Bus Lanes

Making the bus faster and saving your valuable time.

Scroll below to learn how we’re advancing Bus Lanes in San Diego

Hillcrest

When the City was updating the plan for Hillcrest in 2024, it’s first draft did not contain strong policies on dedicated bus lanes or transit signal priority. RideSD sent a letter to the City and asked our supporters who live, work, and play in Hillcrest to send in comments too.

The City listened and the final draft of the Hillcrest plan contained more explicit policies on dedicated transit lanes, stronger language on transit signal priority, and more bus lanes!

RideSD also organized supporters to send in comments and speak at the City Council hearing on Hillcrest plan update. The result was a unanimous approval of a plan that calls for bus lanes on University Avenue and Washington Street.

BikeSD: Balboa Park

BikeSD (RideSD’s sister org) led a campaign to transform Park Boulevard in Balboa Park into a corridor that prioritizes bikes and transit.

BikeSD organized dozens of supporters to speak in several Balboa Park Committee meetings. They successfully persuaded the committee to approve a redesign of Park Boulevard that calls for Class IV bike lanes and bus-only lanes throughout the entire of the street through Balboa Park!

Currently, the City has implemented the Class IV bike lanes and most of the bus lanes.

Many of the supporters from this campaign were the co-founders of RideSD.
You can learn more about BikeSD’s campaign by clicking here.

Fast‑Tracking Coastal Bus Lanes 

Bus and bike lanes on the coast were facing lengthy Coastal Commission reviews. After a cyclist was killed on a road waiting for a bike lane approval, Senator Catherine Blakespear introduced SB 689 to expedite the approvals. RideSD suggested including dedicated bus and transit lanes in the bill—an idea that the Senator made happen!

Signed by the Governor in 2024, SB 689 now lets coastal cities and counties:

Skip the traffic study when converting vehicle lanes to bus lanes.
Use the Coastal Commission’s fast‑tracking process to update Local Coastal Plans with bus lanes.

Coastal Cities and Counties can now roll out bus lanes faster and efficiently.

College Area

The City’s first draft for the College Area plan update only suggested transit lanes on El Cajon Boulevard from 54th Street to College Avenue, and they were not explicitly mentioned as a Policy.

RideSD submitted a letter urging the inclusion of additional bus lanes and mobilized local supporters to submit public comments in support.

Thanks to our advocacy, the final draft proposed bus lanes on:

El Cajon Boulevard (ECB) from 54th Street to Montezuma Road.
College Avenue from El Cajon Boulevard to Montezuma Road

Clairemont

The City’s first draft for the updated Clairemont plan contained no explicit bus lanes. RideSD sent a letter and asked supporters to chime in.

Following our advocacy, the final draft included a bus lanes along a key corridor: Genesee Avenue between SR-52 and Marlesta Drive.

These lanes will directly support the high-ridership Route 41, while setting up SANDAG’s NextGen Rapid 41 for success.