The City of Carlsbad is seeking input on three roadway designs that protect public infrastructure from future sea level rise while prioritizing walking and biking paths along a 1-mile stretch of south Carlsbad Boulevard from Manzano Drive to Island Way.

The city developed the road designs as part of a project funded by the California State Coastal Conservancy. The grant is intended to demonstrate how cities can move and adapt infrastructure based on the latest modeling of sea level rise and its hazards.

Earlier this year, the city asked the public to share their priorities for the entire 3-mile stretch of Carlsbad Boulevard from Manzano Drive to La Costa Avenue, including the road itself and the public land that could be freed up if the road were reconfigured. The Coastal Conservancy grant project was able to use that input in designing three road options for the 1-mile stretch from Manzano Drive to Island Way.

Community priorities
When it comes to the roadway, some of the priorities shared by the community included:

• Safer bike lanes, including some separated from the flow of car traffic
• Safe, wide walking paths
• Less noise and air pollution from traffic when enjoying the coast
• Slowing down traffic along the coast
• Making it safer to cross the road to get to the coast
• Maintaining ocean views for drivers and residents who live along Carlsbad Boulevard

New “coastal street” designation
The city’s General Plan, approved in 2015, gave south Carlsbad Boulevard a new designation as a coastal street. The design options for the 1-mile stretch of Carlsbad Boulevard reflect this new designation, in addition to the community’s input. Some of the features of a coastal street include enhanced pedestrian crossings, wide sidewalks, slower vehicle speeds, and infrastructure to encourage bicycling, such as buffered or separated bike lanes.

Road options
Due to the requirements of the grant at this time, the project team focused on changes to the roadway, not the land that could be repurposed as a result of moving the road to the east. The three options include:

• 4-lane road with traffic signals
• 2-lane road with roundabouts
• 2-lane road with roundabouts and one enhanced pedestrian crossing

View a side-by-side comparison of the options and conceptual roadway options

Input opportunities

• Take this online survey through July 17.
• Provide input to the Traffic & Mobility Commission, July 5, in person or via email. The agenda and staff report will be available by June 30.

Next steps

• Public input will be shared with the City Council later this summer to assist in selecting a preferred option to further study.
• The following city boards and commissions will receive a project update:
  • Traffic & Mobility Commission - July 5 and Aug. 18
  • Parks & Recreation Commission - July 18
  • Beach Preservation Commission - TBD
  • Planning Commission - Aug. 17
• A final product of the study will be a conceptual design of how southbound Carlsbad Boulevard from Manzano Drive to Island Way could be moved to the east. The grant does not include funding to build the new road, just to complete a rough design.
• Beyond completing the study, the City Council will determine next steps for the 1-mile section of roadway and the full length of south Carlsbad Boulevard.
• At this time, no additional work has been included in the city’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget for either project.

More information

South Carlsbad coastline project webpage
South Carlsbad Boulevard climate adaptation grant
General Plan – Mobility element
California State Coastal Conservancy
South Carlsbad Boulevard cliff erosion assessment report