A coalition of organizations working to calm traffic along Quail Gardens Drive and Saxony Road will present its the framework of a plan for doing so Thursday night.
The Encinitas Environmental Education Cluster held a pair of meetings last month during which representatives of the group solicited input from residents on ways that driving speeds could be slowed along the two roads between Encinitas and Leucadia boulevards. Residents recommended everything from roundabouts, bulb outs, speed limit changes, stop signs and lighted crosswalks.
The E3 Cluster, with the assistance of a contract traffic-engineering firm, has narrowed down the neighborhood input and will unveil the traffic-calming elements that made it into the plan it will ultimately present to the City Council.
Additionally, the cluster officials will discuss the next steps in the process of developing the plan and presenting it to the Council.
The meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Ranch, 441 Saxony Road, in Barn 2. The meeting room might change due to rain int he forecast, so attendees are advised to head to Barn 2, where signs will be posted for the final meeting arrangements.
The Cluster is composed of several educational and cultural organizations, including the Leichtag Foundation, the Magdalena Ecke YMCA, Seacrest Village senior community, the Encinitas Union School District, the San Diego Botanic Garden and the San Dieguito Heritage Museum. The groups have spearheaded an effort to reduce speeds along the two roads, which have become a popular shortcut for drivers looking to avoid traffic on the 5 Freeway.
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Traffic Calming, which is designed to cause the driver to attend to obstacles, exacts a toll referred to as “cognitive loading.” To the degree that the driver must navigate other than a straight road, attention is diverted and extra mental effort is made.
To some degree the goal of protecting pedestrians and bikers is hindered by this effect. Drivers who must evaluate how fast to go over bumps are not optimizing attention on that ball rolling into the street that could be followed by a child.
On the other hand, pedestrian crossings with flashing lights are only activated when needed, so no cognitive loading, and minimum slowing of car traffic.
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