[SDCBC] Camino Del Norte

[Kathy Keehan]

A little history for those of you wondering about what the heck happened to
poor Camino Del Norte. I don’t know the whole story, but I’ve heard bits and
pieces. Here’s my fractured telling of the tale. I’m sure others on this
list are familiar with the details of the history and can chime in. 

 

In the beginning, Camino Del Norte was intended to be a freeway/expressway
running east and west from the coast to Poway and beyond. 

 

As you might have noticed, Rancho Santa Fe is between the coast and Poway.
Rancho Santa Fe is not enthusiastic about the idea of a freeway running
through their community. 

 

As you might also have noticed, Poway also does not appreciate freeways
running through the middle of it (witness the death of eastbound SR56 at
I-15)

 

Somewhere along the line, Camino Del Norte morphed from a freeway to an
expressway to an arterial. 

 

Unfortunately, pieces of Camino Del Norte were built at different times, by
different agencies, with different standards. Hence the difference between
the cross section and interchange at Camino San Bernardo
(freeway/expressway) versus the one at Pomerado Road (arterial). 

 

Most of Camino Del Norte has retained its expressway/high speed character.
Intersections are usually at least ½ mile apart, and signal controlled or
grade separated (or both). There are no businesses or homes for which Camino
Del Norte is their front yard. It is separated from all the land development
by sound walls, landscaping, and other barriers. Camino Del Norte is not
part of anyone’s community, but it rather simply a funnel for cars to get
through and around the surrounding communities. 

 

In Poway, Camino Del Norte becomes Twin Peaks, and on that part of the road
they’ve included a trail on either side. It might have been a good idea to
do that on the western sections of Camino Del Norte as well, or to have
reconsidered the land development to have made Camino Del Norte a main
street rather than an expressway, but the chance has come and gone, and it
is what it is.  

 

We now say a requiem for an opportunity lost, and hope to learn for the
future.

 

Kathy

 

------------------------------------------

Kathy Keehan

Executive Director

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition

P.O. Box 34544

San Diego, CA 92163

858.487.6063

execdir at sdcbc.org

www.sdcbc.org

 

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