SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Bike lanes have been getting a lot of attention recently in San Diego.
Some people love them, some people hate them. Residents and business owners in North Park, Rancho Penasquitos and Mira Mesa have all encountered new bike lanes in their neighborhoods within the past year.
According to one of the city's bike counters near 30th and University, by 8:00 a.m., 71 riders had used the bike lanes Thursday.
CBS 8 cameras captured around 15-20 bike riders from 8:00 a.m. through noon. Out of the three neighborhoods we went to, North Park definitely had the highest number of riders.
Vincent Rivera said he loves the protected bike lanes.
"Paint, a lot of times, really doesn't do much. It doesn't add to that sense of protection. When you have a physical barrier, you feel like the car would rather hit that physical barrier before you," said Rivera.
CBS 8 also checked out Gold Coast Drive in Mira Mesa. This was the street that caused an uproar in the neighborhood. The city's new bike lanes drew so much resistance, the city re-paved it to its original design. We did not see anyone using the bike lanes today.
CBS 8 also checked out Azuaga Street in Rancho Penasquitos. Recently, neighbors voiced anger and frustration to the city about the new bike lanes because they took away parking on the street.
During the morning commute, we spent an hour there and saw three bikers using the new lanes.
The city has said previously it takes time for people to realize the new lanes are there. They expect traffic to pick up after people get used to them.
"We simply can’t achieve our climate goals without getting more people biking and walking," said City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. "We also know by making biking more accessible to get around, we are expanding economic opportunity. Biking is cheaper than having a car. No one should feel like they have to own a car to safely move around."
WATCH RELATED: Residents relieved after City of San Diego changes confusing bike lanes on Gold Coast Drive back to its original design (Apr 14, 2022)