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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-02; Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission; 02; Police Report Regarding Traffic and Mobility-Related Matters in the Fourth Quarter of 2025Meeting Date: Feb. 2, 2026 To: Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Staff Contact: Jason Arnotti, Police Lieutenant jason.arnotti@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-5554 Subject: Police Report Regarding Traffic and Mobility-Related Matters in the Fourth Quarter of 2025 District: All Recommended Action Receive a quarterly report from a representative of the City of Carlsbad’s Police Department that will provide an overview of traffic and mobility-related police matters and notable news during the months of October, November and December 2025. Fiscal Analysis This action has no fiscal impact. Environmental Evaluation In keeping with California Public Resources Code Section 21065, this action does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act in that it has no potential to cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Therefore, it does not require environmental review. Exhibits None. TRAFFIC SAFETY & MOBILITY COMMISSION Feb. 2, 2026 Item #2 Page 1 of 1 From:tlichterman@cox.net To:Traffic Cc:John Kim; "Pete Penseyres"; sarge@frcycling.org; Ed Santos Subject:Commission Item #2: Police Report Regarding Traffic and Mobility-Related Matters in the Fourth Quarter of 2025 Date:Sunday, February 1, 2026 7:39:54 PM Attachments:Ltr to Carlsbad re Carlsbad Blvd Hazard 1-23-26.pdf Dear Honorable Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission Members, With regard to Item #2 on your Agenda on February 2 regarding a Police Report on Traffic and Mobility related matters in the Fourth Quarter of 2025, it is my hope that you will carefully review the serious safety issues being created for cyclists in the Carlsbad Blvd. construction area between Pine and Tamarack. As detailed in the attached letter to your Commission, on December 25, 2025, there was a serious cyclist crash caused by the construction netting installed atop the barricades between the bicycle “chute” created by the contractor and the construction area. The conditions at this location present a continuing hazard to any cyclist who may not be aware of the dangers and gets snagged by the construction netting or the plastic delineators. Please consider this hazard to cyclists and ask staff to explore the recommendations in our letter. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Tom Lichterman, Chairman Oceanside Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. City of Oceanside Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee BikeWalk Oceanside Phone: 619-200-6133  E-Mail: lichtermanti@gmail.com January 23, 2026 Mr. John Kim, Acting Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager City of Carlsbad 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008 RE: Cyclist Safety Hazard in Construction Zone on Carlsbad Blvd. Dear Mr. Kim, The Oceanside Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee is a citizen’s advisory committee whose role is to advise the City on programs, projects, and policies which improve bicycling and walking in the community. The Committee’s membership includes over 90 Oceanside residents who are concerned about bicycling and walking infrastructure and opportunities. Our goals are to promote bicycling and walking in the community for health, recreation, and transportation, to promote bicycle and pedestrian safety, and to improve and increase bicycling and pedestrian facilities. The First Responder Cycling Club (FRCC) is a recreational cycling club with Chapters throughout the U.S. FRCC supports safe, sport-level cycling for its members and encourages adherence to all applicable traffic laws. Like FRCC, North Coast Velo (NCV) is also a recreational cycling club based in North County which supports safe and active cycling for its members and stresses adherence to traffic laws. The Current Situation The undersigned representatives of these organizations are writing to express our serious concerns about the current bicycle detour “chute” which has been created adjacent to boardwalk construction between Pine and Tamarack on Carlsbad Blvd., as shown in the adjacent photo. We understand that we do not have “jurisdiction” in Carlsbad per se, but all of our organizations have members who cycle in Carlsbad frequently. We fully understand and support the City’s desire to renovate the railings and sidewalks in this area; our concern is specifically with the bike detour “chute” the contractor has establisted that is very unsafe for the reasons enumerated below. As can be seen from the first photo, the chute is quite narrow and has vertical obstacles on both sides. This creates a major hazard for cyclists, which must contend not only with the narrow width Page 2 and vertical obstructions, but also the use of the chute not only by cyclists but by pedestrians, roller bladers, strollers, etc. This creates an “accident waiting to happen” condition. Compounding all this, the contractor installed plastic construction netting on top of the right-hand barricades. This netting can come loose due to insufficient securement, wind, tampering by pedestrians, etc., causing a flapping hazard for cyclists, as shown in the second photo. This is essentially what happened to one unfortunate cyclist on December 25, 2025. The cyclist, who is an experienced FRCC rider, was riding south through this area on an “Eliptigo” bicycle. His handlebar was snagged by the construction netting which was flapping in the breeze due to insufficient securement or tampering by another party, and he crashed hard onto the roadway surface, in the adjacent travel lane. This was all caught on video. He was taken to the hospital, initially locally and then sent to San Diego, with head trauma, potential broken ribs, and potential punctured lung. We understand he was released but is now having continuing medical issues. While the construction netting was the cause of the December 25th crash, the plastic delineators on the left side of the chute also pose a hazard to cyclists. As shown in the third and fourth photos below, those delineators, which are not on flexible bases, can get entangled with the drop bars or mirrors of a road bike and cause a sudden crash by the cyclist. Recommendations We believe the City and its contractor must take immediate action to eliminate this on-going safety hazard. With the construction project slated to go for two years, we cannot let this condition continue, endangering all cyclist users. We have several recommendations the City should consider to mitigate this hazard. Page 3 1. The City should remove the “chute” in its entirety, including the plastic delineators and the construction netting (but leaving the k-rail barricades in place). The adjacent travel lane should be posted for “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” and allow cyclists to use the full travel lane between Pine and Tamarack. Sharrows painted on the travel lane should also be installed. 2. Pedestrians and other non-cyclist users should be directed to use either the sea wall walk down at the beach level, or the east side of Carlsbad Blvd. between Pine and Tamarack, as signage currently directs them to do (but isn’t enforced). 3. The City should post an “Alternate Detour for Cyclists” which would have southbound cyclists turn left at Pine, right at Garfield, right at Tamarack, and left back onto Carlsbad Blvd. Sharrows should be temporarily installed on this routing. This would keep cyclists completely out of the construction zone and avoid slowing cars on Carlsbad Blvd. in the Sharrow lane. (We do appreciate the City having reduced the speed in that lane to 20 mph.) 4. The City should consider posting a second “Alternate Detour for Cyclists” up at the round- about with State Street, having southbound cyclists take the State Street leg, continue south on State to Oak, then continue south on the Coastal Rail Trail segment in this area down to Tamarack. 5. Another option the City should consider would be to divert all Carlsbad Blvd. traffic to the current northbound lanes, and limiting the southbound lane to just cyclists. We would be pleased to meet with City traffic and mobility staff to discuss this situation further. It is our sincere hope that something can be done to address the current situation so no one else is hurt by the current hazardous condition. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Sincerely, Tom Lichterman, Chairman Greg “Sarge” Christopherson, President Oceanside Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee First Responder Cycling Club Ed Santos, President North Coast Velo cc: Tom Frank, Transportation Director, City of Carlsbad Carlsbad Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission Members Oceanside Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee Members Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Quarter 4 Report for the Months of October, November and December Jason Arnotti, Police Lieutenant Police Department Feb. 2, 2026 2 Enforcement Summary Category Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Timed Parking 193 161 151 31 Street Sweeping 362 445 420 340 Unregistered Vehicles 157 176 180 134 No Parking Zones 45 74 173 177 72-Hour Violations 20 57 45 31 Oversized Vehicles 59 47 181 32 Other Violations 219 482 564 280 Total Citations/Warnings 1,055 1,442 1,714 1,141 ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 PARKING ENFORCEMENT 2025 TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT 3 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 684 595 1251 832 147 195 541 342 Citations Warnings ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT 4 0 50 100 150 200 250 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 67 60 50 64 67 63 80 72 6 9 6 3 32 26 30 33 13 8 6 6 28 23 34 21 Non-Injury Minor Serious H&R (No Injury)H&R (Injury)Bike 185 172 178166 ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 COLLISIONS BY THE NUMBERS 5 ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORTBICYCLE COLLISION LOCATIONS 6 ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORTCOLLISION LOCATIONS 2025 DUI ENFORCEMENT 7 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 29 24 24 25 20 15 28 14 21 51 38 49 Collisions Dispatched Initiated ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT 8 0 1 2 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 0 2 2 1 ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 FATAL TRAFFIC COLLISIONS 9 4100 Skyline Vehicle vs. Pedestrian 10/17/2025 •The investigation determined the primary cause of the collision was an unsafe lane change, with unsafe speed identified as a contributing factor. •Although the fatal collision occurred on a surface street, the involved driver had been stopped twice on major arterial roadways prior to the collision and was again stopped on an arterial approximately one month afterward. This underscores how arterial corridors function as effective enforcement chokepoints for identifying and re-encountering high-risk drivers. •Following a review by the District Attorney in December, the driver involved was charged with felony offenses related to the collision. •A speed survey conducted at the location showed typical driving speeds were at or below 30 miles per hour, indicating the collision was not the result of excessive prevailing speeds but individual driving behavior. ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORTQ4 FATAL TRAFFIC COLLISION 10 319 290 77 24 5 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Property Damage Only Other Visible Injury Complaint of Pain Severe Injury Fatal ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 COLLISION INJURIES 11 209 104 97 84 73 147 0 50 100 150 200 250 Unsafe Speed Improper Turning Driving Under Influence Traffic Signals and Signs Other Improper Driving OTHER (All Remaining Factors) ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 COLLISION FACTORS 12 166 154 133 114 46 43 34 19 5 Rear-End Hit Object Broadside Sideswipe Other Head-On Vehicle-Pedestrian Overturned OTHER (Not Stated) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 COLLISION TYPES 13 279 155 117 66 36 34 27 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Other Motor Vehicle Fixed Object Parked Motor Vehicle Bicycle Non-Collision Pedestrian OTHER (All Remaining) ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 COLLISIONS INVOLVED WITH 14 34% 66% Solo Multiple Parties 29% 51% 20% E-Bike Vehicle Bike ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 AT FAULT BIKES/E-BIKES 15 38 34 27 56 81 67 68 71 61 53 45 85 10 22 23 27 41 52 39 47 28 21 18 13 4 3 7 4 7 5 6 10 4 8 4 2 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 J F M A M J J A S O N D CFS (Calls for Service)Officer Initiated Activity E-Bike Collisions ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT2025 E-BIKE SUMMARY 16 •OTS-funded officer training: SFST & Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) •OTS kick-off press release - $185,000 awarded •OTS DUI Checkpoint (Dec.): 713 vehicles, 2 arrests •Chick-fil-A injury prevention community event, partnering with Scripps Health Prevention Team (Nov.) •Red ribbon week •City Council presentation for e-bike ordinance Feb. 10, 2026 •DAO partnership and child endangerment evaluation •SLC partnership •Funeral attendance with material support to SDPD – El Cajon •FTO support and vacancies ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORTOPERATIONS, OUTREACH & ADMINISTRATION OPERATIONAL PRIORITIES 17 •Enforcement targeting PCFs within arterial corridors •DUI enforcement •Address neighborhood-specific traffic complaints •E-bike and e-motorcycle enforcement •Parking management and traffic calming •Special event management •School drop-off and pick-up management ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS 18 •02/07/2026 Mitchell Thorpe 5K (Poinsettia Community Park) •04/12/2026 Carlsbad 5000 (40th Anniversary) •05/03/2026 Village Street Faire ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT QUESTIONS? ITEM 2: POLICE QUARTERLY REPORT 19 Item #2: Police Report Carlsbad Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission 2/2/2026 Steve Linke 1 2 3 Potentially dangerous condition on Carlsbad Boulevard 4 Potentially dangerous condition on Carlsbad Boulevard Netting blew into bike lane, catching handlebar of cyclist, who wiped out into vehicle lane. 5 Before-after bicycle-involved collisions 6 + Dozens of collisions not in police or EMS reports