The controversy over the Santa Fe Drive bike lanes gives me a sense of Encinitas political déjà vu. It’s fascinating to watch former mayor Catherine Blakespear follow in the footsteps of another former mayor, Tony Kranz, by letting a single issue define her legacy.
In 2024, Mayor Kranz was so intent on passing Measure K, a sales tax increase with no dedicated purpose, that he said the measure mattered more to him than his own race for mayor. He lost that race.
Now a state senator and running to keep her seat, Blakespear seems to share that mentality on Santa Fe Drive. She even slipped language into an unrelated bill, SB114, that runs counter to the wishes of her own constituents and the current City Council.
I’ve also noticed how many outlets have run the photo of the senator and friends riding bikes along Santa Fe Drive. It’s bucolic and carefree, with all the hallmarks of a staged photo op. Here’s a different picture: the same stretch on Wednesday, Oct. 7, taken during the middle of the school day with no pedestrians or cyclists. Imagine this scene with students trying to get to school safely.
Granted, that’s one day a week, but it’s 20 percent of every school week.
To borrow a line from Senator John Kennedy: whoever designed and approved this stretch of Santa Fe Drive was most likely homeschooled by a day drinker.
Bill Rodewald
Encinitas
