SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Residents and local officials in Mira Mesa are expressing confusion over bike lanes that were recently added a neighborhood road.
A stretch of Gold Coast Drive, between Empress Avenue and Parkdale Avenue, now has only a narrow lane for both directions of traffic, as bike lanes and street parking take up space on either side of the road.
The narrow roadway is forcing drivers to shift into bike lanes to avoid oncoming vehicles.
San Diego City Councilman Chris Cate, who represents the area, told ABC 10News that he’s just as confused as the people who live in the area.
“Just to expect people to understand what is required of them when they come upon this street … what happens when they see a cyclist or an oncoming car? It's just a recipe for mistakes to be made,” Cate said.
Cate said he reached out to the City of San Diego’s Transportation Department for more information on the road.
During a Mira Mesa Town Council meeting on Monday, the city’s Transportation Department said in a statement:
“We are sorry. We neglected to do proper outreach and to seek feedback in advance of this installation. We will do better. Signage has been posted and our teams are working to provide more transparency in our process. Thank you for the opportunity to explain. We want to collaborate with you.”
Later in the meeting, the department added: “Advisory Bike Lane deployment will be on hold until we have the opportunity to notify communities in advance of the proposed changes. We will be developing education materials to help inform San Diegans about these new lanes and where they may be installed in coordination with community plans.”
