As a frequent visitor to historic Balboa Park located in Downtown San Diego…I have actually thought about the rareness of people being able to drive trought the park. Sometimes it is a little scary trying to cross the pedestrian crossings as they seem to drive quite fast.
It is now up for discussion on weather or not the traffic has become an issue. Will there be need of some significant change to be done? Today more than 7,000 cars/day compete with people at the park for space. Does this constitute a 40 million dollar project to divert the cars path?
Some people think so…San Diego philanthropist Irwin Jacobs, the founder of Qualcomm Inc. has proposed the idea to divert the traffic from going through the historic Plaza de Panama and into a new 785-space multi-level parking structure behind the Organ Pavilion.
I am sure you know that in 2015 San Diego will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Panama – California Exposition in Balboa Park and a part of the plan is for the park to become a city icon with a pederstrian friendly mall with lots of trees,
benches, open space and the new parking structure.
The project has been quoted to be the worst project that has been proposed for Balboa Park in 50 years by Bruce Coons. Others say that making the park more pedestrian friendly by going through with Jacobs design plan is a great idea and that it will help the preservation of the park. Jacobs proposed idea is now up for review in front of the parks committee to decide what will happen with the controversial Plaza de Panama project.
To read San Diego Metro’s article about this project click on Proposal would eliminate parking in favor of a pedestrian-friendly mall and to read 92101 Urban Living’s former blogs about the park click on Easter Lily Display~Balboa Park and The Natural History Musem gets Grant. ')}