06.09.2022 | News Release
SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear was joined by San Diego Mayor and SANDAG Vice Chair Todd Gloria, San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas, San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno, and local bike advocates on Thursday morning to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the Bayshore Bikeway – Barrio Logan Segment.
“Today marks an important milestone for SANDAG’s regional bikeway network and the Barrio Logan community. The addition of this segment will provide a critical much needed connection between South County and Downtown San Diego,” said Chair Blakespear. “The vision of the Bayshore Bikeway is being realized today by providing an easy and accessible travel alternative to the many employment centers, military facilities, and recreational destinations along our beloved bayfront for people to enjoy today and for generations to come.”
The new 2.3-mile Barrio Logan Segment includes a two-way, 10-foot-wide paved path with two-foot-wide paved shoulders that will extend along Harbor Drive between Park Boulevard and 32nd Street. The bikeway will also provide enhanced access to several Trolley stations in the surrounding neighborhood.
“Breaking ground on the Barrio Logan segment of the Bayshore Bikeway segment is another important step toward creating better, safer, and viable options for anyone who wants to get around town without using a car,” said Mayor Gloria. “This stretch that we are starting work on today moves us closer to a more connected biking network citywide.”
Once complete, the Bayshore Bikeway will extend 24 miles around San Diego Bay, providing a scenic connection to major bayfront employers as well as tourist and recreational destinations. Approximately 17 miles of the Bayshore Bikeway have been built to date. The Bayshore Bikeway – Barrio Logan Segment project is anticipated to open to the public in 2024.
“This is the type of infrastructure investment that our community needs and deserves. Even more so in communities like Barrio Logan that historically have been underfunded,” said Supervisor Vargas. “These projects bring huge benefits to our community in terms of health outcomes and help us improve air quality, and safety to help build healthier and stronger communities.”
The approximately $19 million project is funded by a combination of federal, state, and local funds including a Caltrans Active Transportation Program (federalized) grant, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funds, a grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy, and TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation administered by SANDAG.
Congressman Juan Vargas, representing California's 51st district was instrumental in securing federal funding to construct the Barrio Logan Segment and the intersection improvements along Harbor Drive from Cesar E. Chavez Parkway to Sampson Street.
“I’m pleased to celebrate the Bayshore Bikeway Barrio Logan Segment project’s groundbreaking today,” said Rep. Vargas. “I’m incredibly proud to have championed $2.15 million in federal government funding to get this project over the finish line to better connect our communities, invest in alternative modes of transportation, and help local businesses thrive. It’s an honor to fight for these much-needed funds in Congress, and I will continue to work hard to address our community’s needs.”
Development of the Bayshore Bikeway is guided by the SANDAG Bayshore Bikeway Taskforce, with representation from the five cities around San Diego Bay, the County of San Diego, the Port of San Diego, and the bicycling community.
“The Bayshore Bikeway will increase mobility and address some of the issues important to the Barrio Logan community including air quality and safe modes of transportation,” said Councilmember Moreno. “The bikeway will help ensure that my constituents in Barrio Logan have transportation choices and bike infrastructure that allow them to bike safely.”
The Bayshore Bikeway – Barrio Logan Segment is 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.
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