For years, many of us have been saying the same thing: San Diego is not a bike-friendly city. In five or ten years, I believe many of today’s decision-makers will look back and realize the concerns raised by residents and business owners were not resistance to change; they were grounded in reality.
Unlike many European cities, San Diego was designed around the automobile. European cities evolved over hundreds of years, often between 500 and 1,000 years ago, with compact neighborhoods, narrow streets, and destinations within walking or biking distance. San Diego developed very differently.
Our communities are spread out, our roads are wider, our destinations are farther apart, and our terrain includes countless steep hills. For many people, riding a bicycle is simply not a practical way to get to work, school or run errands.
Supporters of expanded bike lanes often point to ambitious goals for increasing bicycle commuting. There’s nothing wrong with encouraging cycling, but public policy should reflect how people actually choose to travel. Most San Diegans rely on their cars because they need to.
Families juggle work, school, sports, shopping and appointments that often require driving across several neighborhoods in a single day. That reality is unlikely to change simply because more bike lanes are painted on our streets.
At the same time, San Diego’s population is aging. Seniors are one of the fastest-growing segments of our community, and many depend on convenient vehicle access and nearby parking. Local businesses also depend on customers who can easily park and walk into their stores. When parking is removed to make room for bike lanes that see limited use, businesses and residents understandably question whether the tradeoff makes sense.
This doesn’t mean bicycles don’t belong in San Diego. They absolutely do. Recreational cycling is a wonderful activity, and there are many corridors where dedicated bike facilities are appropriate and well used. But transportation investments should be based on actual demand, safety and measurable performance, not assumptions.
A more balanced approach deserves consideration. On streets where bike lanes consistently demonstrate low usage, the city should evaluate whether those lanes continue to serve the public effectively. Where appropriate, restoring parking for residents and businesses could provide immediate benefits.
One practical compromise would be to allow on-street parking in designated bike lanes after 5 p.m. on commercial corridors such as Convoy Street, where approximately 300 parking spaces were removed to install a barely used bike lane. Bike lane usage is almost completely not existent during evening hours or at night.
So restoring parking at that time could help local restaurants and businesses by making it easier for customers to dine and shop without having to park several blocks away on poorly lit side streets or rely on rideshare services. It’s a common-sense approach that balances the needs of cyclists with the economic vitality of our local business community.
In some locations, wider sidewalks or shared-use paths may better accommodate cyclists while improving accessibility for pedestrians and kids riding their bikes to school. Any such changes should be designed with safety in mind and comply with applicable state and local laws regarding where bicycles may operate.
Good transportation policy is not about choosing cars over bicycles or bicycles over cars. It is about recognizing that different neighborhoods have different needs and using taxpayer dollars where they produce the greatest public benefit.
Five or ten years from now, I believe San Diego will have a more honest conversation about what works and what doesn’t. Our transportation system should reflect the way people actually live, work and travel, not the way policymakers hope they will. And the goal should never be to force people out of their cars.
The goal should be to give San Diegans safe, practical and realistic transportation options while protecting neighborhood quality of life and supporting our local businesses. That’s not anti-bike. It’s simply common sense.
Mark Powell is a former San Diego County Board of Education member and a candidate for the San Diego City Council in District 6.
