ENCINITAS, Calif. — Some North County cyclists say change needs to happen on a stretch of Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas after a fellow cyclist was killed over the weekend.
The crash happened near the 2700 block of Coast Highway 101.
Shaun Wallace told CBS 8 the problem is the protected bike lanes. He said the bollards and wheel stops are to blame for crashes.
"Any time you put an immovable object next to a highly used bike lane, some cyclists are going to end up crashing into them," he said.
Wallace, a 2-time Olympic cyclist, said he and other cycling advocates warned the city four years ago not to install them. He said before they went in, there were no crashes in the area where the cyclist died. He said since they went in, he and others have been tracking the numbers. He said there have been more than 30 since 2020.
Around midnight on Sunday, 48-year-old Ryan Currie was found dead. According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, he was not wearing a helmet, and it doesn't appear a vehicle was involved.
Wallace said cyclists now have to swerve around pedestrians in the bike lanes, while also swerving around the wheel stops. He pointed out some cyclists don't even use the protected bike lanes anymore, because they don't want to get trapped in them. Instead, they ride in the number two lane of traffic.
He wants the City of Encinitas to remove the bollards and wheel stops.
"We thought when crashes, ambulances and surgeries started to happen they would realize their mistake, and they would correct it. And that's not happened, and that's extremely frustrating," said Wallace.
CBS 8 reached out to Mayor Tony Kranz for comment. So far, we have not heard back.