The City of San Luis Obispo says a proposed plan to reduce lanes and add bike lanes on Higuera St. will improve bicyclist safety and pedestrian accessibility.
The proposal outlines a "diet," or reduction in lanes from Bridge St. to Margarita Ave., to make room for protected bike lanes.
"One of my big concerns is how are they going to allow the emergency vehicles, which come in here quite frequently? How are they going to be able to get through if both lanes are backed up and people are in the middle lane too?" said Candace DeGeare, who lives nearby.
The proposed plan would reduce that section of Higuera to one lane in each direction, plus a center turn lane or median
The City of San Luis Obispo has held four community feedback meetings since June 2025 regarding the proposal.
Residents of Chumash Village, a mobile home park in that area, have voiced concerns at some of those meetings, calling for the council to push for a more creative solution.
"Let's put the bicyclists on the sidewalk just like it's done on Madonna. They have nice pavement and sidewalk markings. It's a much safer place for them to be," said Gene Nelson, who lives at Chumash Village.
According to the city's report, between 2014 and 2023, there were 390 collisions reported on Higuera Street between Marsh and Los Osos Valley Road; 41 of those involved bicyclists.
Residents say they want bicyclists to be safe, but feel their access to emergency response should be considered.
"This is a vital, arterial road. It plays an important role," Nelson said.
"Every minute counts when you are in an emergency, you know, you need someone right then to come get you, and they're not able to get around the traffic. To me, that's a pretty serious thing," DeGeare said.
If approved, the project is expected to cost $2 million, with money coming from the city's infrastructure investment fund.
This plan will be discussed and voted on at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m.
