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Bird Rock neighbors, advocates push for lower speed limit on La Jolla Boulevard

SAN DIEGO — As the City of San Diego works to implement a state law that allows local governments to reduce speed limits on roads close to business districts or where pedestrians and cyclists are at risk, advocates in the Bird Rock neighborhood are pushing for changes on a busy stretch of La Jolla Boulevard. 


Respect Bird Rock member and neighborhood resident, Harry Bubbins, has advocated for speed limit reduction on La Jolla Boulevard since 2022, when he started an online petition calling to reduce the limit on the segment between Pacific Beach and Bird Rock to below 35 mph. 

On Sunday, a group of concerned residents gathered on La Jolla Boulevard to gather more signatures for a petition to reduce the speed. 

"We've already collected 200 hand-written signatures this morning alone for people who want a less-harrowing experience and a lower speed limit on La Jolla Boulevard.

Ideally, the group hopes it can be lowered to 25 or 30 mph. 

"There's lots of kids going back to school now at Bird Rock Elementary. And, with Labor Day weekend, people [are] crossing to Tourmaline Park from all over San Diego. And at 35 miles an hour, we need to lower the speed limit," Bubbins said. 

Earlier this year, the San Diego City Council voted to unanimously adopt Assembly Bill 43 citywide, starting with busy street sections in neighborhoods like Pacific Beach and Mission Beach. 

In 2015, the city launched its "Vision Zero" initiative to eliminate traffic deaths, identifying La Jolla Boulevard as an area of concern. 

In response, traffic calming measures-  including roundabouts, medians and diagonal parking - were implemented along a stretch of the boulevard in 2017. 

A 2018 report from Congress for the New Urbanism found a 90% reduction in traffic incidents on a reconstructed section of the road in the Bird Rock area. 

While Bubbins tells CBS 8 that this is significant progress, he argues that more needs to be done around La Jolla Boulevard and Tourmaline Park. 

"Many years ago, there was some improvements with roundabouts and bike lanes. But the speed limit was never lowered. So, people are whipping around avoiding I-5 to get to La Jolla, and they are speeding right through our neighborhood," Bubbins said. 

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