The City of Oceanside recognizes that providing for a vibrant pedestrian and bicyclist travel network helps encourage walking and bicycling as alternatives to driving, especially for short trips such as the trip to and from school, or to run errands close to home or work. Often, the lack of an appropriate path can lead people to opt out for driving, when they would walk or bike if the opportunity were there.

In 2008, the City of Oceanside updated its Bicycle Master Plan  (17.71 MB), and in 2009, updated its Pedestrian Master Plan  (27.01 MB). Each master plan update examined the existing sidewalk and bicycle network, and created objectives and policies to ensure that these important and healthful options are readily available. This included consideration of safety improvements (i.e., routes, lighting, sidewalk/bike path conditions, identification and prioritization of future improvement projects, etc.).