Little Italy Leaders Call for Safer State Street Solution for All
The Little Italy Association (LIA) and Our Lady of the Rosary Church (OLR) are continuing to advocate for modifications to the City of San Diego’s proposed State Street bike lane design, citing concerns surrounding pedestrian safety, cyclist safety, and potential liability risks directly in front of the historic church, which is 102 years old and was financed and built by fishermen who helped establish Little Italy.
LIA and OLR support efforts to improve road safety and bicycle infrastructure in Little Italy. Their concerns are focused specifically on maintaining safe direct access to the church while minimizing potential conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians crossing the bike lane to attend daily services, weddings, funerals, baptisms, and other events.
As currently designed, the city’s plan places a ten-foot Class IV Cycle Track between the curb and a relocated “floating” loading zone directly in front of the church, requiring parishioners to enter and exit into oncoming traffic and then cross the bike lane to reach the curb and sidewalk. Community leaders say this creates serious concerns for elderly and disabled parishioners, daily mass attendees, funeral processions, wedding parties, and holiday gatherings. LIA and OLR are instead advocating for a modified plan that would maintain direct curbside access along the full frontage of Our Lady of the Rosary Church while preserving the original three-lane traffic configuration, with one lane converted into a Class III (Sharrow) bike lane.
“Our firm regularly handles cases involving unsafe road conditions,” said Michael Hernandez, attorney at HHJ Trial Attorneys. “This design has the hallmarks of exactly that — a situation where the City may be found liable for creating an unreasonably dangerous condition with full knowledge of how that space is used. Large groups of elderly parishioners, children, and individuals with mobility challenges regularly move through this area during funerals, weddings, and Mass. We believe that placing an active bike lane directly in their path is a foreseeable hazard that can easily be avoided.”
“This design also puts cyclists at unnecessary risk by routing them through one of the neighborhood’s highest pedestrian-traffic corridors. We strongly urge the city to prioritize safety over convenience and reconsider the Class IV bike lane.”
“Our concern is access and safety,” said Chris Gomez, chief executive administrator of the Little Italy Association. “We support safer streets and bike infrastructure, but we also have to acknowledge the reality of what takes place at Our Lady of the Rosary every single day and ensure there is a safe solution for everyone using this corridor.”
Our Lady of the Rosary Church hosts approximately 1,338 events annually, including 997 Masses; 66 special religious events; and 275 sacramental events, such as weddings, baptisms, confirmations, and funerals.
Church leaders say the frequency of these gatherings makes curbside access critical and increases the likelihood of interactions between pedestrians and cyclists directly outside the church.
“The concern is not whether bike infrastructure belongs in Little Italy – it’s whether this specific configuration creates unnecessary safety risks in front of one of the community’s most active institutions,” said Father Joseph Tabigue, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church. “We are advocating for a solution that protects cyclists while also ensuring parishioners can safely access the church.”
LIA and OLR also noted that, based on their research, only one church in Downtown and Uptown communities of San Diego currently has similar Class IV Cycle Track in front of it, and the church’s frontage has never been used as a regular operational use in the same way as Our Lady of the Rosary Church. Community leaders say the volume and frequency of services and events at OLR create unique access and safety considerations that should be carefully evaluated.
As part of ongoing discussions, OLR has offered to cover the cost to repaint portions of the State Street at no cost to the city.
LIA and OLR say they remain committed to working collaboratively with City leaders to identify a solution that improves safety and accessibility for all users of State Street.
Gomez offered, “Let’s talk about public safety that doesn’t cost the city more due to bicycle and pedestrian accidents and potential lawsuits.” Community members wishing to share their feedback are encouraged to contact Mayor Todd Gloria’s office at mayortoddgloria@sandiego.gov
Category: feature, Government, Historical, Lawsuits, Local News, Nonprofit, Religion
