ENCINITAS — Authorities have released a new traffic collision and citation status report for February in Encinitas, showing increased drunk driving arrests in the city but fewer vehicle-involved crashes.
During a March 11 meeting of the city’s Traffic and Mobility Commission, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said February had approximately 12 DUI arrests, 61 accidents, and 141 citations, with 12 total collisions, four of which were DUI-related.
Actual numbers were estimated lower due to alleged inaccuracies in the department’s status report, which was based on data from an automated dispatch system. The status report, which was automatically generated on March 1 for the previous month, may not be entirely accurate, officials said.
Since January, there have been almost twice as many arrests for drunk driving, but the overall number of collisions has decreased by more than half. According to the Sheriff’s Department’s report, the most DUI arrests in the city over the past year occurred in September 2023 (25) and October 2023 (23); the fewest number of DUI arrests were eight in January 2024.
In February, the location of 1550 Leucadia Boulevard had the most collisions, with five, and Saxony Place and Saxony Road had the fewest, with one each. The second-highest location for collisions (2) was 115 El Camino Real.
Last month, the top location for citations was 2500 Coast Highway 101, with 17, and the fewest citations (2) were given at southbound Interstate 5 and Leucadia Boulevard. The second-highest area for citations (11) was 2800 Coast Highway 101.
Development project updates:
Due to a possible plan redesign, the 485 multi-family unit and low-income project at Quail Meadows will be removed from the City Council’s calendar for an undetermined amount of time.
The vacant site is north of Encinitas Boulevard and east of Quail Gardens Road.
Camino Multi-Family Residential, Olivenhain Estates, 1220-1240 Melba Road (Torrey Crest), 241 Andrew Avenue, 845 Santa Fe Drive, 654 North Coast Highway 101, 501 Ocean Bluff and Bella Vista are all under review for proposed residential development.
Safety and mobility project updates:
Eight ongoing Mobility and Traffic Safety Commission projects range from traffic signal and street lighting improvements to permit parking and a traffic improvement study.
According to a city statement, 12 commission projects have been completed since the summer of 2022. The projects include crosswalks, bicycle lanes, and street upgrades for citywide permit parking updates.
Check out The Coast News’ Weekly Crime Reports and Daily Arrest Logs for up-to-the-minute information in North County. Read more local crime news here or visit the San Diego County Sheriff’s website.
