As part of last year’s budget process, staff in the City’s Transportation and Stormwater Department committed to evaluating the corridor with the highest concentration of crashes and designing engineering improvements.
Since then, City staff determined the ½ mile section of University Avenue - between Fairmount and Euclid Avenues - to be the most problematic with the highest number of crashes. City traffic engineers, in partnership with the offices of Mayor Faulconer and Councilwoman Marti Emerald, responded by organizing the University Avenue Working Group with the mission to “Improve safety for all modes as part of Vision Zero.” Circulate San Diego has been pleased to participate in this group.
With this as the group’s mandate and after six meetings, several concept refinements, and one public workshop the Working Group recommended the “Wide Sidewalk” alternative, which allows for more pedestrian amenities and includes roundabouts, a raised center median, and a new buffered bike lane.
Circulate San Diego is very pleased to reaffirm the Working Group’s recommendation and support the City of San Diego’s proposed bicyclist and pedestrian improvements along University Avenue. The project will implement traffic calming strategies and enhance the safety and comfort of pedestrians and bicyclists of different ages, interests, and abilities, serving as a new paradigm for how to implement these type of improvements along Vision Zero corridors.
