Half a century ago, Little Italy was decimated by the construction of Interstate 5. The freeway demolished nearly 35% of the neighborhood and cut it off from adjacent communities.
It took decades for Little Italy to rise from the ashes and emerge as one of San Diego's most vibrant and walkable neighborhoods. But now Little Italy businesses fear history could repeat itself — albeit on a smaller scale — as city and airport officials prepare to redesign Grape Street to accommodate more traffic.
Grape Street is one of the main routes used by motorists to get from San Diego International Airport to I-5. The plans for its redesign, adopted by the San Diego City Council in 2016, would remove parking on both sides of the street and increase the number of lanes from three to four. A bike lane would also be installed on the north side of the street.
Mixed impacts on congestion
The loss of street parking was one of the main reasons why the nonprofit Little Italy Association voted on Nov. 7 to oppose the project. Luke Vinci, a board member, added drivers already treat Grape Street like a highway, and that the additional lane would invite more noise, traffic and unsafe driving.
"It's going to create more of a sound divide between the two parts of the neighborhood," Vinci said. "We're requesting that the city will come to the table and create a better plan that suits the needs of the residents and tourists that come to our neighborhood."
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, which manages the airport, said it is pursuing the project at the request of city officials in conjunction with the expansion of Terminal 1.
"The changes will help reduce traffic congestion on Grape Street and also surrounding downtown streets," said airport spokesman Jonathan Heller. "The changes are scheduled to be complete around the same time as the opening of the new Terminal 1 in late summer 2025."
A traffic study in 2015 found the street's reconfiguration would reduce delays at the intersection of Grape Street and State Street by up to 28.6 seconds. It also found delays would increase by up to a minute at Grape Street and Harbor Drive. The traffic study did not analyze potential delays for pedestrians trying to cross Grape Street.
Airport officials considered lowering the speed limit on Grape Street as a way to mitigate the increased noise caused by the fourth lane. But it ultimately determined traffic calming was "infeasible" because drivers would likely ignore the speed limit and city officials would likely refuse to implement those changes.
Unsafe driving
City data show at least 72 collisions have taken place on the section of Grape Street in Little Italy since 2015, resulting in 54 injuries. Speeding and unsafe turns are the most frequent causes.
Chloé Lauer, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, said she appreciated the plans for a bike lane on Grape Street but would prefer it include physical protection from traffic, such as a line of parked cars. And, she said, the additional lane "would turn it into basically an arterial inside of a very dense, walkable commercial zone."
"Adding a fourth lane for car travel will negatively impact the neighborhood's cohesion," Lauer said. "I think the city should prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users. … We don't need highways in our communities."
Lauer acknowledged the airport's expansion could impact congestion on Little Italy's streets. But she said existing plans for an automated people mover linking the airport to the San Diego trolley network would be a more efficient and environmentally friendly way to manage traffic.
"Focusing on that, to divert some of that traffic away from car trips, I think would ultimately be a better long-term solution," Lauer said.
The Downtown Community Planning Council is scheduled to weigh in on the Grape Street redesign on Wednesday.
