VISTA — An ongoing project to install protected bike lanes throughout Vista is raising safety concerns for some travelers along Melrose Drive, prompting the City Council to reconsider several recently installed berms and delineators in the Shadowridge area.
As of last week, the city has installed protected bike lanes with stripe painting, berms and delineators along northbound South Melrose, Taylor Street, North Santa Fe Avenue, and Longhorn Drive.
Southbound South Melrose and Sycamore remain under construction, and more protected bike lanes will be added in the future along Olive Avenue, North Melrose, Vista Village Drive, East Bobier Way and East Vista Way.
At the suggestion of District 4 Councilmember Dan O’Donnell, the council agreed in a 4-1 vote on May 27 to remove all berms and delineators installed along Melrose Drive between Shadowridge Drive and Dawson Drive, and replace all berms with additional delineators between Dawson Drive and Faraday Avenue.
O’Donnell said many residents have reached out with concerns about the berms in these areas, citing the safety risks and traffic impacts they present to drivers and bikers. One danger is that bikers may accidentally hit a berm while traveling downhill at high speed, which could result in severe injury.
“For District 4, the topography is so different than anywhere else in the city. There’s so much ingress and egress,” O’Donnell said.
The decision was made after more than three hours of discussion, including dozens of public comments, regarding the berms. Some residents complained that when the berms were first installed, they were not painted or striped, which made them difficult for drivers to see and caused some accidents.
“The first indication that something was seriously wrong was when I saw whole black berms being placed on the road with no other sensory cues,” said resident Armen Kurdian. “This was not well thought out, and it was not well implemented.”
Other residents said that because the berms now physically separate the side of the road from vehicle lanes, cars cannot pull off onto the shoulder when there is an accident, which can back up traffic. They also voiced worries about emergency vehicle access.
“From my point of view, the adverse consequences have far outweighed any benefits gained, and I think there’s other solutions that could be done to create safety for the bikes without the hazards,” said resident Jim Manning.
However, many cyclists spoke at the meeting to say that the protected lanes make them feel safer.
Residents living along and near Melrose said people often speed down the roadway, making it dangerous for cyclists. Several also recalled the tragic death of a cyclist killed last year along Melrose.
“We rely on the city to ensure that everyone of all ages and all modes of transport are safe. Melrose is not a freeway, it’s a neighborhood,” resident Maria Jolliff said.
Middle school student and Boy Scout Asher Law, who lives near Vista Sports Park, said he and his friends often bike in the area and are grateful for the protected bike lanes.
“I feel that these protected bike lanes are necessary,” Law said. “People might argue that it’s inconvenient, but speed should not be favored over safety.”
Council disagreements
Mayor John Franklin urged the City Council to authorize the removal of all the berms installed so far in the city and to forgo those that remain to be installed, claiming that the majority of residents, including many on social media, were opposed to them.
As of last week, approximately 70% of the project has been completed, with $1 million in work remaining, according to City Manager John Conley. The estimated cost to remove the already-installed berms is approximately $500,000.
Franklin argued that the city could cut their losses and not spend any more money on the project.
“If you want to have a vote to save half a million dollars, that’s a fiscally prudent decision,” Franklin said. “Why not sometimes just give the people what they want? They think it’s dangerous because it is. They think it’s ugly because it is.”
Concerns about the safety of protected bike lanes have also been shared in Encinitas, where they are installed along Coast Highway 101. During the Vista council meeting, Franklin asked Encinitas Traffic Commissioner Ron Medak to speak about the data he has gathered from law enforcement and residents’ accounts about bike accidents along the corridor.
Except for Councilmember Jeff Fox, council members said they would not be in favor of this. District 1 Councilmember Corinna Contreras said safer bike facilities have been needed for a long time, especially in her district.
“I’m sorry if you don’t like what we’re doing, but my constituents, they have begged for more safety, and I’m gonna fight for them,” Contreras said.
Vista Fire Chief Gerard Washington spoke about some of the safety concerns. He confirmed that the protected lanes will cause more traffic backups if there is an accident on the roadway because people cannot pull over.
While the protected lanes have not been in place very long, he said the department can collect more data going forward about related accidents.
“I can’t speak to how many accidents will happen. I can tell you when they were first placed, there were a few vehicles damaged,” Washington said of the berms.
Contreras, O’Donnell and Councilmember Katie Melendez acknowledged that the rollout of the project could have been done better, and said they were open to reevaluating the project if safety issues continue to arise.
“I really appreciate the feedback about the rollout of this program. I think we have some valid criticisms about the rollout of this new infrastructure,” Melendez said. “We have a lot of options, not just the motion the mayor put out … we don’t have to just go through and remove everything.”
The city has been seeking to add protected bike lanes throughout major corridors in the city, including along the portion of the Melrose corridor that continues into Oceanside.
On May 13, the city approved an agreement with the city of Oceanside to add a protected bike lane along a 1,750-foot stretch of South Melrose near Cannon Road, to create continuity with the project in Vista. The city of Oceanside will cover the $115,000 cost.
