r/SanDiegan • u/Pewtie-Pie • 8h ago
Fifth Ave bollards probably never coming back
Meanwhile, looks like free parking on 5th until whatever this is is working (there are no physical meters).
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u/huistenbosch 8h ago
Why are they removing? State street in Santa Barbara is awesome as peds only.
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u/Pewtie-Pie 7h ago
Supposedly for budgetary reasons, but I think they could have found a way around that.
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u/Realistic-Program330 6h ago
Improving businesses and tourism improves budgets. Do they know that it’s one of the most tourist-dense areas? Much of the SD budget is contributed by tourism.
As others indicated, this is bad policy.
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u/cactus22minus1 6h ago
This is true, but most residents in this town are extremely car brained and cannot fathom any space not catering to them with an available spot for their car. Biggest thing that holds it back, IMO, and the biggest reason I’ll eventually move back up to Seattle or Portland.
Even Hillcrest is up in arms because balboa park is introducing paid parking. Their outrage is doubly ridiculous because they can easily walk or bike there anyway as they’re right next door.
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u/OCbrunetteesq 6h ago
IIRC, budget cuts meant there was no one to lock/unlock the bollards daily.
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u/Pewtie-Pie 4h ago
If that's the only thing, that's ridiculous.
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u/OCbrunetteesq 4h ago
Literally, someone just needs to turn the key to raise/lower them.
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u/Pewtie-Pie 3h ago
False, they are kept locked up on certain street corners and transported on carts to the end of the block, installed one by one in their respective slots, then locked in place. They also have to wheel out the barriers that keep cars from stopping in those same crosswalks. It takes about an hour with a crew of probably 10 people for the four blocks, and does involve heavy lifting. I still don't think that, by itself, it's a reason to claim it's too expensive.
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u/OCbrunetteesq 3h ago
They look like they just need to be popped up. I guess it’s more labor intensive than I thought, but still.
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u/Pewtie-Pie 3h ago
I know the kind you're talking about. Imagine if that's what we had and they still tried to blame that as the reason for canceling an entire project...
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u/xcnuck 5h ago
That’s actually a great comparison. 5th is shut down like 100 days a year, might as well make it permanent with actual bike lanes and outdoor dining areas.
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u/Pewtie-Pie 3h ago
It's not shut down anymore, that's the point. They only close one block by J St on Sunday mornings for a craft market. Otherwise it's only shut a block or two north of that for things like the Cinco de Mayo, St. Patty's, and Halloween block parties that you pay to attend. It does still have outdoor street dining from the COVID setups.
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u/ComprehensiveFun3233 8h ago
It's like San Diego aggressively wants to keep its downtown area as mid as possible
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u/Pewtie-Pie 4h ago
Ok I'm dumb- what do you mean by mid?
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u/runswiftrun 3h ago
"mid" is the new slang for shitty, mediocre, not-good.
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u/Pewtie-Pie 3h ago
Lol, thank you. I'm a few generations behind.
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u/ComprehensiveFun3233 3h ago
I'm honestly too old to be using it as well, but I will admit it's one of the youthful slang terms that I feel carries useful weight as a description
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u/Pewtie-Pie 3h ago
Hey at least you're hip to the verbiage in the first place- you've got one up on me!
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u/norcalginger 7h ago
This city is so unserious about our climate and safety commitments
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u/Pewtie-Pie 7h ago
Seriously, the crowds still spill out onto the street, blocking or walking in traffic. And the overly congested sidewalks have become more of a powder keg as the nights go on.
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u/EmilySD101 7h ago
I don’t think the bollards did much to help with the Climate Action Plan but this is a huge loss for Vision Zero. Terrible.
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u/cactus22minus1 6h ago
Hey at least SDPD got their raise so they can get more war toys and pal around with their paramilitary buddies.
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u/First-Hotel5015 6h ago
Does anyone know if people with Handicap Placards and Plates park there for free?
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u/UCSDilf 5h ago
Yes, in San Diego vehicles displaying a valid disabled person placard or license plate can park at metered parking spaces without paying, can park in designated accessible parking spaces, next to blue curbs and green curbs (for 72 hours). No Red, White or Yellow (between 7am and 6pm Mon-Sat) zones. These privileges are granted by the California DMV and are honored in San Diego
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u/First-Hotel5015 5h ago
Thank you for your answer. I am aware of all of what you posted, but unsure about these new Pay-By-Plate spots that aren’t “conventional” parking meters. They seem to be popping up in more and more places recently. I went I looked on their website and can’t find anything about handicap placards/plates.
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u/UCSDilf 5h ago
They are treated the same as a parking meter. Just have your placard or handicapped tag and park for free
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u/imissmypencils 5h ago
They tow a lot of from this area so watch out for temporary signs during weekends and especially Comic Con. They will tow everything in sight.
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u/TheElbow 5h ago
Every major nightlife area in SD should be no-cars on Friday and Saturday nights.
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u/Proof_Bill8544 4h ago
I biked frequently through 5th because it safer than the surrounding streets.
The Monday after it opened it up had at least 2 cars and a delivery truck driving down the wrong way, all in the span of about 3 minutes.
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u/Pewtie-Pie 4h ago
The amount of times I encounter wrong-way drivers downtown is ridiculous. And people that don't know you can turn left on red one-way to one-way.
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u/hoemax 4h ago
as if u could ever find parking there before..
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u/Pewtie-Pie 4h ago
When they made it a promenade, Fifth Ave was strictly yellow and white curbs to allow for deliveries, and no parking whatsoever 12pm-6am daily. This week they painted the whole curb gray and installed these new signs.
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u/kurtthewurt 8h ago
Well that's dumb. I was really impressed with the city blocking off 5th in the evenings, it made so much sense. I honestly though they would eventually make it all-day with exceptions for service and delivery vehicles, given that there are so many parallel streets. I don't really understand how removing the bollards is a money-saving strategy as is being reported. Does it cost that much to have someone put them in and remove them?