Grassroots nonprofit beautifulPB has a new leader but the same aim of promoting sustainable mobility and community enhancement in the beach community.

Ryan Stock has taken the helm from Katie Machett. He talked about his background and his goals for the organization, giving an update on PB Pathways, PB Counts, and a new forward-looking effort to create an arts district in Pacific Beach. That effort intends to meld the community’s numerous public murals and other artistic enhancements into a coherent whole incorporating public art. It would involve everything from numerous existing and new murals on buildings to art on trash cans to the creation of new art projects.

Pointing out he was beautifulPB’s vice president for almost a year before getting the leadership torch passed to him, Stock said, “I was interested in the role and the board agreed I would be a good fit, so I stepped into it in April of this year.”

About his approach to his new role, Stock said: “I’m trying to make sure we have a quality conversation about facilitating our objectives, making sure we have true information that we can distribute throughout the community about our policy directions. We are trying to be a creative organization bringing information such as PB Counts (annual traffic survey of non-motorized versus motorized vehicle use) to the community.”

Stock noted longtime beautifulPB member Chris Olson was in charge of this year’s traffic count on Aug. 10. Addressing other group initiatives Stock said: “I want to digitize a lot of things. The conversation and process could be leveled out in the digital realm. That starts with things like recording public meetings, and doing other things that bring things into the 21st century.”

Stock pointed out that people nowadays “really do interact” a lot more online in terms of public discussions, He added that beautifulPB also needs to take things to “the next level” on its website and with its social media presence.

“I would love to broadcast public meetings which would make it easier for people to get engaged and empowered adding to the conversation,” Stock said.

The idea behind creating a new arts district in PB stems from the long list of beautiful murals and other art projects already already in place in the community. Stock said a future arts district could include a map of all the existing art within the community. “People want to know where they can see all the beautiful murals on the walls of various businesses and individual properties around town,” he said. “In addition, we are working with artists to get more murals. We’d like to get one or two new murals a year. That’s our goal.”

One new mural exploring a wildlife theme is about to begin to be painted soon on the back wall at Surfpost on 4629 Cass St. That mural is expected to be formally unveiled Aug. 24 at 1 p.m.

“The idea is the arts district wouldn’t be geographically defined but be more of a hub for artists in an area where people are looking to have art done,” concluded Stock. “We hope to bring various types of art in the community into one central hub to attract people to this community.”

An arts district could also be inspirational. “The idea is to create a model to allow individuals within the community, who are very passionate about certain projects, to help empower them to make that change,” said Stock. “We want to plant that flag and put out the signal to the art community. We want to bring people together. When you do that a lot of dynamic things happen.”

Stock also talked about PB Pathway’s Phase 3 draft plans now available on the group’s website. “We’re happy to see the community engaging with our draft proposals to make PB a better place to bike, walk, and roll,” Stock said about the program which seeks to lower traffic on roads and streets within town via the creation of bike boulevards and a local bike network. “That initial map was adopted by PB Planning Group in 2015 and started with wayfinding signage,” Stock said adding the ultimate goal is to “create traffic calming to promote safer and more pleasant bike and pedestrian routes.” He also noted every person using non-motorized forms of travel is “one less person waiting at a stoplight.”