San Clemente to Improve Conditions for Cyclists

By Allen Flatt Ballidis & Leslie on March 15, 2012

Emulating Denver, Long Beach, and other bicycle-friendly cities, San Clemente is developing a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan to improve conditions for those utilizing streets and sidewalks for walking and cycling, reported the Orange County Register. Officials from the city rode along for a tour of the measures Long Beach has implemented in recent years to make cycling safer and more convenient, such as allocating one of the three lanes on a street for riding, adding more bike lanes, racks, and corals, and creating bike-share programs for city employees.

“Accommodating cyclists and pedestrians not only encourages the use of cleaner, healthier modes of transportation but also enhances the safety of the area,” explained California bike accident attorney James Ballidis.

Boulder, Colorado, Davis, California, and Portland, Oregon were among the communities considered the most bicycle friendly by the League of American Bicyclists in 2011. Long Beach also made the list, placing in bronze. The League evaluates cities based on the extent to which they support and accommodate cyclists by providing infrastructure, safety education, and traffic enforcement.

While San Clemente did not receive the California Office of Traffic Safety’s worst ranking for bicyclist safety in 2010—placing 82^nd out of 103 cities with similarly sized populations—there were 10 fatal and injury accidents involving cyclists there that year. Hopefully, as the city develops and implements its Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, the incidence of such collisions will decline and its ranking improve.

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