CARLSBAD — Carlsbad Boulevard is set to get a makeover as part of a citywide push for increased traffic safety.
During its Sept. 27 meeting, the Carlsbad City Council approved restriping along Carlsbad Boulevard and reducing the southbound lanes from Manzano Lane to Island Way to a single lane.
Mayor Matt Hall and Councilman Keith Blackburn voted against the project.
The restriping project is separate from a current study and project realigning Carlsbad Boulevard to the east and reducing the road from four lanes to two, adding roundabouts with other safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians.
The project will cost $388,120 and VSS International was awarded the contract.
The restriping project will mark a 10-foot travel lane to include a two-foot buffer and an eight-foot-wide bike lane, adding roughly 300 feet of parallel on-street parking (15 spots) and painting the bike lane green to enhance safety.
Staff said another reason for the project is to protect residents from potential erosion issues, especially near the Encinas Creek Bridge. The stretch of Carlsbad Boulevard was closed from 2016 until 2017 after a storm threatened the integrity of the bridge.
According to the staff report, a traffic count was conducted in July showing the volume is lower than it was in 2019. Additionally, staff noted the traffic counts from 2016 and 2017 during the closure and showed it could handle the traffic volume during peak hours.
Traffic engineer Jon Kim said the project also includes five bike enhancements along the thoroughfare and at three other locations in the Sustainable Mobility Plan.
“This will shift the vehicle traffic to the east,” Kim said. “Although Carlsbad Boulevard is classified as a coastal street and not subject to level vehicular level of service … policy gives council the ability to reduce vehicle capacity to or below level of service of need.”
Kim also noted the level of service for both intersections at Solamar Drive and Island Way will be an “A” and “B,” respectively, under all scenarios.
Resident Mark Embree voiced concerns with the La Costa Avenue overpass, one of the locations identified by staff, as dangerous for cyclists. Embree also noted there is no buffered bike lane going west, while there is one going east.
Embree said there must be consistency moving forward if the city is to address its traffic safety concerns.
Tony Frank, the city’s traffic director, said the city is holding off on restriping the area Embree addressed as plans and public input is being gathered for a project to restripe the entire La Costa Avenue corridor.
