La Mesa council adopts Bike and Sidewalk Connections planning phase over dissent on Gateside and neighborhood priorities

The La Mesa City Council on May 13 approved a resolution to adopt the La Mesa Bike and Sidewalk Connections project planning phase, moving the city closer to detailed design and future construction of bike lanes and pedestrian improvements. The vote was 4‑1: Councilmember Genevieve Casares, Councilmember Suzuki, Vice Mayor Dillard and Mayor Rapistaff voted yes; Councilmember Lauren Lothian voted no.

Why it matters: The item drew an unusually large public turnout and split public comment. Supporters said targeted bike and sidewalk investments improve safety, reduce serious injuries and align with La Mesa’s Vision Zero and climate goals. Opponents — including some residents who said narrow neighborhood streets and limited parking already strain local residents — argued the city should prioritize traffic‑calming and maintenance of local streets over new bike lanes where demand appears low.

Key testimony and debate Councilmember Lauren Lothian opposed the plan’s inclusion of a number of corridors that she said were impractical and underused. “Gateside is so narrow. It's room for 1 car going 1 way and 1 car going the other,” she said during debate, and she questioned spending on new bike lanes while many neighborhood streets remain on long waiting lists for traffic calming.

Councilmember Genevieve Casares countered with safety data, citing research that “cities like ours that create bike lanes saw a 44 drop in traffic fatalities and a 50 percent drop in serious injuries across all road users.” Supporters in public comment urged the council to adopt the plan to make walking and bicycling practical for local trips to shops, school and transit.

Public comments reflected the split: some residents praised the city’s outreach and urged adoption as a safety measure; others raised concerns about roundabouts, maintenance of new facilities, loss of parking and whether corridors such as Gateside and Spring Street were appropriate candidates.

Vote and immediate outcomes Councilmember Casares moved approval and the motion passed on the consent calendar after Lothian pulled item 10.5 for separate discussion. Councilmembers confirmed that the La Mesa Boulevard complete streets plan would not remove parking spaces under the current designs discussed in the meeting.

Details cited in debate • Councilmember Lothian said the city already has about “61 miles of bike lanes” consisting largely of sharrows (shared‑lane markings) and questioned adding separated facilities in many locations without clear local demand. • Staff and several public commenters noted the planning phase will identify designs, impacts and potential property/right‑of‑way needs prior to construction; actual construction would require future funding and project‑level approvals.

Next steps Adoption of the planning phase initiates project‑level planning, outreach and design work. The council did not appropriate construction funding at this meeting; future design and budget decisions will return to council for approval.