Balboa Park ‘game changer’: Pershing Bikeway almost complete

Construction is nearly complete on the Pershing Bike Path, which officials say will transform a notoriously dangerous route through Balboa Park into a calmer, stress-free oasis for walkers and cyclists.

Pershing Drive had long been a four-lane road where traffic traveled at 50 mph through the park between downtown and North Park. It has now become a much slower two-lane road, with a two-way bike lane and sidewalks.

Although the $13.7 million project has faced opposition from some drivers frustrated by changes to a convenient route, regional officials say it solves several problems simultaneously.

The bike path eliminates the dangerous problem of what was essentially a highway through the city’s most iconic park, while filling a glaring gap in the regional bike network.

The 2.3-mile bike path connects to the Landis Bike Path at Landis and Utah Streets at its northern boundary and to a two-way downtown bike path on C Street at its southern boundary.

“This is truly a transformative project,” said Chris Kluth, regional planning manager for the San Diego Association of Governments.

But it’s not just for cyclists. In addition to the two-way protected bike lane on the east side of Pershing and a buffered bike lane on the west side, the project includes a protected sidewalk along its entire route.

To increase safety for walkers and cyclists, the speed limit on Pershing was reduced from 50 mph to 35 mph, flashing lights were installed in five locations, and a roundabout was constructed on Redwood Street.

All of these features will come together to make Pershing a friendly connection between not only downtown and North Park, but also South Park and Golden Hill, officials say.

“This changes the way we travel through our crown jewel, Balboa Park,” said Anar Salayev, executive director of Bike San Diego. “I think it’s going to be a game changer.”

Salayev said the project should have been carried out earlier. While the bike path had been considered since at least 2016, two deaths in Pershing in 2021 hastened the decision to move forward.

San Diego State University administrator Laura Shinn was struck and killed by a driver in July 2021 while riding on an unprotected bike lane in Pershing. Two months later, Jonathan Sepulveda was fatally struck by a driver on Pershing while riding an electric scooter.

“The only complaint I have about it is that it came a little too late,” Salayev said.

On September 29, 2021, George Olmos, an employee of the City of San Diego Department of Transportation, installed a flexible pole along the bike path on Pershing Drive in Balboa Park. The killings of several people by drivers along the stretch sparked this action, and now, two and a half years later, the installation of a segregated bike lane is nearing completion.

(Eduardo Contreras/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Vicki Granowitz, a longtime North Park community leader, said the benefits of the new bike path far outweigh the drawbacks.

“I admit I miss being able to speed on Pershing, but it was stupid and dangerous,” she said. “You don’t save much time anyway.”

Granowitz, an avid walker, said the project could be more important for pedestrians than cyclists. There were no sidewalks on Pershing.

Granowitz said she understands why some residents get frustrated when they see bike lanes built and then little used. But she added that sometimes it’s important to build equipment a little before it’s needed.

Construction of the bike path, which began in early 2022, has drawn complaints because it reduced Pershing to one southbound lane. This forced commuters to either take Florida Street or another route north.

The bike path begins at Utah and Landis streets and extends south along Utah until it connects to Pershing in Upas. From there, it runs through Pershing Park and connects to downtown C Street.

The bike path is already functional, but crews are continuing to add signage, landscaping and other finishing touches this spring. Kluth said he expects a grand opening celebration in June.