VOSD Podcast: Bad Infrastructure Is Killing Cyclists

San Diego CA

23 July, 2021

7:48 PM

Description

By Nate John, the Voice of San Diego July 23, 2021 It's been a devastating month for San Diego cyclists — four have lost their lives after being hit by drivers. The most recent was this week, when a driver hit and killed a bicyclist on Pershing Drive. San Diego Police arrested the driver on suspicion of DUI, and the cyclist has been identified as Laura Shinn, an architect who was the director of facility planning at San Diego State University. Shinn's death was particularly tragic news because Pershing Drive was supposed to have a physically protected bike lane as of one year ago. KPBS's Andrew Bowen has been following delayed and abandoned bike safety projects in San Diego for years. He joined VOSD hosts Andrew Keatts and Sara Libby this week to talk about the state of bike safety in the region, where and why safety plans are failing and the sacrifices needed to achieve the city's "Vision Zero" goal, which is to have zero traffic-related deaths by 2025. The Power of Prosecutors (and Infractions) Most of the criminal cases filed in San Diego are not misdemeanors or felonies. They're infractions, such as speeding tickets or noise violations. Punishments for these types of cases are less severe, but challenging them still isn't easy. For years now, advocates and attorneys have argued that a decision by City Attorney Mara Elliott to stop overseeing parts of infraction cases has essentially outsourced the job of prosecutor to cops. On the show, Libby explains the latest, as reported by VOSD's Jesse Marx, and describes the true power of prosecutors and what this decision by Elliott means for San Diegans. Listen Now Apple | Google | Spotify Voice of San Diego is a nonprofit news organization supported by our members. We reveal why things are the way they are and expose facts that people in power might not want out there and explain complex local public policy issues so you can be engaged and make good decisions. Sign up for our newsletters at voiceofsandiego.org/newsletters/.