The Carlsbad City Council voted to continue over a dozen new initiatives to address traffic safety and seek input from the community and city commissions on potential additional actions presented by city staff Tuesday. 

Following a dramatic increase in collisions involving bikes and e-bikes, the City Council ratified a local emergency on traffic safety Aug. 30 and approved spending up to $2 million for immediate education, engineering and enforcement measures. 

City staff committed to return Sept. 27 with a comprehensive set of options for the City Council’s consideration. 

Among the actions included in the City Council’s motion Tuesday was asking city staff to return with a resolution for the City Council’s consideration supporting Vision Zero, a national program promoting a comprehensive approach to eliminating serious traffic related injuries and deaths.

The City of Carlsbad is already following many of the policies recommended in the Vision Zero strategy. If the City Council were to approve a resolution supporting Vision Zero, it could also direct city staff to develop a plan specific to the Vision Zero framework.

Other actions following Tuesday’s meeting include:

• Expand public education to include partnerships with schools, businesses, mobility organizations and community groups.
• Upgrade traffic signals at intersections with high pedestrian traffic.
• Work with local school districts to explore developing a permit program requiring students to take a bike safety class to park their bicycles on campus.
• Work with the city’s lobbyists to build upon recent state legislation addressing e-bike safety.
• Accelerate plans to repave and restripe city streets to create more space for walkers and bicyclists while slowing down vehicle traffic.
• Conduct a citywide review of speed limits.

Completed to date
With the added resources, focus and flexibility made possible by the emergency declaration, the city quickly mobilized to complete or begin several immediate actions over the past 35 days:

• Reached more than 500,000 people on social media with safety messages
• Installed 22 traffic safety banners at various locations, including in school zones
• Added green paint to bike lanes in 18 new locations
• Installed 17 speed feedback signs
• Displayed 12 digital boards with safety messages
• Issued 557 citations and 253 warnings to motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians
• Added two new e-bikes to increase bike patrol

The state of emergency proclaimed by the City Manager Aug. 23 and ratified by the City Council Aug. 30 must be reviewed by the City Council at least every 60 days.

An ongoing commitment to traffic safety
Prior to the emergency declaration, the Carlsbad City Council had already put policies in place to reflect a nationwide shift in planning roads from a focus on cars to one that considers all modes of travel.

• In January 2021, the City Council adopted a Sustainable Mobility Plan, a comprehensive approach to make Carlsbad streets more inviting to walkers and bikers. In June 2022, the City Council voted to accelerate several projects within the plan as part of the fiscal year 2022-23 budget. Earlier this month, the City Council approved a contract with a firm to create an implementation plan and other studies to help pay for and advance the improvements in the plan.
• In March 2022, the City Council made Carlsbad the first city in the region to pass traffic safety laws specific to e-bikes. Carlsbad’s e-bike rules include a diversion program for riders, who may complete a training course to avoid a citation on their first offense.
• In 2021, the city developed an initial e-bike education program, including workshops, sharing information with schools and on social media, and a series of public service announcement videos.
• In 2021, the Police Department increased enforcement through education, targeting specific areas of concern.

Despite these efforts, collisions involving bikes and e-bikes have still increased significantly since 2019. Knowing students throughout Carlsbad were headed back to school in August, the city determined there was an urgent need for additional traffic safety actions, leading to the emergency proclamation.

More information
www.carlsbadca.gov/saferstreets

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