recap: First Mile Last Mile Engagement!
AB2560 Passes Senate Housing Committee
Upcoming Transit for Fun Trips and Walk Audits!
Special Guest at Circulate’s Annual Board and Staff Retreat
Circulate News

Save The Date: Circulate’s Summer Membership Mixer

Join Circulate San Diego and help us celebrate our new digs at our downtown office for the Summer Membership Mixer on July 16^th!

We’ll have a fun evening with our diverse and engaged membership for networking, free drinks, music, and celebrations. Mingle with Circulate staff members, local decision makers, and professionals in the land use and transportation space.

We are also pleased to announce that we'll be joined by Senator Catherine Blakespear.

LEARN MORE & RSVP!

Big Win for Safe Streets

Big win for San Diego Safe Streets! Last week, we secured funding to fix the Fatal 15 intersections. Throughout this year’s budget process, Circulate San Diego and the Vision Zero Coalition highlighted the Fatal 15, San Diego's worst intersections, urging cost-effective improvements.

Road safety kills around fifty San Diegans annually. Despite Vision Zero, deaths remain high. The City Council showed leadership by adding road safety funds, but more action is needed.

Thank you Mayor Gloria & City Council for taking action! Join us and write an email to thank them for their efforts.

SEND A THANK YOU!

UC Community Plan Update

Last Thursday, the San Diego City Council’s Land Use and Housing Commission unanimously passed the proposed UC Community Plan Update.

In recent months, Circulate has praised City Planning Department Staff for including the most robust plan, Scenario A, as an alternative for the Environmental Impact Report. We were thrilled to see the EIR recognize it as the "environmentally superior alternative."

Unfortunately, the proposed University Plan Update does not include a possibility to adopt the higher density scenario supported by the community, Scenario A, as an option for approval. The Planning Department has said that any attempt to create an adoptable Scenario A plan would cause delay and additional money. Upon direct questioning, they have refused to offer even general estimates of either how much delay or how much money.

Councilmember Lee observed of the plan that the Land Use and Housing Committee passed Thursday “This is not the most dense option.”

City Planning Director Heidi Von Blum recognized that “Planning capacity is extremely different from production.” She further observed that that no recently revised plan is on track to full usage of the new residential zoning allowance.

The need for housing is dire, and the expected usage of the proposed plan is guaranteed to fall short of our housing needs. Circulate will continue to advocate for City Planning staff to submit an adoptable plan for Scenario A.

Hillcrest Specific Plan Envisions 2.4% Growth

The San Diego City Council’s Land Use and Housing Committee also approved the Hillcrest Specific Plan on June 13 and passed it on to the full Council with a unanimous vote.

NBC San Diego reached out to Policy Council Will Moore for comment on the plan, which would double zoned residential units in Hillcrest over the next 30 years. Will pointed out that doubling in thirty years is a 2.4% growth rate.

Circulate Releases “A Better Coastal Commission” to Extensive Press Coverage and Interest

On July 14, Circulate released its latest Policy Report, “A Better Coastal Commission.” The Report outlines ways that the Coastal Commission has fallen short of its mission to ensure coastal access for all Californians and protect our environment. Press coverage has been extensive and can be found in our "Circulate News" section below.

Recap: First Mile Last Mile Engagement!

This June, the Circulate team conducted two First Mile Last Mile Engagement events in which we asked folks about their commutes to the following transit stops: Gaslamp Station and Old Town Station. The goal of the events was to identify communities where transit stops with high-volume routes would benefit from educating riders about safe active transportation options in the first/last mile of their trip.

For Gaslamp Station, most riders arrived via trolley but would like to see better nighttime visibility to get to their destination via walking. They expressed that it would help them feel safer, especially after commuting from events or work. At Old Town Station, pedestrians and bicyclists alike would like to see infrastructure improvements along Taylor Street and Pacific Highway; many felt it was unsafe to walk or bike due to drivers speeding on the road.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our events and advocated for more active transportation and micro-mobility around San Diego transit stops!

AB2560 Passes Senate Housing Committee

On July 18, Policy Counsel Will Moore traveled to Sacramento to testify in favor of AB2560 before the Senate Housing Committee. Moore also provided committee members copies of the “A Better Coastal Commission” report and discussed its findings with policy staff. AB2560 passed out of Senate Housing and moves on to the Senate Natural Resources Committee next week.

Upcoming Transit for Fun Trips and Walk Audits!

What better way to kick off the start of summer than to take transit, walk, and roll with Circulate? June is a busy and exciting month for us, with several events and activities planned over the next week.

Do you have an equal appreciation for the great outdoors and our public transit system? Join us for a Trails and Transit trip to hike Van Dam Peak on Saturday, June 22^nd!

Want to be among the first people to see the 2024 Pride Library Card design? Take the #11 bus with us to the Mission Hills/Hillcrest library for the unveiling on Monday, June 24^th!

Passionate about making our streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users? We have two walk audits in District 8 and District 9 on June 25^th and 26^th respectively!

We would love for you to join us at any (or all!) of these events. Please check out our online calendar to RSVP and for more details about all of our upcoming activities.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Special Guest at Circulate’s Annual Board and Staff Retreat

Last Saturday, Circulate’s Board and Staff came together for our annual retreat to build on our successes and discuss future initiatives. We also showcased our new office.

We were honored to be joined by a special lunchtime guest, SANDAG's new CEO, Mario Orso. Mario shared his vision for San Diego’s transportation future, and we had an insightful exchange of ideas.

Congratulations to Mario on his new role! We look forward to collaborating with him to make San Diego a better place to live, work, and move around.

CHECK OUT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS!