Bicyclists' Blessing

The two-lane stretch of Buena Creek Road that connects Santa Fe Avenue and Twin Oaks Valley Road will be undergoing extensive construction during the next two weeks. Construction crews continue to widen the bike lanes along the narrow and windy passage that connects Vista and San Marcos.

The construction is mainly taking place on the left side of the road when going northbound toward San Marcos. The dirt embankments that roughly mark residents' property lines are being excavated by about a foot in order to allow bikes and pedestrians an easier passage.

So far, crews have been working on the stretch on weekdays from noon until around 4:30 p.m., when the major rush-hour traffic for the area begins. The traffic consists of people trying to get home and those attempting to bypass the often-congested Highway 78.

For some locals, the street-widening project is a dream come true.

“I bike to work at least three times a week along this road,” says Reid Harrell, a resident on the Vista side of the street. “It’s nerve-wracking, with the lack of space between the traffic and the [neighborhood] property. Oftentimes I have to wait for cars to pass just to ride past certain parts of the road.” Harrell's wife, who walks to the Buena Creek Sprinter station to get to school, agrees that this project is warranted.

The construction is expected to continue until about Tuesday, March 24.