After San Diego Installed a Protected Bike Lane, Ridership More Than Doubled — and Hasn’t Stopped Growing.

Four years after San Diego installed a protected bike lane on 30th Street, data shows that cycling trips spiked in the year after the lane was installed and have continued growing since.

As Ron Johnson explains in Momentum, annual cycling trips jumped from around 50,000 to 114,682 in the first year after the lane was installed in 2021. “Counts rose another 1.7 per cent in 2023, 5.7 per cent in 2024 and 6.9 per cent in 2025, marking four straight years of growth.”

This data shows that the lanes, which offer access to Balboa Park and connect to other major bikeways, helped change travel behavior in the neighborhood. “What makes 30th Street particularly instructive is how ordinary the opportunity was. The city was already tearing up the road to replace aging pipes. When it resurfaced the street, it chose to build a “complete street” that serves all users.”

Johnson concludes, “For cities looking to meet climate goals or boost local main streets, the lesson is straightforward: when people feel safe, they ride. And when routes connect meaningful destinations, they keep riding.”