Two years into SANDAG’s Pershing Bikeway project, neighbors are ready for construction of the Balboa Park roadway to wrap up.
"Unforeseen construction delays" and an "unusually rainy season" set the project back by a few months, according to SANDAG, but the bikeway should open in late spring.
Construction on the $14 million project began in 2022, according to City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera and SANDAG. Michelle Anson, a South Park resident, said the detours caused her to reroute and added a lot of time behind the wheel. She was concerned by a lack of progress and was dubious about the project finishing up this year.
“It's just, you know, frustrating for everyone that lives around here,” Anson said. “I respect bikers on the road. I always yield to them. I understand they need a safe space, but this sucks.”
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The 2.3-mile bikeway and walking path connects North Park to Downtown. The two-way bike lane is protected behind an island.
The project broke ground after a bicyclist and a person on a scooter were both struck and killed on Pershing Drive in 2021. On Wednesday, a pedestrian walking in the bike lane on B St and Pershing Drive was hit and severely injured.
“There are different types of bike lanes in San Diego,” cyclist Robert Cotterman, who was biking a different stretch of protected bike lane in Balboa Park Thursday, told NBC 7. “This one, of course, is more protective of the rider, and that feels good. These have barriers, so it’s helping separate me a little bit more from the traffic, which is great.”
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A SANDAG official told NBC 7 that it is planning a community event to celebrate the opening of the bikeway later this spring.
