CXEdwards

In the 7 miles between Friars and Gilman, there are only four places where vulnerable road users can cross the I-5: Pacific Hwy, Tecolote, Clairemont, Balboa. Every one of these links between huge suburban population centers and some of the world's finest cycling is absurdly dangerous for cyclists. Cycling from Bay Park to Mission Bay is especially lethal. This summer while trying to cross the freeway on my bicycle, I was hit and badly injured by a high speed car at the bottom of Clairemont Hill approaching the overpass.

First of all "Share The Road" signs are not a solution; I was hit right next to one. This section of road is incredibly dangerous to both cyclists and pedestrians.

The key improvement that can be made is to remove the possibility to turn right onto the northbound ramp from the 2nd westbound overpass lane. This is supposed to be an aid to HOV but it is rarely a useful time saver for them. Note that I am proposing to feed the northbound onramp in the exact same way as the current southbound situation, i.e. from only the curb lane.

By removing the 2nd lane's right turn possibility that lane can be reliably established for cars needing to proceed forward to get on the southbound onramp. This would prevent all kinds of confusion and dangerous lane changing for cars. Currently cyclists can not simply cross over one lane to get clear of turning traffic, but they must really ride between the left two lanes to be sure that a car won't turn right into them. (Though cars are then likely to merge into them aiming for the southbound onramp.)

This 2nd turn lane does add terrible ambiguity to the pedestrian situation. A pedestrian trying to cross can make eye contact with the stopped driver in the right lane and start to cross with the walk signal showing only to be hit by a high speed car turning right from the 2nd lane. That car can not see the pedestrian through the curb lane car to their right which they believe is stopped because of traffic (the assumed point of the 2nd lane).

Another important change is to make the pedestrian controls trigger a red arrow preventing right turns. Currently cars do not easily see pedestrians on the unnaturally high curb and are not thinking about them. Compound the problem with the second lane turning right into pedestrian's right of way and it's a disaster. Clearly there is a problem because a sign has been added in recent years to remind cars to watch for pedestrians, but cars can not see that sign when they are poised to make that turn and the narrow approach to the turn requires all a driver's attention.

Obviously some proper bike lanes to delimit cars from cyclists would improve the situation substantially. This is especially true in the high speed run up to the onramps where I was hit. Cyclists need to start merging left into high speed traffic (to not get on the freeway) and cars need to shift right to approach the onramps.

TIP FOR CYCLISTS: While we are stuck with this extremely dangerous situation, my new solution is to use the south overpass sidewalk to cross west bound. This can be accessed smoothly from the motel parking lot and both of the offramp crossings are much safer than the north side of the road onramp crossings. The northbound offramp walk light is even an effective and safe solution. If you're taking kids on bicycles down from Bay Park to Mission Bay, this is, in my opinion, the only safe way to do it.