San Diego is in the midst of a major expansion of its bicycle network, with seven bikeway projects underway across the city that will eventually add more than 21 miles to the network. But as construction moves forward, some drivers say the projects are creating frustration in the short term — i ncluding along West Washington Street near Old Town, where traffic has been reduced to a single lane as crews work on a new bike path. The work is part of the Washington Street and Mission Valley Complete Streets Project, a SANDAG effort that will eventually create a roughly three-mile bikeway connecting the Old Town area to Mission Valley. Jenny Foster, who has lived in San Diego for nearly two decades, said she understands the goal of improving transportation options but questions whether the current projects are delivering enough benefit for drivers and residents. “Just this past month I spent a considerable time over there and the traffic at all times of day was insane,” Foster said. “If you don’t hit the light cycle right — like it took us more than 15 minutes to go less than a mile.” Foster said she’s also noticed the loss of street parking in areas where bike infrastructure is being added. “I like the thought San Diego, I like the thought but I don’t know,” she said. “In practice, I’m not using them, I don’t see a lot of other people using them, and I do think our dollars could be used for some other projects.” Foster said she has a bike and scooter but still typically chooses to drive because as she describes it, San Diego is centered around car culture. “I do have a bike and I do have a scooter and I don’t use them,” she said. “I’m still opting for the car because it’s convenient.” She also pointed to what she sees as broader transportation problems, including potholes and limited public transit options. “When I drive around I’m going through pothole after pothole after pothole, like my car is taking a beating from it,” Foster said. She said taking public transportation can also take significantly longer than driving. “I’ve tried the public transit thing here in San Diego,” Foster said. “It will take me 2 and a half hours to get somewhere on the bus, where it takes me 15 minutes in my car.” But transportation advocates say the bikeway projects are intended to address some of those longstanding challenges by giving people more ways to get around. Colin Parent, CEO and general counsel of Circulate San Diego, said the projects are not simply about accommodating bicyclists. “They’re important infrastructure projects that’re going to make streets safer for everyone, including bicyclists but also for motorists and pedestrians as well,” Parent said. Parent acknowledged that San Diego remains heavily oriented around driving, but said changing that requires investing in alternatives. “It’s true. This is a car-oriented community but the way that we change that is to change it,” Parent said. He pointed to the 30th Street bike lane in North Park as an example of a project that faced opposition before it was built. Parent said concerns included the potential impact on businesses and parking, but he argued that the bike lane has since become heavily used. “There’s tons of people who are able to get around in a way that they weren’t before,” Parent said. SANDAG says the bikeway projects are funded through a combination of federal, state and local funding, including TransNet — the countywide half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation projects. San Diego County voters extended the tax for another 40 years in 2004. Another recent SANDAG bikeway project broke ground in August along Orange and Central avenues near Teralta Park in City Heights. For people like Foster, however, the long-term benefits remain difficult to see while construction continues. “It’s so hard for me to justify,” she said. “I want to do the public transit thing, I want to. It’s so much smarter, right? It’s better for the earth. It’s better in a lot of ways. But it’s just like — in practice, or like coming to fruition, it’s just not there.” SANDAG says construction on the Washington Street and Mission Valley project is expected to be completed next year. NBC 7 reached out to SANDAG for comment on drivers’ concerns about traffic and construction and when they might expect relief. The agency had not responded at the time of publication. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less