The Pacific Coast Bike Route is a landmark in Santa Cruz. The route, which runs from British Columbia to Southern California, has long passed through the city, running along Mission Street. Originally, the street was chosen because of all the services it provides cyclists. The problem, however, is that it cannot be widened to accommodate separate bike lanes. With traffic on the rise, people on bikes are often forced to compete with cars for their share of the road. In the past year alone, this has resulted in two fatalities.
The Sentinel reports that in its weekly meeting today, City Council will decide whether to move the route to West Cliff Drive. While it doesn’t have the same services as Mission Street, the view from West Cliff Drive is far more picturesque. It has low traffic volume and a multi-use path, which is similar to a bike lane. In other words, cyclists will not have to compete with cars like they currently do, and this can be done at minimal cost to the city.
There will, however, be some cost. Some 40 signs will have to be relocate or remade, at a cost of about $100 per sign. The cost, about $4,000, would be taken from the city’s transportation funding allocated by the state. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
