FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN DIEGO, May 23, 2022
San Diego County Bicycle Coalition to Host Press Conference Calling on Mayor Todd Gloria to Increase Funding for City’s Quick-Build Bikeways Program
Bicycle Coalition to join Councilmember Raul Campillo, Circulate San Diego, Climate Action Campaign, community activists, and other speakers at City Hall to advocate for increased safe streets funding.
Speakers will call for increased funding in the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget to build a network of safe, separated bikeways around San Diego
WHEN:
2 pm, Wednesday, May 25th
WHERE:
San Diego City Hall Breezeway
Civic Center Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101
WHAT:
Speakers from the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, Circulate San Diego, the Climate Action Campaign, and several other mobility justice and environmental organizations will be convening with Councilmember Raul Campillo at San Diego City Hall to call on Mayor Todd Gloria to increase funding for the city’s quick-build bikeways program.
Speakers will discuss the bold commitments that Mayor Todd Gloria has made to increase bike ridership and safety in San Diego and ask him to follow up on those commitments with sufficient funding in the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget.
WHY:
Mayor Todd Gloria created the Safe and Sustainable Transportation for All Ages and Abilities Team (STAT) in 2021, with the goal of building nine miles of safe bikeways per year. The Bicycle Coalition is highly supportive of this program, but so far it has been moving too slowly to significantly increase bicycle safety or the number of people who feel comfortable riding bikes around their neighborhoods. At this conference, we will be asking Mayor Gloria to double the Fiscal Year 2023 funding for the STAT Team from $1.1 Million to $2.2 Million.
Mayor Gloria has led California in committing to the advancement of two ambitious goals: Vision Zero, or the elimination of all traffic fatalities by 2025, and San Diego’s Climate Action Plan, which seeks to shift 25% of all trips within San Diego’s Transit Priority Areas to biking/walking by 2035. Rapidly building a safe, connected network of bikeways around San Diego is one of the city’s key strategies in achieving both of these goals. For this reason, we’re asking Mayor Gloria to double funding for the STAT team and double the team’s mandate of building nine miles of bikeways per year to eighteen miles.
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition is also asking Mayor Gloria to dedicate a specific pool of funding within the Transportation Department to the maintenance of existing bikeways. As the city expands its network of safe bikeways, it needs to ensure that existing bikeways remain smooth and clear of debris.
SPEAKERS:
Raul Campillo, San Diego City Councilmember for District Seven
Andy Hanshaw, Executive Director, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
Laura Keenan, widow of Matt Keenan, who was killed by a driver while riding his bike in September 2021
Jesse O’Sullivan, Policy Counsel, Circulate San Diego
Madison Coleman, Policy Advocate, Climate Action Campaign
Randy Torres-Van Vleck, Director of Policy and Planning, City Heights Community Development Corporation
Jack Shu, SD350
QUOTES:
“Mayor Todd Gloria has been leading California with his commitments to road safety and climate action,” said Will Rhatigan, Advocacy Director for the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. “Now we’re asking Mayor Gloria to deliver on those commitments by fully funding a team to build a network of safe and connected bikeways all over San Diego.”
“A record-breaking seven people died while riding bikes in the City of San Diego in 2021,” Rhatigan continued. “If we are going to meet our climate action goals and convince more people to ride bikes, we need to act quickly to build a network of bikeways where everyone can feel safe.”
Additional details and contact:
Organizations:
Date and Time: Wednesday, May 25, 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
Location: Civic Center Plaza San Diego, CA 92101
Interviews: Contact Will Rhatigan at will@sdbikecoalition.org to coordinate interviews with conference speakers
###
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and protects the rights of all people who ride bicycles. They promote bicycling as a mainstream, safe and enjoyable form of transportation and recreation. For more information, please visit www.sdbikecoalition.org.
