The Problem:

Bell Street Park is both a public gathering space and a key connection point in the downtown bike network. However, it’s constantly full of cars, sometimes driving at high speeds! This threatens the safety of all other road users, and defeats the point of designating it a park and healthy street. Why are we allowing so many cars on such a vital bike route?

These cars are often entering via illegal turns and maneuvers. For example, it is illegal for cars to continue straight from one block of Bell to the next—all of the park blocks end in a turn-only lane, directing cars back onto regular streets. However, many vehicles ignore these rules completely and cruise down multiple blocks of Bell. Additionally, 4th Ave doesn’t allow for turns at all, completely barring vehicle access to Bell other than by alleyways. However, drivers frequently disregard these restrictions and enter Bell anyway, often crossing through protected bike lanes that have green traffic lights.

The Solution:

The simplest and most surefire way to reduce these illegal vehicle entries to Bell St. is by adding physical barriers preventing the disallowed maneuvers. We would propose the following (with details and proper design left to the experts at SDOT):

1st through 5th Ave: install physical barriers to restrict through-traffic and illegal turns

3rd Ave & 4th Ave: consider a full modal filter restricting all vehicular entry onto Bell Street (to protect the main plaza area on 3rd and the bike lanes on 4th)

With these changes, we should see a large reduction in vehicle traffic in Bell Street Park, making it safer for pedestrians, bikes, and all other road users!