The City of San Diego is adding bus-only lanes and bikeways to Balboa Park amid a major road repair project of Park Blvd.
The freshly rebuilt street will connect recently-finished bike lanes and transit improvements in the communities of Uptown, University Heights, Downtown, and North Park. The City hopes to improve efficiency, safety, and accessibility for all San Diegans.
“Park Blvd. is a major thoroughfare in our city and I’m excited that the City is finally going to fix the road and make improvements for all types of transportation – driving, biking, and transit,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “This is part of our continued efforts to fix our streets and give San Diegans more choices on how to get around our city – choices that are safe, feasible, and good for the environment.”
The road repair project will repave Park Blvd. with new asphalt following a water pipeline replacement. The City will then reconfigure the street to reserve one lane going each way for transit and provide a new separated bikeway on both sides of the street from Morley Field Drive to Presidents Way through Balboa Park. Shoulders previously used for on-street parking will largely be eliminated.
A dedicated bike lane, a lane designated for MTS bus travel, and a general travel lane will be the three travel lanes on each side of Park Boulevard once construction on the street is concluded. To maintain easy access to and from the park, turn lanes and turning pockets will still be present at intersections.
Buses will share the general travel lane in select places of the street, such as close to the World Beat Center, Centro Cultural de la Raza, and the Rose Garden— to protect on-street parking when off-street spaces are scarce.
According to the project’s spokesperson, Anthony Santacroce, construction is supposed to begin by October and should be completed by early December. Expect some lane closures and delays in the area while construction is underway.
“I thank everyone who weighed in during months of community discussions on the striping of new lanes on Park Blvd,” said Councilmember Stephen Whitburn. “That input is reflected in the final design and in plans for upcoming improvements to Balboa Park. I want bicyclists and pedestrians to feel safe, buses to run efficiently, and Balboa Park institutions to be well-attended. Safe and efficient modes of transportation are essential to the future of our City.”
Investments in protected bike lanes can save lives. San Diego saw the highest number of deaths for people riding bikes in 2021 than in the six years prior. Bike lanes are key to creating safer road conditions by giving bicycle and scooter riders dedicated space and greater visibility.
The project design team incorporated feedback from the public and stakeholders, such as the Balboa Park Committee, park institutions and residents in neighboring communities, into the final design.
For more information about the Park Boulevard bikeways project, visit sandiego.gov/bicycling/projects.
