The new Rose Creek Bikeway is a hit with bicyclists, pedestrians

The long-awaited two-mile Rose Creek Bikeway, which stretches from University City to Pacific Beach, is a busy place these days.

A dedicated multi-use path that is separated from vehicle traffic, the new bikeway offers a protected and more convenient connection between the Rose Canyon Bike Path in University City and the Rose Creek Bike Path in Pacific Beach, officials said.

City and SANDAG officials celebrated the opening of the $29.5 million Rose Creek Bikeway on May 26. The bikeway fills a gap in the Regional Bike Network as part of the Coastal Rail Trail.

“Together, the Rose Creek Bikeway and the Mid-Coast extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley represent a significant step toward realizing the Vision for SANDAG’s 2021 Regional Plan,” SANDAG Chair Catherine Blakespear said at the opening ceremony. “These projects will provide real alternatives to driving alone, helping people connect to major destinations and activity centers around the region while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Rose Creek Bikeway is a 14-foot-wide path with environmentally sensitive lighting. The path includes an undercrossing at Interstate 5 and Mission Bay Drive and a 260-foot-long bridge over Rose Creek. Construction began in September 2017 in conjunction with the Mid-Coast extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley.

The bikeway was funded through a combination of federal, state, and local sources, including TransNet, the regional, voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation improvement projects administered by SANDAG.