‘Slow Street' in Pacific Beach Here to Stay, But Neighborhood Wants to See Improvements

The Pacific Beach Town Council voted 6-4 in favor of keeping the city's "Slow Street" program around on Dimond Street, but they're recommending the city make some key improvements to the project.

Kohta Zaiser, a spokesperson for Mayor Todd Gloria, said the Slow Street pilot program originally involved three streets, but it was former mayor Kevin Falconer’s administration that assigned Diamond Street only.

The initiative closed Diamond Street off to thru traffic (street residents only) between Haines Street and Mission Boulevard in an attempt to give pedestrian and non-vehicle traffic a safer route to the beach.

PB Planning Group Chairman Karl Rand said Faulconer didn't pursue public input and claimed road closures signs went up in April 2020 within three days of the decision.

Those for the Slow Street on Diamond say the project calms traffic and makes the street a more pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare to the beach and boardwalk.

Those against it say it increases traffic elsewhere and causes a dangerous mix of residential traffic.

"We have been forcibly inserted into ground zero of an extremely dangerous experiment that is destined for personal injury, property damage and polarization," one speaker said.

"I have been looked at snottily, yelled at, someone pointed at the signage for me. I had another fist shake, it’s like Diamond Street is for everyone else only but not residents," another added.

"The diamond Street Slow Street is a really valuable resource. I think it is fair to look at it as perhaps the last new park Pacific Beach will ever get, and taking away a park would really be devastating to the community," one person in favor of the project said.

A second motion was passed to request the city do a thorough traffic study and look into more substantial signage along the street.