A coalition of enterprise and civic teams is asking Caltrans for permission to carry a one-day “open streets” occasion on State Route 163 that will invite individuals to stroll and bike in an in any other case off-limits part of Balboa Park.
“Park-Way for a Day” could be much like CicloSDias, an everyday San Diego occasion when streets are closed off to automobiles, opened for pedestrians and cyclists and activated with meals distributors, artwork installations, music and actions.
The proposal has been endorsed by World Design Capital 2024, a yearlong sequence of occasions happening in San Diego and Tijuana meant to focus on the area as a hub for design that fosters innovation and collaboration in public areas.
Among the many coalition companions are enterprise teams such because the Downtown San Diego Partnership and the Hillcrest Business Improvement Association; policy-oriented nonprofits reminiscent of Circulate San Diego, Climate Action Campaign and BikeSD; and historic preservation teams reminiscent of Save Our Heritage Group and the Balboa Park Committee of 100.
“The help we have gotten from the neighborhood has been past expectations, and throughout all spectrums of city advocacy,” stated Brer Marsh, an architect who sits on the occasion’s organizing committee. “Individuals who would usually be opposed to one another on sure points help this occasion.”
Betsy Brennan, president and CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, stated a stronger connection between downtown and Balboa Park — which have been separated by the I-5 freeway for greater than 60 years — would enhance the neighborhood’s economic system and high quality of life.
“Packages like Park-Method for a Day that improve the pedestrian and biking experiences by way of activations like artwork installations, music and leisure are vital to additional strengthening that connection,” Brennan stated.
San Diego Metropolis Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, whose district contains Balboa Park, is to date the one elected official to help the occasion, calling it “an emblem of our dedication to creating areas the place everybody feels included and extra linked to at least one one other.”
“Identical to the enduring and memorable December Nights competition, Park-Method for a Day could be a uncommon probability for our residents to show civic delight and expertise their neighborhood park from a recent perspective,” Whitburn stated.
Opened to traffic in 1948, the part of SR-163 in Balboa Park is San Diego’s oldest freeway. It was designated a historic landmark in 2002, partly to forestall Caltrans from widening it with extra lanes.
Open streets occasions have taken place on freeways earlier than. The northbound lanes of SR-163 in Balboa Park are closed to visitors yearly for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. And final October, Los Angeles opened a bit of the 110 freeway for ArroyoFest for strolling and biking, attracting an estimated 45,000 attendees.
In March 2023, Caltrans briefly opened a section of SR-15 in Southeast San Diego to pedestrians and cyclists as a part of the statewide CleanCA initiative.
Caltrans spokesperson Steve Welborn stated the occasion coincided with upkeep work on the freeway and that Caltrans “would welcome the help of neighborhood and company companions to proceed constructing on our idea in one other traditionally underserved neighborhood.”
“These such occasions require an immense quantity of planning and coordination to account for upkeep wants, visitors administration, and the advantages and accessibility for communities,” Welborn stated.
Marsh acknowledged the occasion could possibly be a short lived inconvenience for some drivers, however stated the identical is true for beloved civic occasions, reminiscent of San Diego Satisfaction and December Nights.
“We would like this to be collaborative — it is not only one individual’s thought,” Marsh stated. “We would like all concepts to be delivered to the desk. And there is a lot area (on the freeway), I feel there’s room for that.”
