Cyclists Peddle Lofty Proposals for Wide Network of Bike Paths

The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition promotes biking not only for exercise or to curb traffic congestion but also because it makes financial sense.

“You get more bang for the buck with bikes than with anything else you can do to improve transportation,” said Del Mar attorney John Ross, secretary of the coalition.

Referring to the county’s emerging plans for non-motorized transportation, he said, “It costs $100,000 a mile to build a bike path” after the right of way is paid for. That compares with highway construction, which costs in the millions-per-mile. “And just adding a little pavement and a white line to the existing highway for a bike lane is $180,000.”

But 85% of the bikers he surveyed said they would not commute to work along a highway bike lane. A bike path that is separate from the highway is both cheaper and safer, he said.

Both types of bike paths, however, are included in the draft county plan recently made available for public comment, and Ross’ group is vigorously supporting its adoption--any bike path is better than none at all. County Trails Coordinator Robert Wertz is collecting public input and will send out copies of the plan. Wertz can be reached at 694-3215. The plan’s goal, Wertz said, is to enable the county to prevent various possible bike routes on unbuilt land from being “developed over.”

Quick action by bike advocates is the secret of success in such things. In Ventura County, advocates were able to persuade county officials to make a bike path on the old railway right of way from the city of Ventura to Ojai before it was parceled off.

Fortunately for North County residents, an Oceanside-to-Escondido rail right of way along California 78 is about to be acquired intact by the North County Transportation District. Transportation officials in Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, Escondido and Poway are conducting a study to see if a bicycle path can be added alongside the planned light rail facility.

According to the transportation agency, legal and safety issues have yet to be resolved. But “it is entirely possible a bike path could be built before the rail part,” said Craig Sargent-Beach, a San Marcos community services official.

Because the California 78 corridor has so few transportation arteries, “a bike path would have a substantial impact on the (congestion) on Route 78,” Sargent-Beach said.

He and other North County transportation officials also are working to make sure there are “feeder” bike paths leading to whatever stations are built along the proposed rail line so folks will leave their cars at home and take their bike on the train for riding at both ends of the trip.

With a large college population in North County and good year-round riding weather, bike analysts think traffic congestion will be relieved wherever paths are provided. John Duve, Sandag administrator for transportation demand management, said that even a 2% to 4% dip in car usage brought on by bike commuting results in a “noticeable change” in congestion. How apparent? Consider how traffic is affected on, say, a religious holiday when a small segment of the population stays home.

“It is enough to open things up so traffic flows,” Duve said.

Only 1% of San Diego County residents now use a bike to get to work. Transportation planners want to increase this figure to 2% or even 5%. Paths are the secret, it seems. Or borrowing a line from the movie, “Field of Dreams,” if you build it, they will come.

This summer, the Lou Harris Poll noted that of the 82 million Americans who own bikes, half would commute to work if safe bike paths were available. Nationally, only 1 in 60 bike owners now ride to work. “Separate paths” is what those polled wanted--Harris estimates that 38 million would commute to work if separate paths were available.

Considering such numbers, why aren’t there more bike paths? Ross, of the bicycle coalition, explains: “No lobbies support bike paths, only people.”

Cindy Burrascano, vice chairwoman of the bicycle coalition, said, “Nothing will happen until a group of individuals makes it happen. The citizens are going to have to do it.”

Local governments in North County are responding to public interest and actively seeking funds for bike paths despite all the budget woes besetting them.

“San Marcos has led the way for the entire region,” said Sandag’s Duve.

And state Sen. Lucy Killea (I-San Diego) has managed to get a bike bill through both the Assembly and Senate and onto Gov. Pete Wilson’s desk. So, some progress is being made in the fight against traffic congestion.

FYI:

1. San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. Call: Jim BaRoss, chairman, at 573-1205, or John Ross, secretary, at 536-8439.

2. For information on the Comprehensive Bike Bill SB 1141, introduced by state Sen. Lucy Killea and now on the governor’s desk, call Tom Higgins at 327-7493.

3. Draft version of the County Bike Trails Policy is available for public comment. Call: Robert Wertz at 694-3215. Responses are requested by Sept. 15, but comments received after that date will be considered.