Dear Neighbor, 

This month, I’ve had the honor of joining people in San Diego’s Muslim community for an evening meal as they broke their Ramadan fast, folks in San Diego’s Jewish community as they celebrated Passover, and kids and families as they celebrated Easter.  

The celebrations all overlapped this year and were a great reminder of the common bonds within our diverse city. No matter which faith, all of these holidays are, at the heart, about connecting with family and friends and reflecting on important history and traditions.  

Thank you to the congregations and community groups that welcomed me into your celebrations and sacred traditions. I am truly honored and humbled by the warmth I have experienced over the past few weeks. 

If you have an upcoming holiday or tradition you want me to know about, please reach out to my office to tell me more about it.  

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor.

West Mission Bay Bridge is Open – and It’s Stunning!

The last of the construction equipment was recently cleared from the new West Mission Bay Bridge. So last Tuesday, I got to join local and federal leaders to officially cut a ribbon and celebrate its opening.  

This project was no small effort: it cost $148 million dollars and took several years to construct. In fact, this bridge is the largest City-managed construction project in San Diego’s history. 

The bulk of the funding – about $139 million – came from the federal government. A big thanks goes out to our Congressional delegation who helped secure the funding that is helping us build a better San Diego. 

The new bridge is beautiful, with a sleek, modern design that cuts gracefully through the San Diego River. But the project’s importance, of course, goes well beyond beauty. The West Mission Bay Bridge features parallel North and South structures relieving traffic congestion, separated bike lanes, pedestrian walkways and 12 acres of wetland mitigation.

This means that San Diegans can enjoy a safe, convenient bike ride or walk to the beach. And the wetland mitigation will preserve part of Mission Bay’s delicate ecosystem and aid in the fight against climate change.

Of course, I have to recognize the tireless efforts of the City engineers, workers and contractors who built this incredible bridge, on time and under budget. Thanks to Ann Fox from Caltrans, Construction Manager James Brown, and Project Manager Nenad Damnjanovic who, among others, brought this project to life. 

A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in building the West Mission Bay Bridge: Thank you for getting it done for San Diego!

Fixing Streetlights Faster  

We have a big backlog of out streetlights across our City. There are about 5,900 non-functioning streetlights across San Diego, and that number is growing.

A major reason for this is that we simply don’t have enough electricians working for the City to keep up with the demand. That's why, earlier this year, I announced that we reached an agreement with our employee labor groups on a one-year plan to use private, unionized electricians to help reduce our streetlight repair backlog. 

I'm excited to share that those electricians started working for the City this week.  

Earlier today, I was also joined by Rep. Scott Peters and San Diego City Councilmembers Joe LaCava and Jennifer Campbell to highlight the inclusion of $3.5 million in federal funding to help repair outdated streetlight infrastructure in the neighborhoods of Pacific Beach, Point Loma and Logan Heights. 

Reps. Peters and Juan Vargas helped secure the funds for those fixes in the Fiscal Year 2023 federal appropriations bill, which passed in December 2022. The funds will assist efforts to replace aging series circuit infrastructure to significantly improve the reliability of streetlights and reduce the City’s maintenance effort. 

More Affordable Housing Opens in San Diego!  

There are few things I enjoy more than attending the opening of a new affordable housing project!

Last Thursday, I joined Community HousingWorks, the San Diego Housing Commission and many local and regional leaders for the grand opening of HousingWorks’ Almanecer Apartments.

The project features 95 affordable apartments in Linda Vista for low-income veterans and transition-age youth who are aging out of foster care, providing them with a range of homes, from studios to three-bedrooms. 

With affordable options for many different types of households, these new apartments are a great example of how we solve our housing crisis