Member Q&A #3: Supporting Safer Streets in Clairemont
In this installment of our Member Q&A Series, we’re highlighting a thoughtful question from Michelle, a dedicated e-bike commuter in Clairemont. Michelle reached out after hearing community backlash to the new bike lanes in her neighborhood. She wanted to know:
“I commute to work by ebike in Clairemont where bike lanes are being added on some major streets. In my networks, I am hearing an enormous amount of backlash… I just hope we aren’t going to be the next Vista. If you have any suggestions or ideas, let me know. I want to be helpful.”
Drivers protesting Clairemont Drive bike lanes.
Our Response
Thank you for reaching out, and for biking every day in Clairemont! It’s not easy pushing back against the “car culture,” and we appreciate your commitment to safer, healthier streets.
Here are a few key points we shared with Michelle that may help others having similar conversations in their communities:
Safety First: Clairemont Drive is part of SANDAG’s Focus Safety Network, which identifies the 6% of streets responsible for more than half of the region’s serious crashes. In just the past year, three people were killed on this corridor (1)(2)(3). Current designs are dangerous, and change is urgent.
Protected Bikeways Benefit Everyone: Research shows that when bikeways are protected, everyone is safer, including drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. These improvements aren’t just about bikes; they’re about reducing fatalities and injuries for the whole community.
Low-Cost, High-Impact Improvements: Because this project is part of the larger Pure Water resurfacing effort, the safety upgrades come at minimal additional cost. Resurfacing and restriping are cost-effective tools to make streets safer without major construction.
Planning & Consultation: These projects undergo long planning phases and often originate from documents like the Clairemont Mesa Community Plan, the Bicycle Master Plan, or the Mobility Master Plan. Consultation may have happened years ago, with different community leaders, but the roots are there.
What You Can Do
Michelle asked how she could be helpful. Here’s what we suggest for anyone supporting safer streets:
Reach out to your Councilmember. For Clairemont, that’s Councilmember Jennifer Campbell. Share your support and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.
Share the facts. Remind your networks that safer street designs save lives—and they benefit everyone.
Stay engaged. Review Chapter 3 of the updated Clairemont Mesa Community Plan (Mobility, starting on page 76) to see how these projects align with broader city goals.
Final Thoughts
Shifting away from decades of car-first culture is difficult. As Michelle pointed out, people have been told their whole lives that streets exist primarily for cars. But projects like these show the City’s commitment to Vision Zero (eliminating serious injuries and fatalities) and building a future where kids can safely bike to school.
Thank you, Michelle, for your advocacy and for raising this important conversation. And thank you to all our members who keep pushing for safer, more sustainable streets in every neighborhood of San Diego.
