San Diego city staff are preparing to update the city's Street Design Manual, a technical document that guides things like the width of lanes and sidewalks, with the goal of infusing safety and sustainability into the city's transportation network.
The last comprehensive update to the Street Design Manual was in 2002, long before the city adopted its Climate Action Plan that called for a massive shift in transportation habits away from cars in favor of biking, walking and riding public transit.
The City Council's Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard a presentation on the Street Design Manual update Wednesday. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn said most of the city's streets were designed around the car.
"They were not originally designed to adequately protect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists," Whitburn said. "And as such, pedestrians and bicyclists have too often been hit and killed or injured on streets that were designed for cars."
City staff said the new manual will contain guidance for expanding a street's "parkway zone" — the space between the curb and private property that can include the sidewalk, trees, landscaping, lighting, public art and bus stops. But they said the current draft does not show a preference for expanding the parkway inwards toward the center of the street or outwards into private property.
The draft Street Design Manual update is due out in the fall.
