Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) highlighted a change to base access procedures for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, which could cause visitors to be denied access—a particular concern for recreational bikers, who would be forced to bike on the I-5.

Camp Pendleton recently acquired a Defense Biometric Identification System, a new Physical Access Control System developed by the Department of Defense to give bases and military installations a secure system to monitor personnel and visitors, while keeping servicemembers and their families safe.

“We want to ensure the safety of both our servicemembers and bikers as this new system is implemented at San Diego bases and installations,” said Rep. Peters. “Active modes of transportation, like bikes and biking infrastructure, can help San Diego meet our Climate Action Plan goals and provide more transit choices for our communities. We also want to ensure everyone can take advantage of our beautiful region and all the recreation opportunities San Diego offers.”

San Diego’s biking community expressed concern that bicycle travelers would be turned away from base gates because they were unaware of the changes and could not re-register their access passes.  

“We want to be sure to get the word out to all cyclists in the region about this new requirement, so they can be prepared,” said Andy Henshaw, Executive Director of the San Diego Bike Coalition. “We'd also like to engage in renewed calls for a long-term solution of a separated bike path along I-5 to accommodate bicyclists traveling up and down the coast. This is an extremely popular route, especially for bicycle travelers that should be safe and accessible.”

An estimated 13,500 bikers ride through Camp Pendleton as part of a popular route from Oceanside to San Clemente. Rep. Peters has consistently supported expanding access to alternative forms of transportation, including bike infrastructure, and paths, lanes, and trails. Cyclists have until October 1, 2018 to re-register with the new system. Information about the changes and instructions on how to pre-enroll are available on the Camp Pendleton website here. To pre-enroll click here.