Avenida Encinas Traffic Safety Enhancements

At a glance

The project provides additional safety benefits for all modes of transportation as part of the regionwide Coastal Rail Trail.
The work will add buffers to bike lanes, add crosswalks, plus narrow vehicle lanes to reduce speeding.
Scheduled construction on the Avenida Encinas segment two, from Carlsbad Boulevard to the Poinsettia Coaster Station is anticipated through summer 2024.
The resurfacing part of the overall work is anticipated to start in March. Watch for road signs and traffic control.

Construction – what to expect

Access to homes and businesses will be maintained.
Traffic control will be in place impacting bike and car lanes. Please use caution in the area and share the road.
Street parking may be restricted.
Crews will work to minimize noise and dust.
Construction equipment will be stored nearby with construction noise during work hours.
Please do not drive, walk or bike on newly resurfaced street until signs are removed.
For properties next to construction, please do not run your irrigation the evening before, through 8 hours after resurfacing is complete.

Phases construction Avenida Encinas map

Segment 2 - Coaster station to Carlsbad Blvd

Poinsettia Coaster Station to Carlsbad Boulevard

Segment two of the Avenida Encinas Coastal Rail Trail is the southernmost part of Avenida Encinas and runs from the Poinsettia Coaster Station to Carlsbad Boulevard. Construction is currently underway.

Improvements include:

Resurfacing and restriping the road between the Poinsettia Coaster Station and Carlsbad Boulevard to take care of cracks and keep the road in top condition
Managing speeding by narrowing driving lanes and reducing the number of driving lanes between Poinsettia Lane and Windrose Circle
Installing a new mid-block crosswalk with a new pedestrian signal at Avenida Encinas and San Carlos Street
Painting new, wider buffered bike lanes, with green paint at conflict points where cars and bikes share the road
Painting new high-visibility crosswalks and building new ADA-compliant ramps at:
- Poinsettia Coaster Station driveway
- Embarcadero Lane
- Macadamia Drive
- Raintree Drive
- Windrose Circle
- Dory Lane
Painting new high-visibility intersection crosswalks across Avenida Encinas at:
- Poinsettia Lane
- San Lucas Street
- Portage Way
- Ponto Drive
- Carlsbad Boulevard

Construction runs through summer 2024.
During construction, driveway access for residents will be maintained.

Design improvements

Background

In July 2017, the City of Carlsbad was awarded a $1.77 million Active Transportation Program grant by Caltrans to construct a portion of the Coastal Rail Trail along Avenida Encinas between Carlsbad Boulevard and Cannon Road. Improvements along Avenida Encinas are identified by three segments with the grant focused on improvements in segment 2 from the Poinsettia Coaster Station to Carlsbad Boulevard.

Segment 1 from Cannon Road to Palomar Airport Road (north end)
Segment 2 from Poinsettia Coaster Station to Carlsbad Boulevard (south end)
Segment 3 from Palomar Airport Road to Poinsettia Coaster Station (middle)

Coastal Rail Trail Zoom 032422

To facilitate the use of the grant and meet the grant timeline requirements, staff are coordinating with the San Diego Association of Governments, the regional planning agency and Caltrans to rescope the project and use the grant only for construction of segment two between the Poinsettia Coaster Station and Carlsbad Boulevard.

Avenida Encinas as part of the Coastal Rail Trail

The Coastal Rail Trail was initially planned in the 1990s as a continuous bicycle route that would run along the railroad tracks from downtown San Diego to Oceanside. According to SANDAG, logistics, costs and environmental concerns since its original planning have forced some areas of the route away from the tracks and onto side streets such as Avenida Encinas.

Using Avenida Encinas as part of the Coastal Rail Trail supports the city’s goals to design roads that can safely accommodate all modes of travel and improve access and connectivity.

Avenida Encinas is a public transit corridor that includes five North County Transit District transit stops, one of them being the Poinsettia Regional Coaster Station. The Poinsettia Station includes bike racks and secure bike lockers that bicycle commuters may use while taking the coaster to destinations throughout the region.

In addition to transit access, the project corridor is widely used to access three schools, recreational centers with youth and adult gyms, residences, major employment centers, medical and commercial offices, South Carlsbad State Beach and retail shopping.

According to the Pedestrian Master Plan, this corridor is one of the highest concentrations of employees, walking commuters, pedestrian-dependent sub-populations (youth and elderly), disabled persons, and pedestrian generators in the city. Due to these land use and demographic factors, there is a major potential for the local community to make convenient walking and biking trips, rather than driving, for everyday activities.

Segment 1 - Cannon to PAR

Cannon Road to Palomar Airport Road

Segment one of the Coastal Rail Trail runs along Avenida Encinas from Cannon Road to Palomar Airport Road.

The city constructed this project segment with funding from a separate Capital Improvement Program project. Improvements included a road narrowing with bike lanes that run along both sides of the streets and are delineated by pavement striping and signs (class II bike lanes).

The enhanced intersection at Cannon Road and Avenida Encinas will be constructed as part of another city project, the Terramar Area Coastal Improvements Project, separate from Caltrans grant funding.

Segment 3 - PAR to Coaster station

Palomar Airport Road to Poinsettia Coaster Station

Segment three, or the middle part of Avenida Encinas from Palomar Airport Road to the Poinsettia Coaster Station will be constructed with a separate Capital Improvements Project and is currently in preliminary design.

This segment will require widening of the existing roadway to accommodate new sidewalks and wider bikeway lanes, requiring evaluation of the environmental impacts following project design, including property acquisition, utility undergrounding, habitat impacts and possible mitigation and obtaining the required permits.

Proceeds from the traffic impact fee the city assesses on developers will pay for the engineering design, environmental assessment and construction phases of this portion of the project.

Past actions

May 23, 2023 | City Council
The City Council accepted the bids and awarded the contract to Granite Construction Company for Segment 2 of the project, Avenida Encinas from the Poinsettia Coaster Transit Station to Carlsbad Boulevard.

March 14, 2023 | City Council
The City Council approved plans, specifications and authorization to bid for Segment 2 of the project, Avenida Encinas from the Poinsettia Coaster Transit Station to Carlsbad Boulevard.

Aug. 18, 2022 | Traffic & Mobility Commission
The commission voted to support staff’s recommendation to approve the plans and specifications for the project.

June 6, 2022 | Traffic & Mobility Commission
The commission discussed additional public comments and then directed staff to return to the commission with the final improvement plans and specifications for Segment 2 of the project.

April 4, 2022 | Traffic & Mobility Commission
City staff presented and sought input on the design plans for segment two of improvements between the Poinsettia Coaster Station and Carlsbad Boulevard.

June 7, 2021 | Traffic & Mobility Commission
City staff presented and sought input on the conceptual plan for the project.

May 3, 2021 | Traffic & Mobility Commission
City staff presented and sought input on the conceptual plan for the project.

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