HIGHWAY WATCH : Pedal Power

There is only so much room on a road, and “progress” along the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, as defined by the state bureaucracy, seemed to argue squarely on the side of motor vehicles over bicycles.

For more than a year, bike riders had pleaded their case in vain with the state and the local city council when it appeared that a Caltrans road widening project would eliminate two bike lanes to make room for more autos along PCH.

Recently, to the great relief of legions of riders--and the beleaguered city public-works director caught in the middle--Caltrans announced that it would agree to find room for bike lanes, even as it made room for more cars. Score one for ingenuity, pedal power and for a great source of pride in one Orange County coastal community--clean air.

Caltrans’ brilliant stroke was to find middle ground--literally--in the middle of the road. Hubert Hines, deputy district director of Caltrans, says that by narrowing an existing concrete median, and also by making some car lanes a bit narrower than the state ordinarily prefers, there will be room for bikes.

For its part, the city will agree to build a parking lot near one major intersection to make up for some lost parking slots along the PCH.

What an assortment of interest groups and levels of government this compromise represents. There are those who pedal; there are those who motor. Policy gridlock has been broken to find a little extra space on the popular coastal road for everybody. Bravo for all involved.