City crews are wrapping up construction of a much-needed sidewalk and bicycle lane at Pacific Beach Drive and Crown Point Drive this week. For more than a year, nearby residents have been working with the city to improve the corner that lacked a safe path for cyclers and walkers navigating the area. Crown Point resident Don Gross sat on a committee of four set up by the Pacific Beach Planning Group to work with city staff and residents during the planning and construction of about 600 feet of improvements on that corner. It’s an exciting time for residents, he said. “[People] were on their bikes trying to figure out how to maneuver the area … women pushing their kids [in strollers] were forced onto the street. At least now people will have a choice,” Gross said. The pathway represents a small but crucial piece of the Pacific Beach puzzle as the community works to improve safety and amenities for neighbors and Mission Bay visitors alike. “This is a very important link to allow people to safely negotiate all the way around Mission Bay,” Pacific Beach Planning Group Chair John Shannon said. Shannon said the construction of a bridge over Rose Creek in the area, which he said should start later this year, would be another huge step in providing a path around Mission Bay. The lack of a bridge over Rose Creek and undeveloped sections along Pacific Beach Drive force cyclers and walkers to take a different way through the area. Community planners also have their eye on a section of land at Pacific Beach Drive and Olney Street which could further benefit the community if improved or redeveloped, Shannon said. Many pedestrians detour up and around Mission Bay High School onto Grand Avenue, or forge other potentially dangerous paths. Simple pedestrian connections would improve safety and luxury for community members, Shannon said. The current section under the city’s scalpel cost approximately $70,000 for construction and should be done within a week, said project manager Mark Giandani. The entire process took about a year, which included the planning, land acquisition and construction. Giandani said it’s amazing how much time and work go into a relatively small but important project like this, adding that other parts of Pacific Beach Drive could use improvements as well.
