Southern California - Kearny Villa Rd. San Diego

I have invited people, media, and government to meet me at 3 pm tomorrow (Friday, March 26) on the southbound shoulder of Kearny Villa Rd. to discuss and call attention to the substandard pavement conditions and the potential for deadly conflict with motor traffic that has claimed the lives of two cyclists since 2001. I'll be stopping on my commute home for 20 minutes to see if anyone is interested in showing up. I admit it's kind of a long shot, but the story is in the print media for the sixth time since the last fatality in 2005 and I'd like to exploit the issue while it's still fresh in the mind of local government. Meet on the southbound side just north of the Miramar Way overpass. I'm riding a 1989 Olmo commuter with fenders, panniers, handlebar bag, and flashing daytime running lights front and rear. I'm wearing red and white kit.

I ride that regularly, although don't know about any incidents (not tuned in to local news and somewhat new to the area). Can you expand on the problems?

cars merge across the bike lane to get on to south bound 163/I-15 and kill cyclists...twice...one was a young Marine

Do you have a solution in mind?

I ride that regularly, although don't know about any incidents (not tuned in to local news and somewhat new to the area). Can you expand on the problems?

Stop at the 163 off ramp on the southbound side and watch how cars and cyclists handle the intersection. The way the two groups commonly handle that ramp put them on a collision course with each other. Two people died in the spot since 2001.

What makes the whole situation worse is there are no reasonable alternatives for cyclists. Most dangerous routes have safer alternatives. This one does not.

An thread from when Klokow died there:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?132808-San-Diego-Hit-Run-on-Kearny-Villa-Rd

There used to be a ghost bike and a Marine Corp flag in the spot.

Do you have a solution in mind?

Eliminate the sweeping high speed freeway-style transition ramp from southbound Kearny Villa Rd. to southbound Hwy 163 and bring traffic bound for 163 to a controlled 90 degree turn to provide safe passage for non-motorized road users. This was promised after Capt. Klokow was killed in August 2005.

Repave the southbound bike lane between Miramar Rd. and Harris Plant Rd. This was promised earlier this year after Susan Norman crashed when her front wheel caught in one of the deep fissures that criss-crossed the bike lane before some were filled with cold patch asphalt humps that prevent riding in the bike lane altogether.

Time to wake up and smell the coffee, San Diego!

"Today I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized."

-US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood; March 11, 2010

After you address the media at your location send them over to my neighborhood. It's pretty bad around here too.