Officials this weekend marked the opening of the new 3.5-mile Georgia-Meade Bikeway, which provides a link for bikers and pedestrians among several Mid-City communities.
The bikeway, along Georgia Street and Meade Avenue, stretches across University Heights, North Park, Normal Heights, Kensington and Talmadge.
It’s one of six segments planned as part of the North Park | Mid-City Bikeways project, included in the $200 million Regional Bike Plan Early Action Program approved by regional planners nine years ago.
The Mid-City portion will add approximately 12 miles of protected bikeways to city roadways.
This spring, the San Diego Association of Governments expects to complete another of the bikeways, 3.1 miles along Landis Street. Other projects are planned along Howard Avenue, Orange Avenue, Robinson Avenue and University Avenue.
The agency plans to break ground on approximately 19 more miles by the end of the year.
Community members, elected officials and transit authorities gathered to celebrate the Georgia-Meade opening at Garfield Elementary School in North Park Saturday. The event included a self-guided bike ride and an educational bike obstacle course hosted by the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.
“The completion of the Georgia-Meade Bikeway will make it safer and easier for people to bike and walk in these vibrant communities,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who also serves as the SANDAG board’s vice chair.
The bikeways feature buffered bike lanes, traffic circles, raised crosswalks and other additions to the streetscape.
“It’s exciting to see our neighborhood becoming more accessible to children and families,” said the principal of another local school, Franklin Elementary, Melissa Roy-Wood. “This bikeway, and others like it, are creating a safe, fun and efficient way for students to get to school and for people to explore their communities.”
The bike projects are being funded by TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation administered by SANDAG.