A community workshop to find ways to make it safer to bicycle, walk or skateboard around the village will be held on Monday, June 19. The workshop is part of a project to develop an Active Transportation Master Plan by the end of this year. This is the second Active Transportation Plan workshop. The first, held in February, was a general, wide open look at what residents thought was needed. Among the most mentioned was a way for bicyclists to get to where they needed to be – work, school or a picnic in the park – without risking life or limb.  Monday’s workshop will focus on ways that can be accomplished.
One way would be to paint Shared Lane Markings (SLMs), or sharrows (double-arrow/chevron with a bicycle icon) on the right lane of Orange Avenue to alert motorists to expect bicycle traffic. A dedicated bike lane on D Avenue has been suggested. It would be similar to, and intersect with, ones on First Street and Sixth Street.
Greenways are another way to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe. These are areas with little traffic and slow speeds. Signs and pavement markings are added to discourage motor vehicles. The planners have suggested making portions of I Avenue a greenway.
The biggest concern, of course, is making sure kids can get to and from school safely.
To that end the city council inaugurated a safe route to school program several years ago, by adding a bike lane on Sixth Street. There were plans to add one to H Avenue to complete the route, but some people on H Avenue objected. Planners are now suggesting improvements to streets children take to school, such as crosswalk upgrades, curb ramp installations and possible traffic calming measures.
One of Coronado’s most congested areas, especially in summer, is Ocean Boulevard. The sidewalks are narrow. The road isn’t wide enough to add a bike lane without removing parking spaces. All a perfect mix for congestion and confusion with pedestrians, skateboarders, roller-bladers and bicyclists all competing for space. In the summertime, people looking for parking or loading and unloading beach paraphernalia make the street even more dangerous.
An idea from the Bicycle Master Plan to explore building a multi-use path was crushed under a wave of protests.
This time around no specific recommendations have been made. Instead, planners have made suggested improvements, such as landscaped or painted medians, flashing signs to alert drivers to pedestrians. They also want to know if residents think it’s a good idea to make bicyclists dismount and walk their bikes on the sidewalk, just as they are expected to do on Orange Avenue?
Other proposals involving way-finder signage around the ferry landing and traffic calming measures near the Cays entrance.
The workshop will be held Monday, June 19, in the Winn Room at the Coronado Public Library from 6pm to 8pm. Separate workstations for each proposal will be set up around the room. You can stop by as few or as many as you are interested in. If for example, you’re chiefly concerned about congestion on Ocean Boulevard, you can stop by that table, read proposed solutions, look at the maps, ask questions or comment in less than 10 or 15 minutes, then be on your way. Light refreshments will be available.
