Closing of Balboa Park Span in Traffic Test Called Success

A one-day test run of a new traffic plan in Balboa Park that closed Cabrillo Bridge to westbound traffic was successful, according to city officials who said Wednesday that they will try the exercise again in June.

Cars could not leave the park by using the bridge to Laurel Street on Tuesday, and the parking lot in front of the San Diego Museum of Art was turned into an outdoor cafe, complete with a jazz band. Three trams ran from other parking lots in the park to the central museum area during the trial demonstration.

City spokesman Dave Twomey said that, although computerized survey results were not yet complete, initial public reaction was positive.

“We thought it went very well. . . . I did not see any negative reactions at all to the removal of the parking,” he said. “We had very positive results on the tram and some mixed reviews on how inconvenient it was (that) you couldn’t leave the park through Cabrillo Bridge.”

Twomey said there was no backup of traffic and people were willing to park farther away because trams were available.

He said the exercise will be tried again in June, on a weekend. He said it is planned to put something like it in effect as a permanent solution.