Alternative transportation in Downtown San Diego is growing by leaps and bounds “” or by pedals and spokes, as the case may be. Pedal to the Park (PTP), an initiative to motivate bicyclists to use good, old-fashioned human power to cycle to Petco Park for Padres day games, is sponsoring its stage two event of their efforts to create safe, secure and plentiful bicycle parking at Petco Park on Sunday, Sept. 16.
PTP founder and director David White, stated that the stage one event held last April, a pilot effort utilizing space at the intersection of Park Boulevard and Tony Gwynn Drive for a bike pavilion, was a huge success for cyclists and the Padres.
The trial event attracted some 150 participants; a demonstration of the need for safe, secure bike storage for fans choosing to leave their cars at home.
“Wheeling around San Diego does not require a polluting engine,” said White. “More and more, bicycling is emerging as a popular “” and practical “” alternate form of transport.”
White, an avid baseball fan, regularly bikes to Padres games with his wife riding tandem. “It started opening day at Petco Park. We ride from Rancho Peãasquitos,” he said.
He began talking to friends who also preferred biking to driving, and eventually built up an enthusiastic group to join the ride to the ballpark.
“OK, I thought, let’s take it to the next stage, and the event was conceived,” said White.
Working side by side with Kathy Keehan, director of The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC), White enlisted the support of the Padres management, who eagerly considered possibilities to accommodate cycling fans.
“Petco Park has operated with a set of fixed bike racks with capacity for approximately 22 bikes,” White said.
According to White, this was totally insufficient, prompting him to perform a series of photographic surveys documenting the problematic bicycle-parking situation during Padres day games.
“Surplus bikes end up in undesirable positions around the perimeter of the park,” said White, adding that there are often well over 50 additional “” and unattended “” bikes chained to railings, sign posts, trees and virtually anything a bicycle chain can be wrapped around.
“The model we used [for secure bike parking] is the Earth Day Fair held in Balboa Park. They were able to handle 600 bikes in attended fashion,” White said.
AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, was also inspirational.
Indoor, staffed and secure bike parking was a first for major league baseball when the Giants were planning their new ballpark in the early 1990s.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition worked with the Giants and developed “valet” bike parking “” which has proven successful.
Since the opening of Petco Park in 2004, the Padres have also taken great care to provide fans with several parking options, transportation opportunities and alternatives to taking cars to the ballpark.
Through concerted efforts of the SDCBC and the PTP movement, the Padres have taken note that more and more fans are choosing to bike to Petco for day games, and now they have taken action as well.
Mark Guglielmo, vice president of ballpark operations for the Padres’ stated that the Padres will not only take on the running of the bike pavilion but will also pick up the cost for staffing and security.
“This is going to be a great addition to the ballpark,” said Guglielmo, adding that the Padres are enthused about doing whatever they can to “make it more convenient for the fans to get to the park, and get X number of automobiles off the roadways.”
The PTP initiative happens to coincide with the Padres’ efforts to create a more ecologically friendly ballpark.
Guglielmo reported that an “extensive program is under way,” including recycling of cardboard, plastic bottles, food waste and even green waste from the field.
“It’s such a good thing to encourage people not to drive,” Keehan said. “The Padres are sincere in their efforts to do environmentally good things.”
White hopes to double participation at the Sept. 16 game “” which happens to be against the San Francisco Giants. Three hundred seats have been reserved for the PTP Stage Two event and the staffed bike pavilion will be ready for the fans.
The pavilion will once again be set up at Park Boulevard and Tony Gwynn Drive; however, Guglielmo suggested that more permanent housing is being considered for the future.
“It’s a bit challenging with all the construction going on in the area,” he admitted.
Guglielmo confirmed that the bike pavilion would also be available for the remaining home day games on Sept. 2, 9, 20, and 23 in addition to the PTP event on the 16th. PTP offers different routes for all ages and cycling abilities during the event.
“Everyone is welcome, whether they want to ride and go to the game, just ride or just attend the game in the PTP section. Or just celebrate and enjoy the recreational and social benefits of cycling,” White said.
According to Keehan, this initiative will benefit all of San Diego, not just the Padres and bicyclists.
“I wasn’t sure they would take us seriously,” she smiled. “But the Padres have really stepped up to the plate.”
For more information or to register for the Sept. 16 event, visit www.pedaltothepark.com, or contact the SDCBC at (858) 487-6063 or by visiting www.sdcbc.org.