University City. Governor Dr. — West of Genesee
Make This Repaving Count!
The City is repaving Governor Drive right now. Restriping it the way our community planned costs far less than painting it as-is and redoing it later.
Paint it Once! Paint it Right!
🚲
Paint it Once! Paint it Right! 🚲
Community bike ride: Sunday, November 8, 3 PM. Starts at the west end of Governor Dr., ends at Standley Park with bike decorating. RSVP at Partiful
The Numbers
14 seconds
added to car trips at peak school times for a west-side bike lane, per the City's own mobility study (published March 2026)
81%
of pediatric bike incidents happened where there were no bike lanes (UCSD Trauma research, Dr. Ignacio Romeo)
20+ weeks
of weekly Thursday Bike Bus rides to Spreckels, about 14 kids riding regularly, no incidents
Why Now
The City is finishing a water pipe and repaving project on Governor Drive (CIP B19086/B27000) and plans to restripe before the end of the year. Restriping to match the University Community Plan, which the UC Planning Group prioritized, is easiest and cheapest while the crews are already there. Restriping as-is and funding a second restriping later spends public money twice.
Speed limit reductions help only with enforcement, and traffic enforcement has declined in recent years.
6 Ways to Help!
Attend the Virtual UC Cluster Meeting on 11/9!
Email the Mayor’s Office
Email Michaela in the Mayor’s Communication Department. She delivered the Memo noting the Mayor’s office would not fund the upgrades to add traffic calming.
Click to use our script to
📧 Email Michaela in the Mayor’s Office
Put up a Sign
Live on Governor Drive? Display a yard sign to show neighbors support safer streets. Email ucbikebus@gmail.com to request one!
Email Your School!
We know the City is listening to our local Principals. If you have a student at one of the impacted schools, let them know you support this!
Click to use our script to email impacted schools:
Sign a Petition
This petition focuses on just the area between Spreckels and Standley Elementary Schools.
How we got here
The University Community Plan calls for a road diet and bike lane alignment on Governor Drive.
We Planned
1
The City said it would do a mobility study first. It did, and the study found a west-side bike lane adds only about 14 seconds for cars at peak times.
They Delayed with a Study
2
In March, right after the study was presented to the UC Planning Group, the Mayor's office communicated it would not fund the lane, noting the repaving was not in the original contract.
After Study - Switched to Citing Funding Issues
3
Council District 6 has said the decision sits with the Mayor's office. The repaving window is the moment to act.
Now
4
Addressing Common Concerns
Bike lane will NOT allow for justification of greater housing density.
SB 79 does not use bike lanes to permit more dense growth and is instead dependent on transit infrastructure.
A bike lane does NOT block emergency vehicles, it helps them.
The reconfiguration uses no physical barriers between the bike lane and travel lanes, and lane widths won’t meaningfully change. Emergency vehicles can use the bike lane to bypass general traffic in emergencies and wildfires, making South University City safer.
What about future development in our shopping centers?
Future mixed-use developments under the Community Plan will add residents, but if the city is to meet its climate goals, those folks will need safe ways to get around the neighborhood without taking a car. The maximum throughput of a bike lane is several times greater than a car lane.
What our Neighborhood Could Look Like
Lane depiction from Mobility Study