Opponents of San Diego’s growing bike lane network have criticized the lanes for slowing traffic, commandeering parking, and driving away foot traffic to local businesses.
A new voice joined that opposition.
A Little Italy church says a freshly-installed bike lane in front of its church doors is preventing churchgoers from accessing the place of worship, as well as hearses from parking in front of the church for pallbearers to load and unload coffins following funeral services.
Little Italy faith and community leaders gathered outside Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church on May 5 to decry the State Street bike lane.
“This place must remain readily and easily accessible to everyone at every moment that matters,” said Father Joseph Tabigue, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church. “I ask you, honorable mayor, to hear our dreams, to protect access to our church and to change, in particular, the bike lane.”
Father Tabigue and his parishioners say they do not oppose bike lanes, but object to placing one outside their historic church.
“We need more respect for this church,” said Domenic Brunetto, a long-time parishioner and Little Italy Association board member. “This is not a commercial building. It’s not a restaurant.”
Until recently, pallbearers could access the hearses and well-wishers could usher married couples to their departing vehicles without the bride’s dress touching the pavement, but now they must cross a bike lane.
“Our focus (of) concern is again, access for all buildings, for disabled, for those for those people that are distracted because they’re excited about a celebration or mourning those that they’ve lost,” said Chris Gomez, chief executive administrator of Little Italy Association. “Crossing a 10-foot buffer in that process is a huge liability.”
Community members have a solution: replace the protected bike lanes with “sharrows,” where a bike shares the lane with cars, for the one-block stretch in front of the church. They want the city to return to a plan formulated with community input over a decade ago that keeps three lanes of traffic open and most importantly, keeps the loading zone as is.
City council originally approved the bike lane in 2016 as part of efforts to repair the State Street roadway and implement the Downtown Mobility Plan, according to city spokesperon Anthony Santacroce.
The bike lane on State Street was temporarily closed for the press conference. (Photo by Drew Sitton/Times of San Diego)
“We understand that direct access to the curb is important to parishioners and visitors,” said Santacroce.
In response to the church’s concerns, the city removed the protective flex posts in a 60-foot section in front of the church so that cars can still reach the curb as needed.
“This will provide direct access to the curb as well as a loading zone as necessary for mass and church events,” Santacroce said.
And while the city says it trying to work with church leaders, cyclists and bike advocates say removing the protected lanes would be dangerous.
“Asking for a redesign would not only be a waste of limited city resources during a budget crisis, but it would surely put riders in danger…Southbound cyclists would suddenly be riding into oncoming traffic for one block without any protection.” said Monica de la Cruz, of Bike SD.
