Fix the Fork: Momentum Grows to Improve Park & El Cajon Intersection

In 2023, Josh Gilliland, a bartender at Cheers Bar, was killed walking in the crosswalk at El Cajon and Park Blvd by a motorist. Three times cars have crashed into the temporary dog park in front of the historic Teachers Training Annex. Dozens of auto accidents every year and near misses have occurred at the intersection.

The intersection of Park Blvd. and El Cajon Blvd. for many years has been a problem. Finally, there may be movement to fix it once and for all. 

Google Earth image of the confusing intersection where Park, El Cajon, Washington, and Normal meet in front of the Brucker Education Center

Over the last number of months, efforts have been made to fix the dangerous walking, biking, and driving conditions there. Starting late last year, the Public Project Committee of Uptown Community Planning Group started working to get the city to conduct a traffic study of the intersection to determine the best possible solution fix the problem.

Matt Driver, the Chair of the sub-committee, Anar Salayev, Vice-chair and executive director of BikeSD, and myself formulated a strategy to create this movement to push for a fix to this dangerous, deadly and costly intersection. Requests have been made at meetings and on social media for residents to submit a Traffic Service Request form requesting the city do something.

The Uptown Committee drafted and submitted a letter of support for the traffic study and an interim transitional roundabout to Councilmember Whitburn, Mayor Gloria, and the transportation department.

Working with our counterparts on North Park Planning Committee, they submitted a similar letter of support. NPPC is the planning group that includes the part of University Heights east of Park Blvd.

Letters of support have also been sent by UHCA, School Board member Richard Barerra, Assembly Member Chris Ward, and others.

Recently Councilmember Whitburn has begun an online petition that has over 1300 signatures for “Stand Up for Safety” for the intersection. Social media and all local news agencies have reported on the progress.

Fix the Fork Press Event - Photo by SD Bike Coalition

On May 12th, a press conference was held to publicize the need for the fix with Councilmember Whitburn, School Board Member Richard Barrera, UHCA, and others in attendance. Councilmember Whitburn mentioned that a traffic study would cost $600K and he was trying to find a funding source. That event generated a lot of media coverage, including stories on all local tv news programs.

Momentum is building after so many years of fatalities, crashes, property damage and fried nerves, to determine what to do with the intersection to make it safe for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles.

We at Uptown Community Planning Group are encouraged by the support from the neighborhood and elected officials to have a traffic study done, put in place a temporary fix, and create a more permanent and lasting solution to this dreadful intersection.

If you have not done already, please file a Traffic Service Request form asking a fix be made at: www.sandiego.gov/transportation/tools-resources/traffic-servicerequest. And sign Councilmember Whitburn’s petition for “Stand Up for Safety.”

A special thanks to Councilmember Whitburn, Assembly Member Ward, School Board Member Richard Barrera, and BikeSD for their support. We have not received support from the Mayor’s office yet, so we encourage you to send a letter or an email to Mayor Todd Gloria’s office demanding a fix. Send email to MayorToddGloria@SanDiego.gov and copy his neighborhood representative RandyReyes@sandiego.gov.