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A coalition of business and civic groups is asking Caltrans for permission to hold a one-day “open streets” event to encourage people to walk and bike in the Balboa Park exclusion zone on State Route 163. .
”one day parkway” will look like this: Cyclo SDiasa regularly held event in San Diego where streets are closed to car traffic, opened to pedestrians and bicycles, and activated with food vendors, art installations, music, and activities.
This proposal has been approved by World Design Capital 2024a year-long series of events in San Diego and Tijuana, aimed to highlight the region as a design hub that fosters innovation and collaboration in public spaces.
Our collaboration partners also include business groups such as: Downtown San Diego Partnership And that Hillcrest Business Improvement Associationpolicy-oriented nonprofits such as Circulate San Diego, Climate Action Campaign, and BikeSD; and historic preservation groups like Save Our Heritage Organization and Balboa Park Committee of 100.
“The support we received from the community was beyond our expectations and spanned all areas of urban advocacy,” said architect Bre Marsh, a member of the event’s organizing committee. “People who would normally be at odds with each other on certain issues support this event.”
Betsy Brennan, president and CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, said strengthening the connection between downtown and Balboa Park, which has been separated by the I-5 freeway for more than 60 years, would improve the neighborhood’s economy. said that the quality of life will improve.
“Programs like Parkway for a Day, which enhance the pedestrian and bicycle experience through activities such as art installations, music and entertainment, are essential to further strengthen that connection,” Brennan said. Ta.
Stephen Whitburn, a member of the San Diego City Council whose district includes Balboa Park, is the only elected official to support the event so far, calling it “a great way for everyone to get involved and connect with each other.” “It’s a symbol of our commitment to creating spaces that can be felt.”
“Like the iconic and memorable December Night Festival, Park Way for a Day provides residents with a unique opportunity to demonstrate civic pride and experience their community parks from a new perspective. “It will be,” Whitburn said.
Opened in 1948, the section of SR-163 in Balboa Park is San Diego’s oldest freeway. It was designated a historic landmark in 2002, in part to prevent Caltrans from expanding it with additional lanes.
Open street events have been held on expressways before. The northbound lanes of his SR-163 in Balboa Park are closed annually for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. And last October, Los Angeles opened a portion of Highway 110 to traffic. arroyo fest For walking and cycling, estimate 45,000 participants.
In March 2023, Caltrans briefly Opened the SR-15 section Southeast San Diego opens to pedestrians and cyclists as part of statewide effort clean ca Initiative.
Caltrans spokesman Steve Welborn said the event coincided with highway maintenance work and that Caltrans was “bringing our concept to another historically underserved community.” We welcome the support of our community and agency partners as we continue to build.”
“Events like this require a tremendous amount of planning and coordination, taking into account maintenance needs, traffic management, community benefits and accessibility,” Welborn said. .
Marsh acknowledged that the event may be a temporary inconvenience for some drivers, but said the same applies to popular civic events such as San Diego Pride and December Night.
“We want this to be collaborative. This is not one person’s idea,” Marsh said. “We want all ideas to be brought to the table, and there’s so much space (on the freeway) that I think there’s room for that.”
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