By Janine Zúñiga
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

June 19, 2002

SAN YSIDRO – Immigration officials have decided on a plan to build a dedicated bike lane – a first for a U.S. border crossing – and are seeking $570,000 to fund it.

The proposed lane is a response to the surge in bicyclists crossing the border after Sept. 11. The lane will be for commuters heading north at the San Ysidro border inspection station.

"We are in the process of preparing a financial request to fund a bike lane," said spokeswoman Lauren Mack with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Caltrans officials provided five options, with costs ranging from $2,000 for improved signs to $12 million for the creation of a special lane for bicycles only that would necessitate some realignment of vehicle lanes.

Mack said the option selected by the INS provides for a special lane near the bus lane, where bicyclists had previously crossed. The curb and gutter will be removed to widen the street for a bike lane and striping will be added, she said.

In April, border officials closed the lane bicyclists shared with buses, saying they feared someone would be injured. Bicyclists then began crossing in the slower-moving pedestrian line.

Local political and business leaders decried the decision, saying longer lines meant fewer shoppers for local businesses who had suffered since Sept. 11. Several days later, border officials announced a bikes-only lane – currently in use – that runs alongside the pedestrian line.

Inspectors who had previously worked with bicyclists outside the border inspection building were moved inside, where bike riders are near pedestrians but in a separate line.

After the terrorist attacks, stricter security measures lengthened border waits for commuters. To avoid long pedestrian and vehicle lanes, some began using bikes in the bus lane. What had taken hours took only minutes by bike.

Before Sept. 11, about 50 bikes crossed the border daily, Mack said. Afterward, there were up to 2,000 a day. The number has leveled off to about 1,500 per day and up to 2,000 a day on weekends.

The new bikes-only lane was considered a success initially but during peak crossing times – early morning hours and weekends – waits for bicyclists have climbed to 45 minutes or longer.

Carlos Vasquez, president of the San Ysidro Business Association, said he is happy with the latest decision.

"Anything that makes that flow easier is just a plus for us," Vasquez said. "We welcome it."

Julio Ramirez with Border Solutions, a company that rents bikes to border-crossing commuters, confirmed reports of two-hour bike lane waits over the last two weekends.

"Business is good," said Ramirez, who added that a dedicated bike lane will help people who need it most, those who cross daily to work. "I don't think it's going to stop. More people, even U.S. citizens, are using bikes."

Mack said the recent long waits have occurred during peak crossing times, when inspectors have had to monitor the number of bikes for crowd control. They are limiting the number inside the inspection building but haven't made any procedural changes, she said.