The San Diego Association of Governments broke ground Thursday on the first phase of a series of projects to install more than a dozen miles of bike boulevards and protected bikeways in North Park and Mid- City.
The regional planning agency broke ground on the Georgia-Meade and Landis Bikeway projects, which will add more than six-and-a-half miles of bike path through urban areas such as City Heights, Kensington, Talmadge, North Park, Normal Heights and University Heights.
Encinitas Mayor and SANDAG Vice Chair Catherine Blakespear and San Diego City Council members Georgette Gomez and Chris Ward all attended the ceremony. Once completed, the bike paths will run through Gomez's and Ward's respective districts.
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"Today marks a significant step on the path to creating a network of regional bikeways to give San Diegans safe options to travel to work, school, or just to get out and enjoy our beautiful region," Blakespear said. "Breaking ground on these two urban bikeways brings us one step closer to achieving that goal."
SANDAG has worked to dramatically expand and promote cycling access locally since 2013, when the agency's Board of Directors approved the $200 million Bike Early Action Plan, which includes 40 projects totaling 77 new miles of bikeways and bike paths countywide. The EAP is funded by Transnet, the region's half-cent tax on public transit fares that SANDAG administers.
Information on the Georgia-Meade and Landis Bikeway projects can be found at keepsandiegomoving.com/RegionalBikeProjects/introduction.aspx. SANDAG expects the two projects to be completed by early 2022.
