Grand Avenue renovations boost biking and walking but collisions persist

On Grand Avenue, crosswalks, radar speed feedback signs and bike lanes added by the city increased pedestrian and biker usage of Grand Avenue, but did not significantly reduce the rate of collisions.

This is according to Lou Schwartz, San Luis Obispo city transportation manager and Dana Marray, transportation planner and engineer, during a study session on Grand Avenue on Tuesday, Oct. 6. 

Schwartz and Lou presented the Active Transportation Committee’s findings on how renovations affected safety on Grand Avenue, and what the transportation committee recommends for the street in the future.

The renovations were made in early 2025 as part of the city’s Grand Avenue Pilot Project, which added new crosswalks, reduced car lanes and repaved bike lanes to increase pedestrian and bicycle usage and safety. 

Grand Avenue has one of the highest rates of injuries and collisions, according to the city. In 2023, a Cal Poly student was killed after being hit by a truck at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Fredericks Street while riding his bike.

READ MORE: Cal Poly architectural engineering student put on life support after bike accident

Schwartz and Murray claimed that more pedestrians and cyclists used Grand Avenue following the pilot project. A summary report on the pilot project found that pedestrian volume increased 44% and bicycle volume increased by 29%.

Wes Swanson, a junior regional city planning major, and member of the Cal Poly Urbanists, hailed the pilot project for making it easier and safer for him to bike on Grand Avenue.

“I used [Grand Avenue] before and after the pilot project, and it’s been a massive improvement for safety, and also just feeling like students have a comfortable entrance and are encouraged to travel downtown from campus,” Swanson said.

In terms of collisions, Schwartz and Murray said the rate on Grand Avenue rose the year following the pilot project’s completion. 

However, Schwartz and Murray attributed that to the reduced traffic volume during the pandemic and said that collision rates are about equal to pre-pandemic levels.

Santi Olivera, a senior earth and soil science major, found it “concerning” that the collision rates did not significantly decrease after the pilot project’s renovations, since he said that he bikes on Grand Avenue often.

“That doesn’t sound like a lot of improvement to me,” Santi said.

To build on the pilot project’s renovations, the city council examined a new Grand Avenue Paving Project projected to cost $8.5 million, with $1.5 million dedicated to improving pedestrian and bicycle facilities, according to the agenda item.

“In addition to essential maintenance, we’re looking to see what can we do to make Grand Avenue safe,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz and Murray presented possible design changes for Grand Avenue, such as concrete dividers between bike lanes and traffic to protect bikers. 

Swanson spoke in favor of concrete dividers, arguing that they better protect cyclists.

“The one part I am not in support of is the use of flex posts instead of protective barriers,”  Swanson said. “I would like to ask that the council join the [Active Transportation Committee] in studying the possibility of using stronger barriers that actually protect cyclists.”

As for installing lighting on Grand Avenue, $250,000 of the new project’s funds will go towards lighting to assist nighttime visibility and safety. 

Mayor Erica Stewart said that more lighting on Grand Avenue is important and suggested that Cal Poly should help fund that lighting to keep up with its growing student population.

“This is well over 30 years that we’ve been asking for more lighting on Grand. Also, as Cal Poly continues to grow, I would hope that [Cal Poly] would help invest in that,” Stewart said.

Construction on the Grand Avenue Paving Project is scheduled to begin during the summer of 2027.