In 2021, when the City of San Diego restriped 30th Street after replacing century-old underground pipelines, the move was controversial. Parking was reconfigured, traffic patterns shifted and a busy commercial corridor through North Park and South Park was given something it had never had before: protected bike lanes.
Four years later, the numbers tell a different story.
According to data from San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and a city-installed bike counter, annual cycling trips along 30th Street hovered around 50,000 before the lanes went in. In the first full year after installation, that figure jumped to 114,682 rides — a staggering 120 per cent increase. Ridership hasn’t plateaued since. Counts rose another 1.7 per cent in 2023, 5.7 per cent in 2024 and 6.9 per cent in 2025, marking four straight years of growth.
“The initial huge bump was due to the installation of a protected bikeway, spanning 1.5 miles in the heart of North Park,” says Ian Hembree, a spokesperson for the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. “In the previous condition bicyclists were expected to share with motor vehicle traffic, which was limiting ridership. Another reason is the increased density and popularity of North Park.”
For a cycling audience, that steady climb is the real headline. Protected infrastructure didn’t just create a one-year spike; it reshaped travel behaviour.
Before 2022, people on bikes were expected to mix it up with cars and buses on one of the city’s busiest neighbourhood streets. Today, the curb-protected lanes offer a clear, comfortable north–south spine through some of San Diego’s densest communities, linking homes to cafés, parks and everyday errands. Riders use the corridor to access Balboa Park, connect to the Georgia-Meade, Landis and Howard bikeways, and reach the award-winning Pershing Bikeway into downtown — proof that bike lanes work best as part of a growing network, not as isolated segments.
“This has been the biggest driving factor in increasing ridership, to the point where it has more than doubled,” Hembree explains. “In the last 4 years. The previous condition (a busy commercial street with parking, where cyclists are expected to mix in traffic at speeds hovering around 30 miles per hour) would be classified as a Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) 2.5-3 (depending on who you ask), whereas the new condition (a dedicated, physically separated lane) would be classified as an LTS of 1. This opens the door to a huge population of people who do not have the risk tolerance to try biking in traffic for large stretches.”
30th Street protected bike lanes in San Diego
What makes 30th Street particularly instructive is how ordinary the opportunity was. The city was already tearing up the road to replace aging pipes. When it resurfaced the street, it chose to build a “complete street” that serves all users. No flashy megaproject. No massive standalone budget line. Just smart coordination and political will.
“For cash-strapped cities (such as San Diego) this is the most cost effective way to build transformative bike projects,” he adds. “We like to use the phrase “resurface, repurpose” emphasizing the vital opportunity we have to reallocate roadway space for bikes when repaving our streets. There is no cheaper time for change than when the asphalt is fresh.”
The result is a corridor that advocates say feels calmer and more welcoming, not only for people on bikes but for those walking and driving as well. Local businesses along 30th — from breweries to delis — are now accessed by customers arriving by bike in noticeable numbers. Community leaders note that in a rapidly growing neighbourhood, driving is often no longer the most practical way to get around.
For cities looking to meet climate goals or boost local main streets, the lesson is straightforward: when people feel safe, they ride. And when routes connect meaningful destinations, they keep riding.
“30th Street displays a very basic, self-evident fact about bike infrastructure, which is that a well-connected, safe network of dedicated lanes will allow people to leave their cars at home, and choose to bike instead,” Hembree says. “Any concerns about lost business have not been realized as North Park is more popular than ever before, and business is booming.”
The 30th Street protected bike lanes have now delivered four consecutive years of growth in one of America’s most bike-friendly climates. In an era when some municipalities are wavering on active transportation investments, San Diego’s experience offers a data-backed reminder that high-quality infrastructure isn’t just symbolic. It’s catalytic.