News Release

SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear was joined by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Caltrans District 11 Director Gustavo Dallarda, and local bike advocates on Tuesday morning in Bird Park to celebrate the groundbreaking of Pershing Bikeway.

“Today is a momentous day for SANDAG’s regional bikeway network. The Pershing Bikeway will provide a vital connection between Balboa Park and Downtown San Diego,” said Chair Blakespear. “And today is just the beginning. SANDAG is set to break ground on more than 19 miles of bikeways and open 11 miles of new bikeways in 2022. Each of these projects bring us one step closer to making Vision Zero a reality throughout the San Diego region.”

The new 2.3-mile bikeway project will provide a two-way bikeway separated from vehicle traffic with a landscaped median, a downhill bike lane with a painted buffer zone, and a dedicated walking path, improving connectivity through Balboa Park between North Park and Downtown San Diego and enhancing access to park amenities.

“San Diegans should be safe when they choose to walk, roll, cycle or scoot to get where they’re going. If you give folks a safe alternative to a car, they will take it,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. “That’s why I was proud to join with SANDAG to break ground on the Pershing Drive Bikeway today – a protected bike lane and pedestrian path that will further connect our growing active-transportation network and make our city safer for all of us.”

The Pershing Bikeway will run primarily along Pershing Drive, connecting to the Landis Bikeway in North Park and a two-way cycle track on C Street in Downtown San Diego.

The approximately $13.4 million Pershing Bikeway project is funded by TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation administered by SANDAG. The project is anticipated to open to the public in 2024.

To stay up to date on construction activities, sign up to receive email updates at sandag.org/subscribe. For more information, visit KeepSanDiegoMoving.com/PershingBikeway.

For media inquiries, please contact Stacy Garcia at 619.699.1950 or PIO@sandag.org