From downtown to North Park, San Diego has been steadily growing its network of separated bike lanes. But many come with a vexing design flaw: The bike lanes are frequently blocked by everything from parked cars to delivery trucks to debris and vegetation.
The app Bike Lane Uprising aims to shine a spotlight on the problem and convince local governments to fix it.
Christina Whitehouse founded Bike Lane Uprising in 2017 after almost getting run over by a truck driver while biking in Chicago. The app allows users to submit reports of bike lane obstructions, which are compiled into a live database and heat map that show where the problems are most common.
Whitehouse, who will be in San Diego for an event on Saturday hosted by Bike SD, said blocking bike lanes is not just rude — it's dangerous.
"It forces bicyclists to merge into oncoming traffic that's traveling at a much higher rate," Whitehouse said. "Oftentimes the maneuver has to be done with quick decisions and quick thinking. And oftentimes the drivers aren't expecting that."
Vehicles blocking bike lanes have caused serious injury and fatal collisions in San Diego. In September 2020, 42-year-old Hossein Samadi died after crashing into a city stormwater vehicle that was parked in the bike lane of Carmel Valley Road. The city agreed to pay Samadi's widow and two children $2.95 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.
Many of San Diego's bike lanes have caused uproar among neighbors and businesses upset over lost parking spaces or travel lanes. Whitehouse said the whole purpose of bike lanes — safer streets — is undermined when they're poorly maintained and frequently blocked.
"Everybody needs to take responsibility," Whitehouse said. "The bike lane is not intended for free parking. It's not intended to be a distribution center. It's not intended to be an online order pickup. It's intended to keep bicyclists safe."
Whitehouse said Bike Lane Uprising has a growing user base in San Diego. Data from the app show 30th Street in North Park, J Street in East Village, Pacific Highway in Little Italy and University Avenue in Hillcrest are hotspots for bike lane obstructions.
