By SDCD Editor
San Diego, CA–The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) celebrated the grand opening of the Landis Bikeway Saturday, alongside local leaders, community members, and bike advocates.
The new bikeway will provide a vital connection to walk and bike between North Park and City Heights in San Diego.
“The completion of the Landis Bikeway demonstrates how the SANDAG Regional Bike Plan will create real transportation choices for everyone in the San Diego region,” said SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear. “SANDAG is building world-class transportation solutions and implementing life-changing programs – like the Youth Opportunity Pass – that will create a brighter future for all, today and for generations to come.”
The Landis Bikeway adds 3.1 miles of traffic-calming improvements, including neighborhood traffic circles and curb extensions to make streets safer and more comfortable for anyone who walks, bikes, or drives.
“San Diegans in every neighborhood should have safe, sustainable, and inexpensive mobility options that allow them to travel to work, school, and everywhere in between. The Landis Bikeway is a critical step in making that a reality and I cannot wait to ride it,” said SANDAG Board Member and San Diego Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. “This project is just one example of how SANDAG improves the quality of life for people in the community by building and investing in projects that create a safer and more sustainable future.”
With the completion of this project, SANDAG has opened 11 miles of new bikeways this year and expects to begin construction on 11 more miles before the end of the year.
“This project grows the state transportation system beyond simply building highways and roads and moving toward an Active Transportation Network,” said Caltrans District 11 Director Gustavo Dallarda.
Community members who attended Saturday’s event got a sneak peek at a SANDAG Bike to Work Day pit stop. On May 19, thousands will participate in SANDAG Bike to Work Day, visiting one of more than 100 pit stops region-wide for refreshments and to pick up a free commemorative t-shirt.
“The bikeway projects being constructed by SANDAG allow for communities across San Diego to not have to solely rely on a car for transportation – while also promoting active and sustainable living for all,” said City Heights Community Development Corporation Community Engagement Coordinator Jesse Ramirez. “I am excited to see how the Landis Bikeway and Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program will improve the way our community travels, now and in the future.”
The Landis Bikeway is one of six segments that make up the North Park | Mid-City Bikeways project, which will add approximately 12 miles of bike boulevards and protected bikeways to the regional bikeway network. Features include traffic calming elements, safer crossings, and other streetscape enhancements that make streets more enjoyable for everyone.
These projects are part of the Regional Bike Plan Early Action Program, an initiative approved by the SANDAG Board of Directors in 2013 to build a regional network of high-quality streets and bikeways that reimagines how we use space on our streets to make them safer and more comfortable for every person who uses them, regardless of age or physical ability.
Construction of the $8.8 million Landis Bikeway project began in spring 2020 and was funded by TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation administered by SANDAG.
More information about SANDAG Bike to Work Day is available at SANDAG.org/BikeMonth.
