Residents of a Mira Mesa neighborhood were shocked to discover that one of their roads was recently changed, and many of them are outraged. Gold Coast Drive was changed to having one car lane down the middle of the street and two bike lanes on each side. Many residents say that the new design actually makes it less safe. On top of that, the City of San Diego did not consult or notify the residents of the change.
Residents voiced their concerns to KUSI’s Dan Plante. One resident, Charles Martin, called the new lane “not logical” and criticized the decision by the city or the person who, “made the decision to put that stupid lane down the street”. While the lane looks like it is only one lane, it is in fact a two lane road that only runs for one block. When drivers are driving down the road, many are confused as to whether to drive down the middle or the sides to make room for other drivers. If a biker is in the bike lane, it could become very dangerous as cars could veer into the bike lane. Many residents were shocked to see this change. Even City Councilman Chris Cate who represents Mira Mesa was not made aware of this according to KUSI.
Road changes like this are part of the San Diego Climate Action Goals. The Climate Action Plan is a city plan that is trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2035. Part of the plan, according to the city website is by changing, “San Diego’s transportation landscape.”. Plante wonders if Mira Mesa is being used as a testing ground for future projects around San Diego. KUSI reached out to Mayor Todd Gloria for an answer but has not responded.
