Bayshore Bikeway — Barrio Logan Segment
Virtual Construction Information Session Questions & Answers
The following questions were asked at the Construction Information Session held on May 23, 2022. Please send any additional or follow-up questions to [email protected].
Q: When can we expect the bikeway to extend to Civic Center Drive in National City?
A: The Barrio Logan Segment of the Bayshore Bikeway will connect to existing sections of the bikeway at 32nd Street in the City of San Diego. An existing segment of the Bayshore Bikeway (a two-way bikeway) extends south of 32nd Street along the east side of Harbor Drive to West 8th Street in National City. At West 8th Street, the bikeway crosses to the west side of Harbor Drive and extends south to Civic Center Drive. The bikeway continues along Civic Center Drive as it turns into Tidelands Avenue beyond that.
Several jurisdictions, including the Port of San Diego, the City of Chula Vista, and the City of National City, are planning, designing, and building other sections of the bikeway to help realize the ultimate and permanent alignment of the Bayshore Bikeway.
This extension will be complete when construction of the Bayshore Bikeway – Barrio Logan Segment is complete, and the bikeway opens to the public. The project is currently anticipated to be complete in 2025.
Q: What type of trees will be planted along the bikeway?
A: The three tree species that will be planted as part of the bikeway project are:
- Cork Oak (Quercus Suber)
- Fern Pine (Podocarpus Gracilior)
- Flowering Plum (Prunus Cerasifera)
The trees were initially chosen as part of the 2014 Barrio Logan Community Plan, which was developed and approved by the City of San Diego before the 2021 Barrio Logan Community Plan.
Q: Where and why does the bikeway switch to different sides of the street?
A: The Barrio Logan Segment of the Bayshore Bikeway will switch sides along Harbor Drive at the intersection of Cesar E. Chavez Parkway. The bikeway switches sides to connect to existing sections of the bikeway at the north and south ends of the project.
On the north end, the bikeway will run along the west side of Harbor Drive between Park Boulevard and Cesar E. Chavez Parkway and connect to existing sections of the bikeway along the Embarcadero adjacent to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and continuing north behind the San Diego Convention Center.
On the south end, the bikeway will run along the east side of Harbor Drive between Cesar E. Chavez Parkway and 32nd Street in the City of San Diego and connect to an existing section of the Bayshore Bikeway adjacent to the Pacific Fleet Trolley Station. Furthermore, the bikeway is located on the east side of Harbor Drive on the southern section to accommodate and ensure access to Naval Base San Diego, General Dynamics NASSCO, and other business driveways located along the west side of Harbor Drive.
Q: Will people biking have priority at signalized intersections?
A: Yes. Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI) will be implemented at each signalized intersection. This traffic signal phasing gives people biking and walking dedicated time to enter the crosswalk at an intersection 3-7 seconds before vehicles are given a green indication. This will allow people biking and walking to establish a presence in the crosswalk before people driving proceed through the intersection.
Q: Are Class II bike lanes (striped only) the only option for people biking along Harbor Drive through Barrio Logan during the construction period?
A: In summer 2022, the project team installed traffic control signage to provide people biking a choice to use an alternative temporary route around the active construction areas on Harbor Drive between Cesar E. Chavez Parkway and 28th Street.
The project team will continue to evaluate opportunities to install additional safety measures for people biking through Barrio Logan during future construction phases. These measures may include alternative routes and/or temporary bike facilities. Please subscribe to our email list to receive the latest construction information about the Bayshore Bikeway – Barrio Logan Segment project (check the box for “Bayshore Bikeway” under “Bikeway & Walkway Projects”).
Q: How will the new crosswalks at 32nd Street impact traffic and intersection, operations? How will they make it safer?
A: The existing pedestrian bridges at the intersection of Harbor Drive and 32nd Street in the City of San Diego are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). SANDAG will remove the pedestrian bridges and replace them with at-grade crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, and sidewalks. People walking or using mobility devices will then cross the street using a traditional crosswalk.
The signal timing at the intersection will change slightly; however, SANDAG performed a detailed analysis that showed only minor traffic impacts at the intersection. SANDAG staff is coordinating with BNSF Railway and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) to make changes to the railroad signal system that will trigger the traffic signal control earlier when trains are approaching. This way, the pedestrian signals will stop a pedestrian or cyclist from entering the crosswalk when a train is on its way and allow vehicles to clear the tracks.
Q: It seems that bikers preferred biking on Tidelands Avenue; are there any plans to add this street to the Bayshore Bikeway route?
A: As part of the National City Bayfront Projects, the Port of San Diego is planning and designing a realignment of a section of the Bayshore Bikeway (“Segment 5”) that will result in the permanent alignment of the bikeway between Civic Center Drive and 32nd Street in the City of National City. The Port of San Diego is exploring and analyzing three concepts for the realignment that are generally described as follows:
Route 1: along the former railroad right-of-way on the southern end, and along McKinley Avenue on the northern end
Route 2: along the existing alignment of Marina Way on the southern end, and along Cleveland Avenue, West 19th Street and Tidelands Avenue on the northern end
Route 3: between the former railroad right-of-way and Marina Way on the southern end, and along McKinley Avenue on the northern end
Q: What is the plan for pedestrians and parking along the road during construction at the intersection near General Dynamics NASSCO?
A: The bikeway project will include railroad, civil, and traffic signal improvements at the intersection of Harbor Drive and 28th Street; however, negotiations regarding the intersection design and improvements are still ongoing with MTS, BNSF, the City of San Diego, and other entities. Parking along the eastern side of Harbor Drive will be restricted temporarily while crews construct the two-way bikeway in that area. The parking is expected to be restored once construction activities are completed.
Q: Why does the bikeway end on the west side of Harbor Drive at Park Boulevard since the Martin Luther King Promenade is located on the east side of Harbor Drive adjacent to the trolley tracks?
A: As a segment of the Bayshore Bikeway, the Barrio Logan segment will end next to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on the west side of Harbor Drive to facilitate the connection to the Bayfront Promenade along South Embarcadero via the “Park to Bay Link.” The Bayshore Bikeway alignment continues north between the San Diego Bay and the San Diego Convention Center along the Embarcadero toward Seaport Village. People biking will have the option to stay on Harbor Drive north of Park Boulevard and use the existing bike lanes to continue into Downtown San Diego and/or connect to the Martin Luther King Promenade.
Q: I guess we're expecting that the Bayshore Bikeway would connect to the Martin Luther King Promenade north of Park Boulevard (on the east side of Harbor Drive, between the trolley tracks). Would there be any bike lane extension on Harbor Drive north of Kettner Boulevard (past the Convention Center)?
A: As described above, the intention for this bikeway is to connect the Bayshore Bikeway to the Embarcadero behind the Convention Center. A Class II bikeway runs along the east side of Harbor Drive between Park Boulevard and Fifth Avenue for people who wish to bike farther into Downtown San Diego (north of Fifth Avenue, the bicycle facility transitions to a Class III bikeway). SANDAG does not have any plans to improve the existing bike lanes along that stretch of Harbor Drive; however, the City of San Diego proposes changes to the bicycle network in Downtown San Diego as part of the Downtown Mobility Plan and cycle track network, which includes the extension of the Class II bike lanes on Harbor Drive between Fifth Avenue and Pacific Highway. Some of the City’s downtown cycle track network projects are already in progress or complete.
Q: Note that NASSCO employees often park their cars blocking the bike lane. It would be nice if the design improvements made it so that this was not possible.
A: SANDAG is constructing a Class I bikeway, which is a bikeway that is separated from the roadway. There will be a physical barrier between the bikeway and the vehicle travel lanes, so people driving will park on the west side of the barrier that separates the bike lane and thus will not be able to enter the bikeway.
Q: Can you explain the different bikeway design classifications?
A: Yes, the four bikeway “classification” types are described below:
Class I: A Class I bikeway (also known as a bike path, shared-use path, or multi-use path) is completely separated from the roadway and used exclusively by people biking, walking, and using non-motorized forms of transportation such as scooters, skateboards, roller blades, and other wheeled devices. The Bayshore Bikeway – Barrio Logan Segment will be a Class I bikeway.
Class II: A Class II bikeway consists of striped bike lanes typically located near the shoulder of a roadway. It may also include a painted “buffer” zone to create buffered bike lanes that provide more space and separation between the bike lane and the adjacent vehicle travel lane(s). These buffer zones may contain chevron or diagonal markings that are traditionally painted in white.
Class III: A Class III bikeway can be either a bike route or a bicycle boulevard. A bike route designates a preferred route for people biking on streets without dedicated bikeways and is designated with bike route signage and optional shared lane markings (known as “sharrows”). A bicycle boulevard is usually implemented on streets with low traffic volumes and speeds and/or in conjunction with traffic-calming measures.
Class IV: A Class IV bikeway (also known as a separated bikeway or cycle track) is a bike lane that is separated or protected from vehicle travel lanes with physical and/or vertical deterrents such as grade separation, raised concrete medians, bollards, flexible posts/delineators, planter boxes, on-street parking, or other inflexible barriers.
Q: What warning devices are proposed to alert users of a two-way bike path?
A: SANDAG will place bicycle symbols and arrow markings at the beginning of the bikeway and along the route to define the bi-directional bike lane direction. Additionally, wayfinding signage will be placed along the bikeway to indicate the distances to other bikeways and destinations from those points.
Q: Will you alert neighborhoods that may be impacted by road closures related to the project?
A: The SANDAG GO by BIKE team seeks to inform the public well in advance of road closures and provide suggested alternative routes. Before construction, the team mailed more than 4,500 postcard notices in Barrio Logan to make the community aware of impending changes. Subscribing to email updates and following SANDAG on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram remain the most efficient way to be alerted of closures and traffic impacts.