Bob Turbow is one of the many people who walk, run or bike along Shell Beach Road every day.
After hearing about plans to add a two-mile-long Shell Beach Road Shared Use Path, he says he’s excited.
“It would be nice to have walking and riding paths as long as the cars can get in and out and the businesses aren't negatively impacted,” Turbow said.
Benjamin Fine, Pismo Beach’s City Engineer, explains that this project has been in the works for years, and despite being in the early planning stages, he's enthusiastic about the improvements it will bring to the city.
"The city has always wanted to make a complete connection from the north end of the city to the south end of the city," Fine said. "The hope is someday to have a complete connection from the Bob Jones bike trail, which starts, you know, in San Luis Obispo all the way through to Pismo and then ultimately to Grover Beach and to Oceano.”
The proposed plan includes:
- A multi-use trail along Shell Beach Road, connecting to Palisades Park and coastal access trails
- Bicycle parking and seating areas at designated spots
- Street crossing signs for safety
- Buffers between the trail and Shell Beach Road for added safety
- Medians and landscaping to visually narrow the road and reduce traffic speed
Some people in the community like Kim Jacobsen welcome the makeover, citing the success of the Shell Beach Streetscape Project.
“If it was [done] like downtown Shell Beach, it would look really nice and work out really well for pedestrians and a lot of people playing pickleball and all that kind of stuff,” Jacobsen said.
While others, like Ron Reed, feel there are better places for construction updates.
“I find that it's more than adequate," Freed said. "I mean, particularly that far on the ocean side, there's plenty of sidewalk and there's bike lanes on both sides, so I've never had any issue with my bike on it.”
Phillip Teresi says he’s concerned about the proposed dividers in the street.
“Those caused a lot of trouble with cars and bicyclists and motorcyclists," Teresi said. "They don't see the island. They just see beyond it and they nail the island with their front tire or something."
The Pismo Beach City Council will decide whether to approve the project, which will be funded by the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program. The design phase is estimated to cost over $500,000, with construction projected at $3.6 million.
