Ridge Lane

Ridge Lane is a fifteen-foot-wide public right-of-way that functions as a pedestrian shortcut, cutting through a steep hillside between Howth Street and San Jose Avenue. For decades, this narrow strip of land sat as an overgrown and neglected dirt path, largely impassable to anyone but the most nimble walkers. Starting in two thousand twelve, a group of local residents formed the Ridge Lane Neighbors to reclaim this space. They worked with the city to transform the passage into a terraced, linear greenway featuring new lighting, benches, and landscaping. The project serves as an example of how communities can convert underutilized city-owned land into accessible public parks. The lane now provides a vital pedestrian connection for neighborhood residents walking toward the nearby Balboa Park transit station.