Go back and start over. That’s what 21 of 24 audience members speaking out at the July 24 meeting of Pacific Beach Planning Group’s Streets and Sidewalks Sub-Committee would like to see done with Slow Streets on Diamond Street.
The Slow Streets initiative aims to improve safety, create a pedestrian-friendly space, and encourage alternative travel modes. Slow Streets allows the City to adopt a rule or regulation by ordinance to implement a program which may include closures to vehicular traffic or through vehicular traffic of neighborhood local streets with connections to bicycle networks, destinations within walking distance, or green space.
Slow Streets was initiated on Diamond in PB during COVID for traffic calming starting near PB Rec Center and PB Middle School to Mission Boulevard and the beach. Orange bollards were put in to designate the Slow Streets portion of the roadway.
Ever since then, traffic calming on Diamond has been a major bone of contention within the beach community pitting bicycling and non-motorized vehicle enthusiasts against a large and vocal group of residents along Diamond and side streets. Some neighbors claim Slow Streets is diminishing their quality of life, causing more problems than it solves and is having the opposite effect of that intended: not slowing traffic and making streets less safe.
PB’s Diamond Slow Street is the only one currently activated. The City has proposed implementing another Slow Street on Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter Downtown.
“Several residents are here to ask that Slow Streets on Diamond be considered by the full Pacific Beach Planning Group,” said PBPG Streets and Sidewalks Sub-Committee chair Greg Daunoras on July 24. “They want three options considered: Leave Slow Streets on Diamond alone, modify it, or eliminate it. PBPG will make their recommendation to the City, which will make the ultimate decision.”
Numerous neighbors of Diamond Street testified that Slow Streets has failed.“There have never been any studies done showing Diamond Street was dangerous,” argued Laurice Tomlin who lives on Diamond. “It was just taken. People who live there every day feel and suffer the consequences.”
“Please remove those bollards, it doesn’t make sense to have them there,” implored Evette Callahan adding, “My lived experience is those (slow) streets are not safe because people (motorists) are cutting through, and they’re also speeding down our alleys (avoiding Diamond).”
“I’d like to see all the bollards removed,” testified Rich A. adding, “They don’t belong in PB. They’re ugly and they’re stupid.”
“I fully believe in traffic calming,” noted Diamond neighbor Jessica Moore. “I and others fought for a four-way stop, which works, and the City put it in. We want the bollards removed.”
Chris Olson, a member of the nonprofit beautifulPB advocating for non-motorized travel, was concerned about observing the “process” involved in PB traffic-calming. “We have a PB Plan and PB Pathways (a network of streets with lower vehicle traffic more suitable for activity mobility) and a thorough process of multiple meetings involved,” he said adding, “The whole idea (behind Safe Streets) is that this is to be sent out to all the (civic) groups for them to make comments on it ‘before’ you say you want to change something.”
Subcommittee members then gave their takes on Diamond Street. “You guys (neighbors) have voiced your opinion that you’ve not been noticed for meetings or asked for your input (on Diamond) and that’s not right,” said Debbie Conca. “We need to go back, take the bollards down, and start (planning) over.”
“We’re trying to hear you,” added Daunoras.
Subcommittee member Charlie Nieto agreed Diamond Slow Streets needs to be reconsidered. “I can appreciate all the work that’s gone into this but this isn’t a cure,” he said. “It’s putting lipstick on a pig. We need to start over and do an actual traffic study and notify people about what other traffic-calming options there are other than bollards.”
“The City’s process (for Diamond) was horrible,” argued subcommittee member Scott Chipman. “This (Safe Street) is not working at all. There is no reason why we can’t put in a Class 3 multi-modal transportation street without bollards. We didn’t have a good process, so the first thing we need to do is go back and start over from the beginning, let the City answer our questions about slow streets.”
The District 1 office said the City plans to review its Slow Streets initiative this fall after council members return from summer recess in August. The full PBPG will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Earl and Birdie Taylor Library, 4275 Cass St.
