Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting – July 17, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting – July 17, 2025
The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met on July 17, 2025, at 9:00 AM. Chaired by Councilmember Whitburn, the committee heard public comments, approved a consent agenda, and received presentations on the SANDAG 2025 Regional Plan, authorization for city forces on CIP projects, and an IBA analysis on transportation safety. Key actions included unanimous approval of the consent agenda (Items 1–4) and authorization for city forces on mill and pave and sidewalk projects (Item 5). Information items on the regional plan and safety priority were discussed with no formal vote required.
Consent Calendar
The committee approved Items 1–4 unanimously (4-0):
- Item 1: Approval of June 26, 2025 committee minutes.
- Item 2: Contract extension with Techert Energy and Utilities Group for Block 4Y Utility Undergrounding ($14.8 million).
- Item 3: Agreement with Black and Beach Corporation for pump station construction management services ($6.7 million).
- Item 4: First amendment to agreement with Bullet Concrete Pumping for as-needed concrete pumping services.
Non-Agenda Public Comments
Speakers addressed a range of topics:
- Madison (mother of three) highlighted a JAMA study showing a tenfold increase in emergency room visits for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome among adolescents since 2016, urging youth-friendly infrastructure that limits cannabis dispensary visibility.
- Andrea Ebing alleged corruption in infrastructure approvals, referencing a donation to the sheriff's PAC and a lawsuit against the district attorney.
- Terry Ann Skelly (planning group member) supported DUI enforcement and noted that cannabis impairs driving, citing the National Safety Council.
- Blair Beekman commented on hillside stability issues and surveillance technology policies, praising the city's approach.
- Joy Sonata (District 3) expressed excitement about air taxis and urged the city to prepare for this technology.
- Jason B (downtown resident) said pedestrian danger has increased since COVID, with three times as many traffic fatalities as homicides, and criticized the city for prioritizing traffic flow over safety.
- Kathleen Lippett (public health researcher) warned about cannabis as a suicide risk factor and suggested banning disposable vapes.
- Gonzalo criticized sustainability policies as part of global frameworks (Agenda 21/2030) that restrict freedom.
SANDAG 2025 Regional Plan (Item 6 – Information)
Tue Area Faola of SANDAG presented the draft 2025 Regional Plan, a 25-year blueprint covering transportation, housing, and climate goals. Key elements included:
- 750 miles of new or upgraded bikeways.
- 35 new rapid bus routes (28 within San Diego) with three expected online by 2029.
- 36 neighborhood shuttles (10 in San Diego).
- Managed lanes on highways (SR-52, I-805, I-5, etc.) and a purple light rail line in later years.
- Programs: Youth Opportunity Pass (free transit for under 18), transit upgrades (e.g., blue line speed improvements), and a streetcar around Balboa Park. Public comment period closes July 18; adoption expected December 2025.
Public comments:
- Benjamin Nichols (Hillcrest Business Association) supported the Balboa Park streetcar and urged funding via parking districts and increment financing.
- Andrea Ebing supported free transit for students but suggested recovering costs from Nathan Fletcher's campaign funds.
- Kathleen Lippett expressed concern that bike lanes are unsafe for older and disabled people and that SANDAG lacks financial impact studies on community residents.
- Joy Sonata asked to consider air taxis in long-term planning.
- Jason B urged spending less on freeways and more on transit and bikeways, especially connecting gaps like Pacific Highway and Gilman Drive.
- Blair Beekman encouraged SANDAG to work on coastal and Mexico issues and to improve accountability in technology use for bikeways.
- Gonzalo called for defunding SANDAG, claiming bike lanes are unused and inequitable.
- Marco Espinosa thanked staff and mentioned air taxis.
Committee members (Chair Whitburn, Vice Chair Lee, Councilmember von Wilpert) expressed appreciation, highlighted district-specific needs (e.g., transit connections to the airport, shuttle funding in northeastern districts), and noted alignment with city's Mobility Master Plan.
Authorization for City Forces for CIP Projects (Item 5 – Action)
Philip Lowry (Deputy Director, Transportation) requested authorization for city forces on three projects exceeding $500,000 personnel expenditure threshold:
- FY25 Mill and Pave: Additional $7 million for 24.2 lane miles (exceeded original 20-mile goal by 20%).
- FY26 Mill and Pave: $11.4 million for a goal of 30 lane miles, with $550,000 overtime needed (not yet budgeted).
- CD4 Sidewalks: $815,000 for 1,700 feet of sidewalk, curb, and gutter in Paradise Hills. Lowry explained that in-house work is efficient but held back by staffing vacancies and overtime budget constraints. The transportation department is working with finance to address overtime funding.
Public comments:
- Joy Sonata noted the Pavement Condition Index is declining and questioned truck driver scarcity.
- Gonzalo criticized road quality and called overtime spending careless.
- Blair Beekman praised sidewalk work as community-friendly.
- Andrea Ebing recalled a budget meeting where only one vendor could do resealing, questioning procurement.
Committee discussion centered on the retroactive nature of the authorization vs. accounting rules. Staff clarified that funds were already available in CIP projects; the action only lifts the in-house expenditure threshold. Councilmembers von Wilpert and Lee expressed support but requested future flexibility to reduce bureaucratic hurdles. The motion passed unanimously (4-0).
IBA Response on Transportation Safety Priority (Item 7 – Information)
Jordan Moore, Sergio Alcalde, Donnie Wynne, and Aaron Noel (Office of the Independent Budget Analyst) presented IBA Report 25-15, analyzing city policies per Council Resolution R-315764 affirming safety as the highest transportation priority.
Key findings and recommendations:
- Community input: Groups (Climate Action Campaign, Bike SD, etc.) recommended quick-build projects, speed management, a dedicated Vision Zero coordinator, and transparent reporting.
- Council Policy 200-07 (crosswalks): Last updated 2015; recommend proactive safety assessments, Vision Zero priority zones, and interim crosswalk solutions.
- Council Policy 200-08 (stop signs): Last updated 1997; point system prioritizes vehicle collisions over pedestrian safety. Recommend updating criteria and adding an appeals process.
- 2016 City Auditor audit: 8,000 pedestrians injured, 270 killed (2001–2015). High-risk review found three open recommendations, including adding a Vision Zero coordinator.
- Hoboken, NJ best practices: Citywide 20 mph speed limit, strong street design guidelines, and a Vision Zero task force.
- Quick builds: Low-cost, temporary safety improvements (e.g., modular roundabouts, flex posts) but hampered by lack of dedicated resources; IBA cautioned against redeploying staff from capital maintenance.
- Funding: Parking meter revenue from recent reforms could fund safety improvements in meter zones, but equity gaps exist in non-meter areas.
- Mobility Board and Mobility Governance Group: Recommend annual joint meetings for better coordination.
Public comments:
- Benjamin Nichols supported using parking meter funds for safety barriers, citing rejected proposals for Pride Promenade.
- Becky Rapp noted 40% of drug-impaired driving arrests involve marijuana; urged including impaired driving in Vision Zero.
- Joy Sonata requested attention to downtown controlled crosswalks and said too many groups hinder coordination.
- Gonzalo claimed public input is performative and policies lead to surveillance and reduced freedom.
- Blair Beekman called for openness and trusted processes with technology.
- Jason B urged a citywide ban on right turn on red as a zero-cost safety measure.
- Andrea Ebing suggested auditing high city salaries to find funds for safety.
Committee members (Whitburn, von Wilpert, Lee, Foster) thanked the IBA, emphasized proactive vs. reactive safety, and noted the challenges of competing priorities and limited resources. Foster cautioned against political expediency, citing the Streamview Drive roundabout that caused cars to hit homes.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda (Items 1–4): Approved unanimously (4-0).
- Item 5 (City forces for CIP): Approved unanimously (4-0). Transportation department will work to address overtime budgeting and explore raising the in-house expenditure threshold.
- Items 6 and 7: Received as information; no votes taken. Staff directed to consider IBA recommendations for policy updates and resource allocation.
- Next meeting: Scheduled for September 18, 2025 at 1:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting of July seventeenth, twenty twenty-five. Our committee liaison, Sarah Jordan will provide information and structured for the public to participate in today's meeting. Sarah, please proceed. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. Council Member Foster. Council Member Von Wilpert. Chair Whitburn. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it in the speaker slip box at the table at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Members of the public can join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link, which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669-2545252. And when prompted, input webinar ID 160-685-1166 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and it will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it's your turn to speak. And if you wish to speak to a particular item, please wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you're calling participant by selecting star nine on your cell phone or landline. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you, sir. Our quorum is now present. Uh as a note to the public, we're going to be taking the agenda slightly out of order today after taking up the consent agenda. We will hear item six, then we'll go back to item five, and then we'll hear item number seven. Let's begin with non-agenda public comment. The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings. Sarah, please proceed with further instructions. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Chair Whitburn. If per rule 2.7, non-agenda public comment is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of this committee. Each speaker will have two minutes. And again, if you're watching on City TV or the live stream online and you'd like to dial in to speak, please call 1669-2545252. Inputting webinar ID 160-685-1166 pound. Chair, we've not received any speaker slips here in the committee room. So I will begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to provide a non-agenda public comment. Each speaker will have two minutes, and we will begin with Madison. Please unmute and provide your comment. Hi, thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Whitburn and committee members, and thank you for your time. As a mother of three young children and concerned resident, I want to draw your attention to a growing public health issue that should inform how we think about safe youth-friendly infrastructure in our city. The sharp rise in emergency room visits for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome or CHS among adolescents. CHS is a serious vomiting disorder caused by chronic cannabis use. According to a new study published in JAMA Network Open, CHS related ER visits among 13 to 21 year olds have increased more than tenfold since 2016. These visits are rising in every state, regardless of whether cannabis is permitted recreationally. But the rates are highest in states where it is. This matters for infrastructure because the presence and visibility of cannabis dispensaries, especially in walkable transit connected areas, shapes youth perception of risk. More stores, more marketing, and more edible products with high THC levels means more access and more use. And that use is sending young people, some just teenagers, to the ER with severe recurring illness. But we can't separate that from what surrounds them. If our sidewalks and transit corridors are lined with pot shops, we are making a clear statement about what kind of environment we prioritize. I urge this committee to think critically about how infrastructure intersects with public health.
openpublica.com