Imperial Beach Boulevard Enhancement Project

Location

Imperial Beach Blvd. & Seacoast Drive east to City Limits

City or County Responsible for Project

City of Imperial Beach

Category

Complete Streets Projects

Author

Eric Minicilli

Organization

City of Imperial Beach – Public Works Department

Address

495 10th Street, Imperial Beach, CA 91932

Phone

619.628.1369

Project Description

Imperial Beach Boulevard serves as a primary transportation corridor from the I-5 Freeway and the City of San Diego to the east, to the Pacific Ocean at the westerly terminus. The Imperial Beach Boulevard Enhancement Project was initiated by the City of Imperial Beach to pay homage to its history as a Southern California Beach Community while improving mobility, accessibility, landscaping, and water quality while addressing infrastructure deficiencies on Imperial Beach Boulevard. This 1.6 mile long project include reallocated travel lanes and traffic calming improvements, new sidewalks, curb & gutter, permeable pavers, new storm drain improvements, landscaped medians and basins, street trees, pavement rehabilitation, bus stops, new street and pedestrian lighting, bike lanes and a “boardwalk” area with interpretative signage. In addition to providing access to the beach and myriad commercial offerings, Imperial Beach Boulevard also provides access to City Hall, schools, parks, a Public Library, residential areas, and the Tijuana Estuary National Wildlife Refuge. The final design was informed by a mobility assessment that was conducted for each mode of travel (pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and autos) along this roadway. Existing vehicle lanes were adjusted to make room for new bike facilities, wider sidewalks, additional parking, and landscaped water quality areas. The existing four-lane corridor was re-cast as a three-lane cross section with new enhanced Class II bike lanes to visually narrow the space available for vehicles. Curb bulb-outs, enhanced crosswalks, and ADA compliant ramps were incorporated to improve the pedestrian experience. Updated transit stops were added, and landscaped “pop-outs” added aesthetic and water quality benefits along with storm drain improvements to capture refuse before continuing to the ocean. Capitalizing on the construction activities on the roadway, the City addressed utility issues by reconstructing a sewer force main, adding storm water inlets, strengthening bus stop pads, and repairing / resurfacing the entire road. Landscape areas were designed as water quality features to allow for stormwater infiltration. The City partnered with the Port of San Diego to add city-wide fiber optics to connect all major public facilities and traffic signals in the city as well as connecting regionally for secure, high-speed communications around San Diego. Through coordination with the Port of San Diego and MTS, communication systems were added for future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stops planned on this corridor. The Imperial Beach Boulevard Enhancement Project provide better quality connections between residences, schools, transit, community attractors and businesses while addressing needed utility and surface improvements. The project preserves the public’s investment through enhanced multimodal mobility, developing this namesake local roadway into a desirable green-streets corridor for walkers, bicyclists and drivers.