HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-07-06; Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission; 07; Carlsbad Traffic Safety Improvements Project, Capital Improvement Program Project No. 6116Meeting Date: July 6, 2026
To: Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission
From: John Kim, City Traffic Engineer
Staff Contact: Miriam Jim, Senior Engineer
miriam.jim@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-5796
Lindy Pham, Associate Engineer
lindy.pham@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2768
Subject:
Program Project No. 6116
District:
Recommended Action
Provide input on the Carlsbad Traffic Safety Improvements Project, Capital Improvement
Program, or CIP, Project No. 6116.
Executive Summary
In 2024, the city worked with U.S. Representative Mike Levin to secure $850,000 in federal
funding, along with 11.47% match of local funds, for construction of the Carlsbad Traffic Safety
Improvements Project through the Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed
Spending, or CDFCDS, program. This project will enhance traffic safety by improving
infrastructure near schools throughout the city.
Transportation Department staff have coordinated with the Transportation Review Committee,
consisting of staff from the Police and Fire departments, on finalizing the scope for this grant-
funded project. Proposed improvements for this project include upgrading sixty-eight (68)
existing crosswalks near twenty (20) schools to high visibility continental style crosswalk
markings, installing two new marked crosswalks enhanced with Rectangular Rapid Flashing
Beacons, or RRFB, along Tamarack Avenue and installing four speed cushions near Jefferson
Elementary School. These improvements are intended to increase driver awareness of
pedestrian crossing locations and encourage lower vehicles speeds in school areas with high
pedestrian activity. The improvement locations are provided in Exhibit 1.
Explanation & Analysis
In February 2025, the City Council accepted the Jefferson Elementary School Safe Routes to
School Plan. The plan proposed both near- and long-term infrastructure and programmatic
improvements that will enhance safety and encourage walking and biking to school by making
TRAFFIC SAFETY & MOBILITY COMMISSION
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 1 of 117
these modes of travel more comfortable and accessible for students and families. The Carlsbad
Traffic Safety Improvements Project will upgrade crosswalks and install speed cushions as
recommended by this Safe Route to School Plan along with other proposed crosswalk upgrades
throughout the city.
Upgrade Existing Crosswalks near Schools with High Visibility Continental Marking
This project will upgrade sixty-eight (68) existing yellow crosswalks near schools throughout the
city with high visibility continental style crosswalk markings. Continental crosswalk uses a series
of wide, longitudinal pavement markings that are more visible to motorists than traditional
transverse crosswalk markings, improving drivers’ awareness of pedestrian crossing locations.
This crosswalk marking is also the city’s standard for new and upgraded crosswalks. By making
crossing locations recognizable and consistent near schools, these improvements support safe
routes to school and help create a more pedestrian-friendly environment for students, families
and other community members.
As part of the project, existing crosswalk markings will be removed, and a slurry seal treatment
will be applied to the affected roadway surface before installing new high visibility continental
crosswalk markings. The slurry seal treatment will help provide a uniform pavement
appearance and improve the overall visibility and effectiveness of the new crosswalk markings.
The project will also upgrade two existing uncontrolled and unmarked crosswalks on Tamarack
Avenue, at Hibiscus Circle and at Strata Drive (west), with high visibility continental style
markings enhanced with RRFB. RRFB are pedestrian activated warning devices that use high-
intensity flashing lights to capture drivers’ attention and increase yielding to pedestrians.
The proposed marked crosswalk at the intersection of Tamarack Avenue and Hibiscus Circle is
one of the infrastructure improvements identified in the Jefferson Elementary School Safe
Routes to School Plan. The nearest existing marked crosswalk on Tamarack Avenue from this
intersection is approximately 800 feet east at Jefferson Street and 1,200 feet west at Garfield
Street. The proposed crossing will enhance connectivity for pedestrians accessing Jefferson
Elementary School and the Coastal Rail Trail.
The marked crosswalk at the intersection of Tamarack Avenue and Strata Drive was proposed in
response to residents’ requests to improve pedestrian safety, especially for students traveling
to and from Calavera Hills Elementary and Middle Schools. An access gate located on Strata
Drive, south of the campuses, is frequently used by students as an alternative entry point to the
school’s main entrance on Tamarack Avenue to the north. The proposed crosswalk will enhance
pedestrians’ safety and improve connectivity between the neighborhood to the south and
school campuses.
Speed Cushions
The Jefferson Elementary School Safe Routes to School Plan recommended the installation of
four speed cushions in the vicinity of Jefferson Elementary School to reduce vehicle speeds.
Two speed cushions are proposed on Jefferson Street between Magnolia Avenue and
Chinquapin Avenue, and two are proposed on Chinquapin Avenue between Jefferson Street
and Adams Street. This project will implement the four speed cushions identified by the Safe
Routes to School Plan.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 2 of 117
Next Steps
Upon receiving the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission’s feedback on the proposed
improvements for the Carlsbad Traffic Safety Improvements Project, staff will proceed with the
final design and permitting phase for the project. Once completed, staff will submit funding
allocation request to Caltrans for construction of the project. Then, the final design package will
be presented to the Commission in 2027 for recommendation to the City Council for
acceptance of grant funding and project implementation.
Exhibits
1. Improvement Locations
2. Jefferson Elementary School Safe Routes to School Program
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 3 of 117
1
LEGEND
UPGRADE EXISTING CROSSWALK TO HIGH
VISIBILITY CONTINENTAL CROSSWALK
UPGRADE UNMARKED CROSSWALK TO
MARKED CROSSWALK WITH RECTANGULAR
RAPID FLASHING BEACONS
SPEED CUSHION
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 4 of 117
District Location
Number Location
No. of
Continental
Crosswalk
To Be
Upgraded
No. of
New
Speed
Cushion
Unmarked
Crosswalk To
Be Upgraded
To
Continental
Crosswalk
with RRFB
Slurry
Seal
1 1 Cypress Ave at Carlsbad Blvd 1 X
1 2 Ave 1 X
1 3 Chuparosa Way at Las Flores Dr 1 X
1 4 Morning Glory Ln at Las Flores Dr 1 X
1 5 Highland Dr at Buena Vista Way 2 X
1 6 Elmwood St at Highland Dr 1 X
1 7 Pio Pico Dr at Buena Vista Way 1 X
1 8 Basswood Ave at Valley St 4 X
1 9 Chestnut Ave at Valley St 4 X
1 10 Magnolia Ave at Monroe St 2 X
1 11 Magnolia Ave at Highland Dr 2 X
1 12 Magnolia Ave at Valley St 2 X
1 13 Monroe St at Gayle Way 1 X
2 14 Cheshire Ave at Tamarack Ave 1
2 15 Simsbury Ct at Tamarack Ave 1
2 16 Strata Dr at Contour Pl 2 X
2 17 Tamarack Ave 1
2 18 Tamarack Ave at College Blvd 2 X
3 19 Plum Tree Rd at Hidden Valley Rd 1 X
3 20 Beacon Bay Dr at Hidden Valley Rd 1 X
3 21 Hidden Valley Rd at Lighthouse Rd 4 X
3 22 Ondas 2 X
3 23 Camino De Las Ondas at Alderwood Dr 3 X
3 24 Camino De Las Ondas at Solandra Dr 1 X
3 25 Ambrosia Ln at Conosa Way 2 X
3 26 Ambrosia Ln at Aviara Pkwy 4 X
4 27 Paseo Aliso at Camino Robledo 2 X
4 28 Paseo Aliso at Via Adelfa 2 X
4 29 Paseo Tulipero at Paseo Aliso 1 X
4 30 Corte Acebo at Paseo Tulipero 2
4 31 Calle Barcelona at Rancho Santa Fe 1 X
4 32 Calle Posada at Calle Barcelona 1 X
4 33 Avenida Nieve at Calle Barcelona 1
4 34 Calle Jalisco at Calle Barcelona 1 X
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 5 of 117
District Location
Number Location
No. of
Continental
Crosswalk
To Be
Upgraded
No. of
New
Speed
Cushion
Unmarked
Crosswalk To
Be Upgraded
To
Continental
Crosswalk
with RRFB
Slurry
Seal
4 35 Rancho Santa Fe at Calle Acervo 2 X
3 36 Luciernaga at El Fuerte St 1 X
3 37 Corintia St at El Fuerte St 2
3 38 Llama St at Corintia St 1 X
1 39 Aura Cir at Hillside Dr 1 X
1 40 Cordoba Pl at Hillside Dr 2 X
1 41 Jefferson Street 2
1 42 Chinquapin Ave 2
2 43 Tamarack Ave at Strata Dr 1
1 44 Tamarack Avenue at Hibiscus Cir 1
Total = 68 4 2
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 6 of 117
Location No. 1: Cypress Avenue at Carlsbad Blvd
Location No. 2: Ocean St between Pacific Ave and Cypress Ave
Cypress Ave
Cypress Ave
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Add a limit line and relocate the
STOP pavement legend
accordingly.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing
crosswalk with a
continental crosswalk.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 7 of 117
Location No. 3: Chuparosa Way at Las Flores Drive
Location No. 4: Morning Glory Ln at Las Flores Dr
Las Flores Dr
Ch
u
p
a
r
o
s
a
W
a
y
Mo
r
n
i
n
g
G
l
o
r
y
L
n
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Add a limit line and relocate
the STOP pavement legend
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Add a limit line and relocate
the STOP pavement legend
accordingly.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 8 of 117
Location No. 5: Highland Dr at Buena Vista Way
Location No. 6: Highland Dr at Elmwood St
Buena Vista Way
Hi
g
h
l
a
n
d
D
r
El
m
w
o
o
d
S
t
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing
crosswalks with a continental
crosswalk. Add limit lines and
relocate the STOP pavement
legends accordingly.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Refresh limit line and STOP
pavement legend.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 9 of 117
Location No. 7: Pio Pico Drive at Buena Vista Way
Location No. 8: Basswood Ave at Valley St
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Add limit line and relocate
STOP pavement legend
accordingly.
Buena Vista Way
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing
crosswalks with a continental
crosswalk. Add limit lines and
relocate STOP pavement
legends accordingly. Refresh
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 10 of 117
Location No. 9: Chestnut Ave at Valley St
Location No. 10: Magnolia Ave at Monroe St
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing
crosswalks with a continental
crosswalk. Add limit lines and
relocate STOP pavement
legends accordingly. Refresh
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing
crosswalks with a continental
crosswalk. Add limit line and
relocate STOP pavement
legend accordingly on
Magnolia Ave. Refresh school
pavement marking.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 11 of 117
Location No. 11: Magnolia Ave at Highland Dr
Location No. 12: Magnolia Ave at Valley St
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing
crosswalks with a continental
crosswalk. Add limit lines and
relocate STOP pavement
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing
crosswalks with a continental
crosswalk. Add limit lines and
relocate STOP pavement
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 12 of 117
Location No. 13: Monroe St at Gayle Way
Location No. 14: Cheshire Ave at Tamarack Ave
Ta
m
a
r
a
c
k
A
v
e
Cheshire Ave
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing
crosswalks with a continental
crosswalk. Refresh limit line
and STOP pavement legend.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Add limit line and refresh the
STOP pavement legend.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 13 of 117
Location No. 15: Simsbury Ct at Tamarack Ave
Location No. 16: Strata Dr at Contour Pl
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Add limit line and refresh the
STOP pavement legend.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Add limit lines and refresh the
STOP pavement legend on
Contour Pl. Add yield lines on
Strata Dr.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 14 of 117
Location No. 17: Calavera Hills Schools Driveway at Tamarack Ave
Location No. 18: Tamarack Ave at College Blvd
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 15 of 117
Location No. 19: Plum Tree Road at Hidden Valley Rd
Location No. 20: Beacon Bay Dr at Hidden Valley Rd
Plum Tree Rd
Hi
d
d
e
n
V
a
l
l
e
y
R
d
Beacon Bay Dr
Hi
d
d
e
n
V
a
l
l
e
y
R
d
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Add limit line and relocate
STOP pavement legend
accordingly.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Add limit line and relocate
STOP pavement legend
accordingly.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 16 of 117
Location No. 21: Hidden Valley Rd at Lighthouse Rd
Location No. 22: Hidden Valley Rd at Camino De las Ondas
Hi
d
d
e
n
V
a
l
l
e
y
R
d
Camino De Las Ondas
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Add limit line and relocate
STOP pavement legend
accordingly on Lighthouse
Road. Refresh existing
pavement markings on Hidden
Valley Rd.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Refresh existing pavement
markings.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 17 of 117
Location No. 23: Camino De las Ondas at Alderwood Dr
Location No. 24: Camino De las Ondas at Solandra Dr
Camino De Las Ondas
Al
d
e
r
w
o
o
d
D
r
Camino De Las Ondas
So
l
a
n
d
r
a
D
r
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Add limit line and relocate
STOP pavement marking on
Alderwood Dr. Refresh existing
pavement markings. Refresh
pavement markings on Camino
De Las Ondas.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with a continental crosswalk.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Add limit line and relocate
STOP pavement accordingly.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 18 of 117
Location No. 25: Ambrosia Ln at Conosa Way
Location No. 26: Ambrosia Ln at Aviara Pkwy
Conosa Way
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Add limit lines and relocate
STOP pavements accordingly.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks
and add limit lines.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 19 of 117
Location No. 27: Paseo Aliso at Camino Robledo
Location No. 28: Paseo Aliso at Via Adelfa
Via Adelfa
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Add limit lines and relocate
STOP pavement legends
accordingly.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Add limit line and relocate
STOP pavement legend on Via
Adelfa. Refresh pavement
markings on Paseo Aliso.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 20 of 117
Location No. 29: Paseo Tulipero at Paseo Aliso
Location No. 30: Corte Acebo at Paseo Tulipero
.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk.
Add limit line and relocate
STOP pavement legend
accordingly.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 21 of 117
Location No. 31: Calle Barcelona at Rancho Santa Fe Rd
Location No. 32: Calle Posada at Calle Barcelona
Calle Barcelona
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk and
add limit line.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk. Add
limit line and relocate STOP
pavement legend accordingly.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 22 of 117
Location No. 33: Avenida Nieve at Calle Barcelona
Location No. 34: Calle Jalisco at Calle Barcelona
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk. Add
limit line and refresh STOP
pavement legend.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk. Add
limit line and relocate STOP
pavement legend accordingly.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 23 of 117
Location No. 35: Rancho Sant Rd at Calle Acervo
Location No. 36: Luciernaga St at El Fuerte St
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks and
add limit line.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk and
refresh pavement markings.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 24 of 117
Location No. 37: Corintia St El Fuerte St
Location No. 38: Llama St at Corintia St
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks.
Refresh limit line.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk and
refresh pavement markings.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 25 of 117
Location No. 39: Aura Cir at Hillside Dr
Location No. 40: Cordoba Pl at Hillside Dr
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalk
with continental crosswalk and
refresh pavement markings.
Slurry Seal.
Replace the existing crosswalks
with continental crosswalks and
refresh pavement markings.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 26 of 117
Location No. 41 & 42: Jefferson St and Chinquapin Ave (New Speed Cushions)
Speed Cushion #1 - Jefferson Street
o
Install speed cushion #1
Install speed cushion #4
Install speed cushion #3
Install speed cushion #2
Install speed cushion
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 27 of 117
Speed Cushion #2 – Jefferson Street
Speed Cushion #3 – Chinquapin Avenue
Install speed cushion
Install speed cushion
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 28 of 117
Speed Cushion #4 – Chinquapin Avenue
Install speed cushion
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 29 of 117
Location No. 43: Tamarack Avenue at Strata Drive (New Continental Crosswalk with RRFBs)
Install new continental crosswalk
markings with Rectangular Rapid
Flashing Beacons. Work includes
installing pole foundation and
repairing damaged sidewalk to the
nearest joint. No conduit
installation.
Approximate
location of the
Rectangular Rapid
Flashing Beacons
poles.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 30 of 117
Location No. 44: Tamarack Avenue at Hibiscus Cir (New Crosswalk with RRFBs)
Install new continental crosswalk
markings with Rectangular Rapid
Flashing Beacons. Work includes
installing pole foundation and
repairing damaged sidewalk to the
nearest joint. No conduit
installation.
Approximate
location of the
Rectangular Rapid
Flashing Beacons
poles.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 31 of 117
SAFER TOGETHER
CARLSBAD
Safe Routes to
School Plan
Jefferson Elementary School
Summer 2024
Exhibit 2
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 32 of 117
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
School context ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Identifying Needs ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Meetings and outreach ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Summary of findings ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Technical Analysis .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Collision history ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Mode share ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Solutions ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Operations and circulation recommendations ............................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Programmatic recommendations ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21
Example costs for recommended improvements ....................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Appendices
Appendix A: School Site Assessment Summary Report
Appendix B: Phase 1 Community Input Summary
Appendix C: Tamarack Avenue/Jefferson Street Intersection Configuration Test Results
Appendix D: Suggested Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Routes for Jefferson Elementary School
Appendix E: Non-Infrastructure Strategies
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 33 of 117
List of Figures
Figure 1: Sage Creek High School Service Area ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Figure 2: Sage Creek Multimodal Circulation ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Figure 3: Collisions by Year and Mode (2018-2022) ............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Figure 4: Collisions Involving School-Age Victims During School Hours (2018-2022)......................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 5: Current Modes of Transportation........................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Figure 6: Design Concepts .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
List of Tables
Table 1: Sage Creek High School Enrollment Data................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Table 2: Collisions by Type, Severity, Time of Day, and Primary Collision Factor (2018 – 2022) ......................................................................................................... 9
Table 3: Example Costs for Recommended Improvements ................................................................................................................................................................ 23
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 34 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Introduction
The City of Carlsbad is committed to helping everyone get around the city
in a safe and convenient way, whether by foot, car, bike or public transit.
One way the city is improving traffic safety is through a Safe Routes to
School Program, which is an approach that focuses on walking and
bicycling to school through infrastructure improvements, enforcement and
safety education. Other strategies the city uses focus on safe driving.
Safe routes to school is part of the broader citywide efforts to improve
traffic safety through the Safer Streets Together Plan, which the City
Council approved in September 2022 and the Sustainable Mobility Plan
approved in January 2021.
This document presents the Safe Routes to School Plan for Jefferson
Elementary School. The plan outlines specific short- and long-term
infrastructure improvements and school programs that will enhance safety
and make it more comfortable for families and students to walk and bike
to and from school sites. Recommended improvements and programs are
informed by industry best practices and reflect Jefferson Elementary
School’s unique needs, challenges and opportunities for improving travel
conditions.
To ensure the Safe Routes to School Plan reflects the community’s needs,
values and priorities, the project team relied on community outreach,
observations and design expertise. The team conducted field observations,
Identify needs
•Walk audit
•Drop-off/pick-up observations
•In-person and online opportunities
for input
Techical analysis
•School commute surveys
•Roadway operations
•Crossing guard assessment
•Collisions
Solutions
•Programmatic
•Infrastructure
•Operations and circulation
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 35 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
evaluated circulation patterns, analyzed historical collision data and met
with parents to document their concerns.
School Context
School characteristics
Jefferson Elementary School is located at 3743 Jefferson Street, just north
of Tamarack Avenue and west of Interstate 5. The school is in the
northwest portion of Carlsbad near the Carlsbad Village, Agua Hedionda
Lagoon and Carlsbad State Beach. The school enrollment boundary for the
elementary school is south of Carlsbad Village Drive, West of Interstate 5,
and north of Palomar Airport Road. Except for the Terramar Community
south of Agua Hedionda Lagoon, the maximum travel distance to the
school within the enrollment boundary is approximately 1.2 miles.
Jefferson Elementary additionally has a transitional kindergarten (TK)
program which serves students and residents from throughout the city like
zones for Buena Vista, Jefferson, Kelly and Magnolia elementary schools.
Not every family is close enough to walk or bike, but the more who do, the
better traffic will flow and the less time will be spent waiting in school pick-
up and drop-off lines.
A map of the elementary and transitional kindergarten enrollment
boundaries can be found in Figure 1 below. A brief overview of the
school’s enrollment data is presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Sage Creek High School Enrollment Data
1
2022 Cumulative Student Enrollment 448
2022 Number of Faculty 23
1 Source: Education Data Partnership
Key transportation facilities and transit services
Jefferson Street is a north-south two-lane roadway which runs between
Chinquapin Avenue to the south and Magnolia Avenue to the north. Other
segments of Jefferson Street within the City are disconnected from the
segment adjacent to the school. The roadway is classified as a “school
street” between Anchor Way and Tamarack Avenue in the city’s General
Plan Mobility Element, which means that the street should be designed
with an emphasis on providing safe bicycle and pedestrian access to and
from schools. Between Tamarack Avenue and Chinquapin Avenue,
Jefferson Street is classified as a “neighborhood connector street”.
Sidewalks are provided on both sides of the street except for the east side
between Chinquapin Avenue and Tamarack Avenue. A marked crosswalk is
provided at Carol Place and a crossing guard is present at that crosswalk
during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.
Tamarack Avenue is an east-west street which runs between Carlsbad
Boulevard to the west and College Boulevard to the east. It is classified as a
“neighborhood connector street” near Jefferson Elementary, meaning that
it connects residents to other neighborhoods and land uses with a focus on
managing vehicle speeds and providing facilities to enhance mobility for
bicyclists and pedestrians. Near Jefferson Elementary, it is a four-lane
facility and provides access to Interstate 5. Sidewalks are present on both
sides of the road.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 36 of 117
N:
\
P
r
o
j
e
c
t
s
\
2
0
2
3
_
P
r
o
j
e
c
t
s
\
0
4
9
4
_
C
a
r
l
s
b
a
d
S
R
T
S
(
S
a
f
e
R
o
u
t
e
s
t
o
S
c
h
o
o
l
)
\
G
I
S
\
D
r
a
f
t
_
(
D
a
t
e
)
\
C
a
r
l
s
b
a
d
S
R
T
S
.
a
p
r
x
Jefferson Elementary Enrollment Area
Jefferson Elementary
Jefferson TK Enrollment Boundary
Jefferson Elementary Enrollment Boundary
Figure 1
Cannon Road
El Camino Real
College Boulevard
Palomar Airport Road
Tamarack A
v
e
n
u
e
Carlsbad Village Drive
!"5
·78
Carlsb
a
d
Bo
u
lev
a
r
d
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 37 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
School circulation
Access for all travel modes to Jefferson Elementary School is provided via
Jefferson Street, with vehicle ingress via the northern driveway and vehicle
egress via the southern driveway. Common pedestrian and bicycle routes
are shown on Figure 2.
There are two vehicle drop-off and pick-up lines: the right lane is for
general student drop-off and pick-up. The left lane is for disabled students
and vehicular access to the parking lot. Drivers do not always follow
instructions to pull as far forward in the lane as possible, causing queues to
spill back onto Jefferson Street.
Many students walking to and from school are accompanied by parents
and use either a sidewalk along the north driveway or a sidewalk/stair
immediately across from the Carol Place crosswalk to enter campus. The
Carol Place crosswalk is the only marked crosswalk along Jefferson Street
between Tamarack Avenue and Magnolia Avenue. Given the age of
students, biking to campus is not as common. Students and parents biking
to school ride along Jefferson Street to access the campus.
Drivers on the egress driveway can turn left or right onto Jefferson Street,
although the school has at times prohibited left turns to manage queues
and ensure quicker movement through the school drop-off and pick-up
line.
Figure 2: Sage Creek Multimodal Circulation
Common path for bikes and e-bikes
Common path for pedestrians
Crossing guard location
Vehicle drop-off and pick-up route
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 38 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Identifying Needs
Meetings and outreach
The following meetings, events, and surveys were utilized to establish an
understanding of existing conditions and the needs of students traveling
to/from school. This information was used to inform opportunities for
infrastructure, programmatic, and operational safety improvements.
Principal meeting
A meeting was held with principal Emma Cobb on Thursday, October 5,
2023, to discuss an overview of existing pick-up/drop-off operations and
concerns regarding safe access to Jefferson Elementary School.
Walk audit
The project team conducted a walk audit on the morning of October 19,
2023 to observe existing travel patterns after school dismissal, existing
barriers to walking and biking, and potential near and long-term
opportunities for improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. Walk audit
participants included the Jefferson Elementary School principal, City of
Carlsbad staff and leadership, and the Carlsbad Police Department staff. A
detailed summary of observations gathered during the walk audit is
provided in Appendix A.
Field observations
Drop-off/pick-up activity was observed on January 26, 2023 and October
19, 2023 to understand the current number of students walking and biking
to campus, observe vehicle circulation and queues, existing infrastructure,
and locations with a high frequency of interactions between pedestrians,
bicyclists, and vehicles.
Parent listening session and online map survey
A parent listening session was held in the evening of Nov. 13, 2023 for the
project team to directly engage with parents and caregivers of students to
understand their concerns regarding safety near the campus and their
ideas for improvements to make access to campus more comfortable for
those walking and biking.
An online interactive mapping survey was created to gather additional
input from parents and community members who were not able to attend
the parent listening sessions. Notifications about the online map survey
were provided through multiple outlets including the Parent Teacher
Association, news releases and e-newsletters, media interview and posts
on community web platforms such as Nextdoor. Participants added pins to
the map to report their concerns with access to and from the school. A
summary of feedback gathered through the in-person and online
engagement is provided in Appendix B.
Summary of observations
Key takeaways and safety concerns are summarized below.
On-campus circulation and school driveways
• Concentration of activity at the egress driveway creates a hot spot
of conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles. • Some pedestrians cross Jefferson Street outside of the designated
Carol Place crosswalk to access the school at the ingress driveway
to the north.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 39 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
• The main crosswalk at Carol Place has a crossing guard; however,
it does not provide an accessible route. • There are two gates along the campus driveway for drop-off, one
for TK at the north end and one for K-5 grades further south.
Parents let students out of the car right at the gates and do not
pull forward, even with staff present.
Jefferson Street/Tamarack Avenue intersection
• Southbound traffic on Jefferson backs up from the signal at
Tamarack to the outbound driveway and beyond, often blocking
the crosswalk at Carol Place and slowing the flow of the school
drop-off and pick-up line.
• Congestion at the I-5 interchange spills back to this intersection at
times, causing delays to southbound left-turns and creating an
uncomfortable environment for pedestrians and bicyclists. • Right-turning traffic is fast and does not always yield to
pedestrians in west leg and north leg crosswalks, especially if they
are looking left for oncoming vehicles.
Vehicles exiting the outbound school driveway conflict with pedestrians on Jefferson Street near Carol Place.
Long southbound queues on Jefferson Street at Tamarack Avenue affect driveway operations
and pedestrian traffic around the school.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 40 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Jefferson Street north of Jefferson Elementary School
• Right-turning vehicles from Magnolia Avenue to Jefferson Street
do not stop fully due to wide corner curb radii. Skewed crossings
create longer crossing distances.
• There is a desire for traffic calming along Jefferson, north of the
Carol Place crosswalk, to slow vehicle traffic. • Parents park on Jefferson and Anchor Way to walk their children
to campus. Vehicles parking right up to the corners at the Anchor
Way/Jefferson Street intersection reduce sight lines for vehicles
and pedestrians. • The housing project at the end of Carol Place has reduced the
number of locations available for parking and walking during pick-
up/drop-off.
Tamarack Avenue
• Vehicles speeding along Tamarack Avenue is a common concern. • There is approximately 2,000 feet between the Jefferson Street
crosswalk and Garfield Street crosswalk with no marked crossing
in between. Noted in the public outreach was a request for a new
marked crossing at Hibiscus Circle. • Students often use the informal dirt trail along the east side of the
railroad tracks and south of Tamarack Ave, which creates a
challenge for crossing Tamarack since there is no marked crossing.
• Noted in the public outreach was poor lighting and visibility at the
marked crosswalks at the Garfield / Tamarack intersection. • Navigating the I-5 on- and off-ramps is challenging for pedestrians
and bicyclists.
South of Tamarack Avenue
• Vehicles use Chinquapin Avenue to Jefferson Street as an
alternative route to Tamarack to avoid congestion at the I-5
interchange and have been observed at high speeds along this
route. • The bridge over I-5 on Chinquapin only has one narrow sidewalk
on the north side. • Larger curb radii allow for higher speed turns at the Chinquapin
Avenue / Jefferson Street intersection. There are no marked
crosswalks and sidewalk gaps at this intersection, which creates
an uncomfortable environment for pedestrians. • The lack of sidewalks on side streets such as Linmar Lane, Hibiscus
Circle, and the east side of Jefferson Street (south of Tamarack
Avenue) create a disconnected pedestrian network and limit off-
campus drop-off locations. Pedestrians must walk in the street if
they wish to remain on a particular side of the road.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 41 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Technical Analysis
In addition to field work and community outreach, safety data and mode
share survey results were analyzed to provide greater context to field
observations and community feedback and to better inform final
recommendations.
Collision history
Collision data from 2018 through 2022 was analyzed to assess roadway
safety conditions near Jefferson Elementary School. Collisions on state
highway facilities (e.g., Interstate 5) were excluded from the dataset, except
those located at the intersection of a state highway ramp and a city-
maintained roadway.
To better understand the collision trends on school routes involving
school-going children, citywide collisions were filtered by the following
factors:
• Within a quarter-mile radius of the school property (school
influence area) → 26 collisions • Involving victim(s) age 18 or under → 11 collisions • During school drop-off (7am to 9am) or pick-up (1pm to 3pm)
period → 6 collisions
Collisions that occurred on Saturdays and Sundays were included to
capture weekend school activities.
Collisions by year and mode
From 2018 to 2022, there were six (6) total injury collisions. Five (5) of
these collisions (83 percent) involved a pedestrian or bicyclist, as shown in
Figure 3.
Figure 3: Collisions by Year and Mode (2018-2022)
A full breakdown of the collisions by type, severity, time of day, and
primary collision factor is provided in Table 2.
0
1
2
3
4
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Vehicle Bike Ped
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 42 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Table 2: Collisions by Type, Severity, Time of Day, and Primary
Collision Factor (2018 – 2022)
Collision ID
Primary
Collision
Factor
Time of Day Collision Type Severity
Drop-Off (7-
9am)
Pick-Up
(2-4pm) Head-On Sideswipe Rear End Broadside Vehicle/
Pedestrian
Fatal or
Severe Injury
(KSI)
Other
Visible
Injury
Complaint of
Pain
1 X X X
2 X X X
3 Unsafe Speed X X X
4 Unsafe Speed X X X
5 X X X
6 Unsafe Speed X X X
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 43 of 117
Coas
t
a
l
R
a
i
l
T
r
a
i
l
Figure 4Collisions Involving School-Age Victims During School Hours (2018-2022)
ID: 8841796Unsafe Speed
ID: 81941789Unsafe Speed
ID: 82088888Unsafe SpeedBike-Bike collision
Collisions Involving Bicyclist
Collisions Involving Pedestrian
Collisions Involving Vehicles Only
Excessive Speeding Events (Top 40%)
Harsh Braking Events (Top 10%)
Hard Acceleration Events (Top 10%)
Map includes collisions that are: 1) Within 1/4-mile radius of school property (school influence area), 2) Involving victims of age 18 or under, 3) During school dop-off (7am-9am) or pick-up (1pm-3pm) periods.
ID: 81775617Failure to YieldBroadside, 14 y/o WB bicyclist did not yield at stop sign and made left turn, NB vehicle ROW violation
ID: 8826832Complex IntersectionBroadside, 15 y/o SB bicyclist was riding on wrong side of road/not riding as close as practicable to right-hand curb, NB driver was proceeding straight
5
ID: 82088845Broadside, 14 y/o WB bicyclist was traveling wrong way/did not stop at line, NB driver was proceeding straight
5
6
3
2
1
4
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 44 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Mode share
Mode share refers to the percentage of travelers who use a particular type
of transportation including walking, biking, driving, transit, or other
options. A survey was administered by teachers asking students about
their current mode share (how they get to and from school on most days).
Approximately 45% of kindergarten through 6th grade students were
captured in the survey results. Results are shown in Figure 5. On average,
73% of students who responded traveled to and from school in a vehicle.
Of those, 90% were dropped-off or picked-up at the school entrance and
10% were dropped-off or picked-up at or parked and walked from a nearby
location. The remaining 27% of students traveled to and from school using
active modes (biking, walking, or other), including 22% who walked to and
from school.
This is a higher percentage of students who walk to Jefferson Elementary
compared to many other elementary schools locally and nationally. Travel
Figure 5: Current Modes of Transportation
mode data to and from school collected for the Oceanside Safe Routes to
School Plan (2021) showed no elementary schools in Oceanside with a
combined walk and bike mode share of over 20%, and only three of the 13
elementary schools with a combined walk and bike mode share of over
10%.
While Jefferson Elementary parents were not surveyed, parent surveys
conducted for the Oceanside Safe Routes to School Plan indicated that
unsafe intersections were the biggest concern with allowing their children
to walk or bike to school, along with living too far away from school. This
aligns with statewide trends, as well as feedback received from Jefferson
Elementary parents during outreach events that current vehicle speeds
and intersection configurations and operations around the Jefferson
Elementary create an uncomfortable environment for walking and biking
to school.
Little difference in mode share was observed between transitional
kindergarten students and elementary school students. Some variability in
mode share was shown in the survey results between the morning drop-off
and afternoon pick-up. While only 18% of students walked to school in the
morning, 24% of students walked home from school in the afternoon. This
6% increase in walking corresponded with a 6% decrease in students taking
vehicles home from school as compared to taking vehicles to school in the
morning.
The data illustrates that most students currently use a vehicle to get to and
from school and are dropped-off or picked-up at the school entrance. This
highlights an opportunity for those trips to be converted to walking trips by
using the recommendations in the following sections to improve walking
infrastructure, enhance vehicle circulation to reduce potential conflicts
with pedestrians, and consider educational programs that promote
walking to school. 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
Walk
E-Bike
Bicycle (non-electric)
Family Vehicle…
Carpool…
Bus
Jefferson Elementary Mode Share
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 45 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Solutions
For a holistic approach to improving bicycling and walking conditions
around schools, a Safe Routes to School Program usually relies on a two-
pronged approach: physical infrastructure improvements and
programmatic improvements. Programmatic recommendations focus on
promoting more walking and biking through educational efforts or
initiatives that encourage walking and biking. Short and long-term
infrastructure recommendations and school programs which will improve
and promote walking and biking safety and access are covered in the
following sections.
Infrastructure
Recommended design concepts to improve walking and bicycling
conditions around Jefferson Elementary vary in scale and location. Some
similar concepts are recommended at multiple locations while other
concepts may be recommended in just one location depending on context.
Recommended design concepts, including infrastructure as well as
operations and circulation improvements, are presented in Figure 6. Most
of the recommendations are assumed to be long-term solutions to account
for engineering design, funding and construction. A few signing and
striping solutions, which could be implemented in the near-term, are called
out below and on the maps.
Near-term improvements
• Keep Clear pavement markings at the school driveway exit • “Please Pull Forward” signage in the drop-off/pick-up line to
create a more efficient queue and reduce spillback onto Jefferson
Long-term improvements
• Curb extensions at intersections along Jefferson Street at
Magnolia Avenue, Anchor Way, and Chinquapin Avenue; and
along Tamarack Avenue at Hibiscus Circle and Garfield Street to
reduce turning radii, slow vehicle speeds, and shorten crossing
distances. • Sidewalks where none exist and where setbacks allow along
Chinquapin Avenue and Linmar Lane. • Sidewalk widening along the Chinquapin bridge over the I-5.
• Speed tables along Jefferson Street and Chinquapin Avenue to
reduce speeding from reported cut-through traffic.
◦ The proposed locations of the speed tables are preliminary
suggestions. The City will conduct a thorough traffic
engineering analysis following the City’s Residential Traffic
Management Program guidelines. The final placement will
consider traffic volume, speed data, road conditions, and
community input to ensure effective traffic calming
measures.
• High Visibility Crosswalks at Jefferson Street/Chinquapin Avenue
and Coastal Rail Trail extension • New mid-block crossing at Coastal Rail Trail extension along
Tamarack Avenue
◦ Prior to extension of Coastal Rail Trail, the following interim
crossing improvement options are recommended: A) Raised
mid-block crosswalk between trail and Hibiscus Circle or B)
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 46 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon with high-visibility
crosswalk at Tamarack Avenue / Hibiscus Circle
• Median refuge islands at the existing crossing at Tamarack Avenue
and Garfield Street and the proposed crossing at the Coastal Rail
Trail extension • Improved lighting for existing crosswalks at Tamarack Avenue /
Garfield Street
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 47 of 117
CONCEPTUAL - NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. ADDITIONAL
DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN REQUIRED.
Title
Title
Title
Key Map
FIGURE 6-1
FIGURE 6-2
FIGURE 6-3 FIGURE 6-3
FIGURE 6-4 FIGURE 6-5
FIGURE 6-6
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to SchoolInfrastructure Recommendations
Key Map
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 48 of 117
1"=100'
CONCEPTUAL - NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. ADDITIONAL
DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN REQUIRED.
Title
Title
Title
Figure 1
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
F
I
G
U
R
E
2
JEFFERSON ST
AN
C
H
O
R
W
A
Y
CA
R
O
L
P
L
MAG
N
O
L
I
A
A
V
E
Near term:"PLEASE PULLFORWARD" signage
Speed table*between drivewayconflicts
Near term: "KEEP CLEAR"pavement markings
Raised crosswalk(recently installed)
Curb extensions tosquare up intersection,shorten crossingdistances and removedriveway conflict
Approximately two (2) parkingstalls to be removed
Curb extensions to improvevisibility of pedestriansaround parked cars
Approximately two (2) parking stallsto be removed
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to SchoolInfrastructure Recommendations
Figure 6-1
480'-0"
* The speed table locations are conceptual recommendations. Final placement will be determined through additional traffic engineering analysis per the City's Residential Traffic Management Program.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 49 of 117
1"=100'
CONCEPTUAL - NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. ADDITIONAL
DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN REQUIRED.
Title
Title
Title
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
F
I
G
U
R
E
3
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
F
I
G
U
R
E
1
MATCHLINE - SEE FIGURE 6
MATCHLINE - SEE FIGURE 5 Figure 2
JEFFERSON ST
TA
M
A
R
A
C
K
A
V
E
LINMAR LN
Speed tables*for trafficcalming
Potential sidewalksfor connectedpedestrian route
Near-term:Striping for twosouthbound lanes(separate left andthrough/right) foradditional queuingcapacity
Approximately four (4)parking stalls to be removed
Near-term:LED pedestrian-activated NoRight Turn on Red signs whilestudents are crossing in northand west crosswalks
ESTIMATED CALTRANS
RIGHT-OF-WAY
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to SchoolInfrastructure Recommendations
Figure 6-2
Note: Linmar Lane is an "Alternative
Design Street" which requires special
approval for sidewalks
320'-0"
* The speed table locations are conceptual recommendations. Final
placement will be determined through additional traffic engineering analysis
per the City's Residential Traffic Management Program.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 50 of 117
1"=100'
CONCEPTUAL - NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. ADDITIONAL
DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN REQUIRED.
Title
Title
Title
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
T
O
P
R
I
G
H
T
MATCHLINE - SEE FIGURE 2
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
B
O
T
T
O
M
L
E
F
T
Figure 3
JE
F
F
E
R
S
O
N
ST
CHINQUAPIN AVE
CHINQUAPIN AVE
HA
R
R
I
S
O
N
ST
AD
A
M
S
S
T
Speed table* fortraffic calming
Speed table* fortraffic calming
12
'
-
0
"
12
'
-
0
"
Caltrans Right-of-Way:Structural evaluationwith sidewalkwidening on northside
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to SchoolInfrastructure Recommendations
Figure 6-3
APPROXIMATE CALTRANS RIGHT-OF-WAY
Curb extensions with sidewalkextension and crosswalks to createconnected pedestrian routes
Approximately three (3) parking stalls to beremoved
10
'
-
0
"
340'-0"
* The speed table locations are conceptual recommendations. Final placement will be determined through additional traffic engineering analysis per the City's Residential
Traffic Management Program.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 51 of 117
1"=100'
CONCEPTUAL - NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. ADDITIONAL
DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN REQUIRED.
Title
Title
Title
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
F
I
G
U
R
E
5
Figure 4
TAMARACK AVE
GA
R
F
I
E
L
D
S
T
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to SchoolInfrastructure Recommendations
Figure 6-4
Curb extensions to improve pedestrianvisibility, improved pedestrian lighting,and study to evaluate refuge island inplace of left turn lanes on Tamarack
Approximately four (4) parking stalls to be removed
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 52 of 117
1"=100'
CONCEPTUAL - NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. ADDITIONAL
DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN REQUIRED.
Title
Title
Title
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
F
I
G
U
R
E
2
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
F
I
G
U
R
E
4
Figure 5
TAMARACK AVE
HI
B
I
S
C
U
S
C
I
R
SH
E
R
I
D
A
N
P
L
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to SchoolInfrastructure Recommendations
Figure 6-5
Curb extension to alignwith proposed RRFB andcrosswalk
Approximately one (1) parkingstall to be removed
Fu
t
u
r
e
a
l
i
g
n
m
e
n
t
o
f
Co
a
s
t
a
l
R
a
i
l
T
r
a
i
l
Co
a
s
t
a
l
R
a
i
l
T
r
a
i
l
Approximate
railroad
right-of-way
Interim / Temporary Improvement(to provide additional crossing ofTamarack before completion ofCoastal Rail Trail extension andcrossing): A) Raised mid-block crossingORB) New crosswalk with RectangularRapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB)
Coastal Rail Trail crossing(with future extension oftrail). Considersignalization to coordinatewith railroad crossing andclear vehicles from tracks.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 53 of 117
1"=100'
CONCEPTUAL - NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. ADDITIONAL
DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN REQUIRED.
Title
Title
Title
MA
T
C
H
L
I
N
E
-
S
E
E
F
I
G
U
R
E
2
Figure 6
TAMARACK AVE
PIO P
I
C
O
D
R
Working with regional partnersto evaluate multimodalimprovements at interchangelocations
APPROXIMATE CALTRANS RIGHT-OF-WAY
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to SchoolInfrastructure Recommendations
Figure 6-6
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 54 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Operations and circulation recommendations
Changes to signal timing, off-campus circulation, and on-campus
circulation can improve vehicle flow and enhance pedestrian and bicycle
safety by reducing potential conflicts.
Near-term improvements
• A map illustrating preferred pick-up and drop-off routes for
pedestrians and drivers within the immediate school vicinity can
be used as a handout to parents and made available on the
school’s website to guide students and parents along the safest
existing facilities during pick-up and drop-off. This resource can be
implemented in the near-term and is available in Appendix D.
Additional “Suggested Route Maps” such as the maps the City
created as a part of the 2020 Sustainable Mobility Plan show a
wider network of routes which can be referenced for longer trips. • A valet curbside drop-off program can be offered by older
students who complete traffic safety training. Students would
wear bright safety vests and direct drivers to pull as far forward as
possible, open passenger door for students to exit, close the door,
and direct drivers to exit the drop-off area. • Restripe the southbound approach at the Jefferson
Street/Tamarack Avenue signal to remove curbside parking
(approximately four spaces on the west side of Jefferson Street,
just north of Tamarack Avenue) and include a dedicated left-turn
lane and a shared through-right-turn lane to provide additional
queueing capacity. Additionally, install LED no-right-turn signs
that are activated during pedestrian crossings to prohibit right-
turn-on-red across the north and west crosswalks while students
are crossing. These concepts were tested in traffic operations
software and results are provided in Appendix C. In general,
southbound vehicle queues are expected to decrease such that
they do not block the school exit driveway and main school
crosswalk on Jefferson as often. Average vehicle delay at the
intersection is expected to decrease.
Programmatic recommendations
In addition to infrastructure recommendations, the following policies and
programs provide for broader systemwide improvements to help support
and enhance active transportation at the school and local level. More details
on these recommendations and additional resources can be found in
Appendix E.
Bike/pedestrian education
Traffic safety instruction during recess, PE, or other appropriate learning
times can provide opportunities for students to develop their knowledge
and skills regarding bike and pedestrian safety, traffic safety, bike handling,
safe riding practices (“street smarts”), helmet fit, and bike prep. This can
be in conjunction with or in addition to other programs and resources
offered by the City, such as the bike and e-bike safety course offered by
the Carlsbad Police Department.
Crossing guard program and promotional education
School staff, city staff, paid contractors or volunteers serving in the role of
a crossing guard should receive training on at least a biennial basis to
ensure they are performing their duties properly and safely.
Providing education on and promoting the importance of listening to
crossing guards’ directions through events such as an annual Crossing
Guard Appreciation Day helps encourage students, parents, caregivers, and
drivers to follow crossing guards’ directions, show appreciation, and pay
more attention to crossing guards.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 55 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
School board policy
Carlsbad Unified School District’s (CUSD) adoption of California Board of
Education Board Policy (BP) 5142.2 Safe Routes to School Program can be
leveraged to grow SRTS efforts and secure grant funding for future SRTS
initiatives.
School champion toolkit
Walking and biking programs can be started or grown by providing
educational how-to guides to parents, caregivers, and others who
volunteer time and energy to promoting walking and biking to and from
school.
School communications
Jefferson Elementary should utilize regular school communication channels
such as newsletters, social media, websites, and in-person events to
promote safe walking, bicycling, and driving behavior that supports and
encourages active travel.
Walk to School and/or Bike to School Day
Walk to School and Bike to School days are events that take place before
school and encourage students to walk or bike on a particular day, often
with incentives for participation.
Example costs for recommended improvements
The following table provides an overview of example costs associated with
typical projects by type, to provide additional information that can support
Jefferson Elementary School and Carlsbad Unified School District in
prioritizing project ideas, coordinating with city engineering staff, pursuing
grant funding or identifying other funding opportunities.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 56 of 117
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Table 3: Example Costs for Recommended Improvements
Recommended Improvements Project Type Cost Estimate Assumptions
Sidewalk Enhancements Sidewalks (per mile) $2,400,000 One side of the road, 6 foot wide
Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements
High-visibility crosswalk (40 feet long) $5,000 40 feet long, striping and signage only
Concrete curb extensions (varying
extents) $100,000 One corner of average size, includes curb ramps
Rapid rectangular flashing beacon $50,000 Solar-powered
Pedestrian hybrid beacon $400,000
Pedestrian signs (per sign) $3,000
Existing signal timing adjustments $10,000 Reprogramming without any new equipment
New or upgraded signal $400,000-$1,000,000 Cost of variable depending on size of intersection and equipment needed
Speed Management Speed Table or Raised Crosswalk $20,000
Lighting
Roadway lighting (per mile) $1,000,000 120’ spacing, includes fixtures, poles, pull boxes, conduits, etc.
Pedestrian-scale lighting (per mile) $2,000,000 60’ spacing, includes fixtures, poles, pull boxes, conduits, etc.
Intersection lighting $100,000 Includes fixtures, poles, pull boxes, conduits, etc.
Bicycle Enhancements
Class I path (per mile) $6,340,000 12’ path with 3’ landscape buffer, assumes relatively simple design context with no
rebuilding of curb and gutter
Class II bicycle lane (per mile) $200,000 Signing and striping of bike facility only
Class III bicycle route (per mile) $50,000 Signs and sharrows only
Class IV bicycle lane (per mile) $8,500,000 6’ bike facility with 3’ landscape buffer in each direction
Note: These costs are order of magnitude costs for planning-level estimates. They include materials and labor, and do not include soft costs such as design, surveying, construction management, etc. Costs for
civil improvements were derived from estimates developed for the Carlsbad Sustainable Mobility Implementation Plan.
Source: Fehr & Peers
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 57 of 117
Appendix A: School Site Assessment Summary Report
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 58 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 1
To: Fehr and Peers; City of Carlsbad
From: Alta Planning + Design
Date: December 18, 2023
Re: School Site Assessment Summary Report for Jefferson Elementary School
Jefferson Elementary School
The Carlsbad Safe Route to School (SRTS) project team conducted one walk audit and one listening session at
Jefferson Elementary School in order to understand safety concerns and identity ways to promote active travel for the
school commute. This memo summarizes the findings from the walk audit and the listening session.
Walk Audit
A walk audit was conducted at Jefferson School in the City of Carlsbad on the morning of October 19, 2023. Walk
audit participants included the Jefferson Elementary School principal, City of Carlsbad staff and leadership, Carlsbad
Police Department staff, Fehr & Peers staff, and Alta Planning + Design staff. Figure 1 shows the main locations that
were assessed during the walk audit.
Figure 1. Jefferson Elementary School Walk Audit Location Map
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 59 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 2
Figure 2 shows existing condition locations as observed or reported by participants during the walk audit. Specific
details and potential opportunities for each numbered location are provided in the following sections.
Figure 2. Jefferson Elementary School Existing Condition Locations
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 60 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 3
1. School Driveway – Pick-up/Drop-off Zone
• Two lanes serve the pick-up/drop off zone. Principal Cobb described the following traffic patterns of the pick-
up/drop-off period:
o E-bikes/Bikes/Scooters pick-up/drop-off is allowed in the school parking lot.
o Eight (8) staff are present during the pick-up/drop-off hours: 6 staff + 2 staff for Transitional
kindergarten (TK)
o Teachers, per contract, are required/allowed to provide one (1) duty activity/day, which includes
monitoring pick-up and drop-off.
o TK parents/caregivers usually drop off their kids at the yellow curb at the start of the curbside drop-
off because the gate for TK is at the first turning corner of the school driveway.
o TK drop-off period is around 7:30 am – 7:50 am, school staff pull out delineator to create a two-lane
flow after 7:50 am.
• The outer lane of the two-lane flow is designated for parents/caregivers who have special education
students. These cars have a sticker indicating this on their windshields.
• Parents/caregivers are inclined to let students out of the cars right at the school gate and do not pull forward,
even with all the staff present.
o Possible programmatic recommendation – adding “please pull forward” signage and educating
parents/caregivers.
• Afternoon pick up duration is about 10 minutes.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 61 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 4
Walk audit participants discuss travel concerns around Jefferson Elementary School on the morning of October 19, 2023.
2. Jefferson Street/Carol Place – School Driveway Exit at Jefferson Street
• The school driveway exit has one left-turn lane and one right-turn lane.
• The Jefferson Street/Carol Place intersection has high visibility crosswalks.
• The Jefferson Street/Carol Place crossing has a School Crossing Guard during the pick-up/drop-off periods.
Some comments about the school crossing guard received during the walk audit:
o Really great School Crossing Guard!
o Partially paid for by City (Carlsbad Police Department)
o Also is a Yard Duty for the school (Carlsbad Unified School District)
• Parents/caregivers feel overwhelmed because too many things happen simultaneously at this location,
especially during the pick-up/drop-off periods: people exiting school driveway turning left or right; heavy
traffic on Jefferson Street; students crossing Jefferson Street; pedestrians walking on the sidewalk; and e-
bikes/bikes/scooters on Jefferson Street.
• Some parents/caregivers reported that they could not see pedestrians due to the uphill exit from driveway.
• Left-turn traffic exiting the school driveway onto Jefferson blocks the traffic flow.
• Parents/caregivers do not like the idea of making both exit lanes right-turn only.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 62 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 5
Traffic congestion happened at the school driveway exit at Jefferson Street.
Traffic conflicts between different road users.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 63 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 6
3. School Driveway Entrance at Jefferson Street
• Some parents/caregivers and students cross Jefferson Street at this intersection even though there is no
crosswalk here.
o It is challenging to add a crosswalk crossing Jefferson Street at this location because of the housing
driveways on the other side of the street
o The Principal commented that a crosswalk at this location would help people walking from the north
to enter the school grounds sooner and avoid potential vehicle conflicts along the school frontage,
where vehicle congestion is higher.
• A parent/caregiver commented that this entrance is the only location that has an accessibility path, so
disabled people coming from different directions must detour to enter/exit from this path.
4. Jefferson Street/Anchor Way
• Some parents/caregivers and students cross Jefferson Street at this intersection even though there is no
crosswalk here.
o It is challenging to add a crosswalk crossing Jefferson Street at this location because of the housing
driveways on the other side of the street.
o The Principal commented that a crosswalk at this location would help people walking from the north
to enter the school grounds sooner and avoid potential vehicle conflicts along the school frontage,
where vehicle congestion is higher.
• Anchor Way is also a “park and walk” location. Parents/staff noted that vehicles park near or at curb,
reducing sight distances for vehicles exiting Anchor Way onto Jefferson at a very busy intersection for
vehicles and pedestrians
•
5. Jefferson Street/Tamarack Avenue
• This intersection is wide and has busy traffic.
• Right turning cars at this intersection are fast and usually do not stop fully.
• Several parents/caregivers have suggested a School Crossing Guard at this intersection.
• Parents / Principal noted that recent signal timing changes have helped with vehicle queues clearing, which
was impacting the School exit driveway and adding to the congestion and confusion at that location
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 64 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 7
Faded crosswalks at this wide intersection at Jefferson Street/Tamarack Avenue
Cars backing up on Tamarack Avenue at Jefferson Street/Tamarack Avenue, blocking the pedestrian crosswalks.
6. Jefferson Street
• According to school staff, speeding along Jefferson Street is an issue, but not during pick-up/drop-off periods.
• Missing sidewalk on the east side of Jefferson Street between Tamarack Avenue and Chinquapin Avenue, and
there is no crosswalk along this segment for kids to cross Jefferson Street.
• Parents/caregivers have observed speeding cars fly down from Tamarack Avenue to Chinquapin Avenue.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 65 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 8
Missing sidewalk on the east side of Jefferson Street between Tamarack Avenue and Chinquapin Avenue.
7. Jefferson Street and Chinquapin Avenue
• No marked crosswalks at this intersection to cross Jefferson Street or Chinquapin Avenue.
• There are no sidewalks along the northeast corner of the intersection. Only the west side of Jefferson Street
has sidewalks.
• A wide radius at the northeast corner curb turning right from Chinquapin Avenue to Jefferson Street.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 66 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 9
Wide right turn turning radius and absence of crosswalks at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Chinquapin Avenue.
8. Chinquapin Avenue and I-5 Overcrossing
• There is no sidewalk on the south side of this overcrossing, and the sidewalk on the north side on Chinquapin
Avenue is very narrow and inconsistent.
• Parents/caregivers have observed speeding cars on Chinquapin Avenue because drivers take Chinquapin
Avenue as an alternative route to Tamarack Avenue.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 67 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 10
Only the north side of this I-5 Overcrossing on Chinquapin Avenue has a sidewalk.
Narrow and inconsistent sidewalk on both sides of Chinquapin Avenue.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 68 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 11
9. Tamarack Avenue
• A parent/caregiver representative living on Tamarack Avenue to the east of the I-5 freeway mentioned
having issues walking on the “safer routes” suggested by the city because:
o Speeding cars on Tamarack Avenue.
o Limited safe crossing locations along Tamarack Avenue.
• A parent/caregiver representative living on Tamarack Avenue to the west of Jefferson Street reported the
absence of a safe crossing location crossing Tamarack Avenue. It’s about 2,000 feet between the Garfield
Street crosswalks and Jefferson Street crosswalks.
• Some parents/caregivers would love to see more new high visibility crosswalk along Tamarack Avenue.
• Some parents/caregivers suggested to install speed cushions and to lower the speed limit along Tamarack
Avenue.
10. Tamarack Avenue/Coastal Rail Trail
• This is a location where many pedestrians and bicyclists cross Tamarack to access the Coastal Rail Trail
• There are minimum gaps in the flow of vehicle traffic traveling on Tamarack Avenue, unless there is a train
coming at the crossing, making it challenging for families to find opportunities to cross.
• Parents/caregivers suggested a crosswalk with a push button crossing Tamarack Avenue at this location.
11. Jefferson Street/Magnolia Avenue
• Right-turn cars turning from Magnolia Avenue to Jefferson Street usually do not stop fully because of the
wide turning radius.
• A parent/caregiver reported that this intersection is chaotic.
12. Cul-de-sac at Carol Place
• Affordable and dense housing projects are being built at Jefferson Street and Carol Place, which will add
vehicle and pedestrian trips to the surrounding roadways compared to existing conditions.
o Removal of the Harding Street connection to Carol Place as a part of this project has reduced
locations available for parents/caregivers to park and walk and has increased both pedestrian and
vehicle traffic on Jefferson Street by removing a parallel route.
• Some parents/caregivers drop off their students at a nearby abandoned lot (abandoned restaurant) near the
cul-de-sac of Carol Place.
• Parents/caregivers cannot currently use the cul-de-sac to park and walk because of blocking from the
construction trucks.
Additional Walk Audit Notes
• Jefferson is a feeder school for TK in Carlsbad, so most TK students come from other areas across the city,
increasing the car traffic near the school. About 100 TK students travel to school by car. These students likely
have less opportunity to switch from driving to walking since they are traveling from further away.
• Park-and-walk is hard in nearby neighborhoods because parking is limited with red curbs.
Listening Sessions
One listening session was conducted at Jefferson Elementary School the evening of November 13, 2023. The event
was promoted through social media and emails. In total, approximately five parents/caregivers and other school
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 69 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 12
stakeholders attended the listening sessions. Below is a summary of the key themes shared with the Carlsbad SRTS
project team during the listening sessions.
E-Bike/Bike Ridership
• Parent/caregivers provided the following feedbacks for the bike safety class:
o No speaker system, so some students could not hear the officer talking.
o Some parents/caregivers still do not feel safe for students to bike to school after the class because of the
roadway conditions.
Walking Environment
• Disconnected sidewalks create barriers for students to walk to/from the school.
• A parent/caregiver commented on the leading pedestrian signal that some drivers start turning right/left when
they see the pedestrian lights turn green, even though the traffic lights for car are still red.
o Drivers are often looking in the direction of opposing traffic (left) before turning right and don’t always
notice pedestrians in the crosswalk to their right when the light turns green or during the leading
pedestrian interval.
Other Feedback
• Carlsbad Public Works mentioned there is a three-stage traffic study in Carlsbad, which will affect Tamarack
Avenue, and some suggestions they are considering include curb extensions and speed cushions.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 70 of 117
Appendix B: Phase 1 Community Input Summary
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 71 of 117
Traffic safety remains core of the City of Carlsbad’s mission. Through the city’s local emergency
on traffic safety, Aug. 23, 2022 – Sept. 8, 2023, city staff initiated and continue to carry out a
wide variety of programs, projects and initiatives to enhance the safe use of city streets. Some
could be completed immediately while others are longer term in nature. One of the programs
in the Safer Streets Together Plan that the City Council approved is a Safe Routes to School
program.
About the project
The City of Carlsbad is committed to helping everyone get around the city in a safe and
convenient way, whether by foot, car, bike or public transit.
One way the city is improving traffic safety is through a Safe Routes to School Program, which is
an approach that focuses on walking and bicycling to school through infrastructure
improvements, enforcement and safety education. Other strategies the city uses focus on safe
driving.
The city is working on several Safe Routes to School plans with Carlsbad schools, including
Jefferson Elementary School, to reflect the community’s vision, values and priorities. The plan
will outline specific short- and long-term infrastructure improvements and school programs
that support families and students biking and walking to and from school sites.
Jefferson Elementary has unique programs that draw students from throughout the city, so not
every family is close enough to walk or bike. But the more who do, the better traffic will flow
and the less time will be spent waiting in school pick-up and drop-off lines.
The city anticipates expanding the program to other schools in Carlsbad in the coming years as
budgets allow.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 72 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 2
Design considerations
Over the past few years, the city has gathered community input on various traffic safety
projects throughout the city. Through every project, the following considerations are taken
into account when seeking feedback:
• Plans must reflect the policy direction already approved by the City Council in various
planning documents.
• Improvements must be designed according to state traffic safety standards and traffic
laws.
• Designs need to meet the needs of first responders and other emergency services.
To ensure the Safe Routes to School plans reflect community needs, values and priorities, the
city developed a community engagement approach consisting of three main opportunities for
input:
Phase 1: Areas for improvements October 2023 – January 2024
The first phase will gather feedback about areas of opportunity and concern and
determine where the community would most like to see enhancements for walking and
biking.
Phase 2: Feedback on draft plan Summer 2024
Based on community input and technical studies, the project team will develop a draft
Safe Routes to School plan, which outlines recommended short-term and long-term
infrastructure improvements in and around each campus. The draft plan will be shared
with the school and community for additional feedback and be presented to the Traffic
Safety & Mobility Commission and the City Council for approval.
Other opportunities for community input are built into the plan’s approval process, including
meetings of the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission and the City Council, when they consider
the final designs, funding and timing of improvements.
Level of engagement
The International Association of Public Participation’s spectrum of public participation
illustrates a variety of approaches to involving the public in decision making. The Safe Routes to
School process falls in the category of “involve.”
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 73 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 3
How to consider the input
The input in this report is qualitative in nature and was obtained through a convenience
sample. This means the city focused on gaining an in-depth
understanding of community member perspectives, and the
results cannot be generalized to the entire population of the
city within a defined margin of error.
That’s why the input in this report should be considered with
a similar weight as other forms of feedback that have always
been part of the city’s decision-making process, such as comments made at City Council
meetings or emails sent to the city expressing an opinion.
The input in this report should be
considered with a similar weight as
comments made at a City Council
meeting or those sent by email.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 74 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 4
Community members were provided in person and a virtual opportunity to provide input that
would be used to create the safe routes to school plan.
How we engaged
In person community meeting held at Jefferson Elementary School
Nov. 13, 2023
Online input map available Jan. 8-22, 2024
The input opportunities were promoted
through the following:
• Parent and Parent Teacher Association
email from the school
• Emails to those interested in traffic
safety and the city’s school committee
– sent Jan. 12, Jan. 16
• City Manager’s Update – Jan. 18
• Post on Nextdoor
• News release
• Media interview with Channel 8 local
news – Jan. 14
• Webpage
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 75 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 5
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 76 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 6
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 77 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 7
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 78 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 8
In person listening session
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 79 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 9
Online input map
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 80 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 10
64
Online mapping tool comments
5
Community workshop participants (in person)
Each engagement opportunity included a mapping experience to identify specific locations and
types of improvements to be made.
Comments and survey responses have been categorized into overall themes and topics.
Readers are strongly encouraged to review the verbatim comments in Appendix A to get a
better understanding of specific ideas, priorities and concerns expressed.
Areas for improvements
Tamarack Avenue – Between Garfield Street and the railroad tracks – 3 pins
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 81 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 11
Pedestrian improvement • Improve lighting and visibility of
existing crosswalks across Tamarack
Avenue at Garfield St
Traffic calming • Install traffic calming measures to
slow down cars
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 82 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 12
Tamarack Avenue – Between railroad tracks and I-5 (21 pins)
Pedestrian improvements • Improve connection across the north
and south entrances of the Coastal
Rail Trail
• Add high visibility crosswalks across
Tamarack Avenue at Hibiscus Circle
• Add lighting and sidewalks to south
end of Hibiscus Circle
• Add sidewalks on Linmar Lane
• Enhance visibility, add crossing guards
at Jefferson and Tamarack
• Improve crossing across freeway
entrances and exits
• Add crosswalk at Jefferson and
Chinquapin
Bicycle improvements • Improve connection across the north
and south entrances of the Coastal
Rail Trail
• Improve crossing across freeway
entrances and exits
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 83 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 13
Traffic calming • Install traffic calming measures on
Tamarack and Chinquapin to slow
down cars
• Install school zone signs
Traffic congestion • Evaluate signal time of light at
Tamarack and Pio Pico to alleviate
congestion at Tamarack and Jefferson
Jefferson Street – Between Tamarack and Magnolia – 14 pins
Pedestrian improvements • Improve visibility of crosswalk, add
crossing guards at Jefferson and
Magnolia
• Add additional crosswalk near
entrance of school parking lot
• Improve visibility of crosswalk to the
school, prevent cars from blocking it
during congested times
• Add sidewalks all along Jefferson
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 84 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 14
Bicycle improvement • Add bike lanes to the school
Traffic calming • Install traffic calming measures to
slow down cars
• Limit right turns from Jefferson onto
Tamarack during school times
• Address blind spot of exiting the gas
station onto Jefferson
Traffic congestion • Improve traffic flow of drop-off and
pick-up in the parking lot
• Improve visibility and congestion for
cars exiting the parking lot to turn left
on Jefferson
• Evaluate signal time of light at
Tamarack and Jefferson
• Consider one-way traffic between
Magnolia and Tamarack
• Lack of parking near school is an issue
Other comments for other areas
• Bike lanes on Harding Street are blocked by trash cans
• Potholes and repaving needed at Jefferson and Magnolia
• Enhanced biking conditions on Chestnut between Harding and Pio Pico
• Improve visibility for cars turning onto Pio Pico from Magnolia, install traffic calming on
Pio Pico
• Enhance pedestrian and bike safety along Pio Pico at St. Patrick’s school parking lot exit
• Install traffic calming improvements at Chinquapin and Adams St
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 85 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 15
Topics
Appendix A includes all of the verbatim comments related to these themes as well as
comments categorized by the following topics:
Biking improvement
Pedestrian improvement
Traffic calming
Traffic congestion
The Transportation planning team will use community input and other technical evaluations
including a walking audit to draft a Safe Routes to School plan, which will include short-term
and long-term infrastructure improvements. A draft plan will be shared with the community for
additional feedback in summer 2024.
The Safe Routes to School plan will be presented to the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission
for recommendation of approval, then to the City Council to determine next steps for design
and funding of the improvements.
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 86 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 16
Online mapping comments
In person workshop feedback
Other online comments
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 87 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 17
Online mapping comments
Theme Comment Street (where
the pin is)
Cross street
(nearest
cross street)
Traffic calming
I live at the 4-way intersection if Adams and
Chinquapin. Cars coming west down
Chinquapin from Highland and Hillside do so at
high speeds and rarely stop fully at the
intersection. Many bicyclists also come racing
down the hill and fly right through the
intersection without stopping. I have personally
observed many near collisions both vehicular
and bike. The speed bumps on Tamarack have
pushed traffic down Chinquapin as drivers seek
to avoid the lights and speed bumps on
Tamarack. Adams St
Chinquapin
Ave
Bicycle
improvement
We need sharrows on Chestnut between
Harding and Pio Pico. Chestnut Ave Harding St
Bicycle
improvement
Chestnut ave is the most unsafe street,
especially near Carlsbad high school. People
aren’t willing to wait for someone turning left
so they veer around into the bike lane. We
need left turn lights and extra lanes for turning
from chestnut to Monroe. Chestnut Ave
Walking
improvement
Agree! At least connect the pedestrian/ bike
access via an underpass or train
overpass.waiting to trench the trains is going to
take too long and we need an immediate
solution Chestnut Ave
Railroad
tracks
Walking
improvement
Figure out how to make chestnut go through so
there is a direct route to school this way. Chestnut Ave
Railroad
tracks
Walking
improvement
I've also observed this and noticed cars using
this stretch of road at a high rate of speed.
Chinquapin
Ave Jefferson St
Walking
improvement
Need stop sign at Chinquapin and Jefferson.
Drivers coming south on Chinquapin are often
driving fast
Chinquapin
Ave Jefferson St
Bicycle
improvement
Residents on the west side of this street block
the bike lane with their trash cans every week. Harding St Camellia Pl
Bicycle
improvement
All parallel parking on Jefferson between
Magnolia and Tamarack should be removed
and replaced with a bike lane. Jefferson St Anchor Way
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 88 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 18
Bicycle
improvement
No bike lane near school while I ride this road
daily for child drop off. Jefferson St Carol Pl
Bicycle
improvement
This intersection needs to be repaved.
Especially after heavy rains, pot holes occur and
are dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians. Jefferson St Magnolia Ave
Traffic calming
Drivers turning onto Jefferson from Magnolia
routinely run the stop sign, even with children
around. Jefferson St Magnolia Ave
Traffic calming
Cars need slowed on this street via cross walks
and speed bumps like done on the east side of
tamarack. Cars speed at terrible speeds here,
an area that should be a way to connect the
south and north end of tamarack. Jefferson St Carol Pl
Traffic calming
Can we PLEASE get speed bumps along this
stretch of Jefferson?? I’ve seen people speed
(40+mph) and even PASS other cars DURING
school pickup or drop off while little kids and
families are everywhere. Jefferson St Carol Pl
Traffic calming
We need speed bumps ASAP. It’s impossible to
get out of driveways on Jefferson street by the
elementary school. There’s been multiple
crashes now of residents pulling out of
driveways & cars driving fast down
Jefferson street. Also hard to see pedestrians
when you’re backing out as the parked trucks
block your view. We need mirrors on lampposts
for pedestrians safety. With the new
apartments, parking is going to be impossible
and there will be more bad accidents. Jefferson St Carol Pl
Traffic calming
People use Linmar heavily as an alternate
route. We frequently see people coming from
Linmar and turning (in either direction) onto
Tamarack without looking for pedestrians
crossing in front of their cars. Lots of near
misses here.
Please step up patrols on the western stretch of
Tamarack if you want more people
walking/biking to school. Please take measures
to reduce the flow of traffic and increase safe
crossing opportunities. Jefferson St Carol Pl
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 89 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 19
Traffic
congestion
Jefferson between Magnolia and Tamarack
should be a one-way street for vehicles, and
two-way for bikes. A study should be done to
determine best flow for vehicles -- either north
or south. Jefferson St Magnolia Ave
Traffic
congestion
Every day, we see people on Jefferson who are
not dropping off/picking up kids at school get
angry about the backup of traffic, honk, yell,
and illegally and dangerously go around cars
that are waiting in the line of backed up cars to
get into the Jefferson parking lot. This is
extremely dangerous and if it continues,
someone will inevitably be hurt or killed. Jefferson St Magnolia Ave
Traffic
congestion
I've seen this many times too. Illegal passing
around cars waiting to get into and out of the
Jefferson parking lot. It happens daily. Jefferson St
Tamarack
Ave
Traffic
congestion
Agreed. We have also noticed people driving
this stretch of road during school pickup who
are NOT dropping children at school and
theybecome impatient, honking and yelling at
drivers who are in the midst of school pickup
and dropoff. When Jefferson is backed up
during drop off/pick up, we regularly see non-
school drivers dangerously go around the line
of cars waiting to drop kids off at school. If
people keep doing this, it will result in someone
being struck and injured/killed. Jefferson St
Tamarack
Ave
Traffic
congestion
Agreed. We regularly see non-school drivers on
this road during pick up/drop off become
frustrated, yelling, honking, and unsafely and
illegally going around the cars waiting on
Jefferson to drop off/pick up their kids. If this
continues, someone will eventually be injured
or killed. Jefferson St Carol Pl
Traffic
congestion
This should include the lights at Tamarack and I-
5/Pio Pico too. I frequently see the light green
at Tamarack/Jefferson but nobody can turn left
onto Tamarack because Tamarack itself is
backed up. Jefferson St Anchor Way
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 90 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 20
Traffic
congestion
It is not safe for kids to walk to school via
Tamarack (west of 5). It is also not safe nor
pleasant for people to drive to school via
Tamarack/Jefferson. There is extremely limited
parking on Jefferson near school due to the
new housing. The school parking lot gets
clogged up, creating backup on Jefferson.
Parents are in an impossible situation--drive
their kids to school in the chaos of the traffic?
Or take the risk of walking on a road where
people are driving far too fast? Jefferson St Magnolia Ave
Traffic
congestion
A traffic study is needed to better time the light
at Jefferson to Tamarack. This causes a backup
for the parents leaving the school drop off and
creates a dangerous situation for people
turning left (blindly) from the school onto
Jefferson. Jefferson St Anchor Way
Traffic
congestion
The timing on this light causes massive traffic
congestion during school drop off and pick up.
If Jefferson’s parking lot could flow better,
more parents would be willing to drop off and
pick up in the parking lot rather than find street
parking and walk in. Jefferson St Carol Pl
Walking
improvement
Extremely dark street with blind turn and no
sidewalks. Just last night we were on a walk
home from an evening Jefferson event and a
car couldn’t see us and the street is the only
place to walk on. Jefferson St Carol Pl
Walking
improvement
Is the new crosswalk going to be lighted like the
ones on Carlsbad Blvd? Jefferson St Carol Pl
Walking
improvement
Why is the new crosswalk not elevated like the
new crosswalks on Tamarack? Jefferson St Carol Pl
Walking
improvement
Many families that live inside the Windsong
gate, or around chinqupin cross here at
chinquapin to Jefferson on the side of Jefferson
that has the sidewalk. We've all been saying for
years how helpful i5 would be to have a
crosswalk so it would be easier for cars to see
the pedestrians and kids tryibg to cross here. It
would also possibly help the speeding of cars
down this road making it safer for all of the
walking families on this side going to Jefferson. Jefferson St
Chinquapin
Ave
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 91 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 21
Walking
improvement
It is a travesty that there are no protected
crosswalks, of the kind we now see on the
Coast Highway and Tamarack, anywhere on
Jefferson, the very street that the elementary
school is on. We don't need a monstrosity like
the one at Valley and Jefferson, just a nice sign
with a button to push for warning lights. Jefferson St Carol Pl
Walking
improvement
The exit driveway at the school constantly gets
blocked due to the light at Jefferson, which
causes backups in the parking lot and a
dangerous situation for the crosswalk. If there
were striping to “keep clear”, it could help
traffic leave the parking lot for those parents
needing to turn left. Jefferson St
Tamarack
Ave
Walking
improvement
There is no sidewalk on north end of Linmar
making it difficult for pedestrians who have to
walk on a narrow street. Intersection for
eastbound Tamarack to Linmar Lane is a blind
turn. Linmar Ln
Tamarack
Ave
Bicycle
improvement
Dangerous gravel pot hole areas of bike lane all
along magnoia. Madison St Magnolia Ave
Traffic calming
intersection of Magnolia and Pio Pico Dr. in re:
often poor visibility due to large trucks parked
along Pio Pico Dr. There is a combination of
that along with speeding that makes this are
dangerous when trying to travel from Magnolia
to turn onto Pio Pico Dr. Magnolia St Pio Pico Dr
Walking
improvement
This area becomes very dangerous when
parents are parked to pickup children from St.
Patrick's School as often traffic traveling South
is made to move over for on-coming NB traffic
that is unable to utilize their lane to do cars
stopped along the sidewalk. Bicyclists and
pedestrians on the West side of Pio Pico are put
at risk of a collision when this happens. Pio Pico Dr
Tamarack
Ave
Bicycle
improvement
The entrance to the Rail Trail needs a more
obvious crosswalk and better entrance for bikes
heading west on Tamarack. Tamarack Ave
Railroad
tracks
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 92 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 22
Bicycle
improvement
Crossing the Freeway entrance and exits is a
complete nightmare for pedestrians and
cyclists. Please come up with ways to fix these
for the Jefferson children, as well as the kids
who head from to Valley Middle School and
CHS. Tamarack Ave
Freeway
entrance/exit
Bicycle
improvement
This whole intersection and area would benefit
from pedestrian and bike improvements. This
would also help the St Patrick’s students. Tamarack Ave
Freeway
entrance/exit
Bicycle
improvement
Please provide a permanent crossing guard
since this intersection is extremely busy in the
mornings and after school. Tamarack Ave Jefferson St
Bicycle
improvement
Please fix and connect the rail trail here to the
Southside of Tamarack. without a crossing here,
kids and adults are crossing to the north side of
Tamrack Avenue at their own risk in multiple
spots and then are often riding in the wrong
direction (against Traffic) in order to get to the
rail trail. It's dangerous and shouldn't happen. Tamarack Ave
Railroad
tracks
Traffic calming
I live on the south side of Tamarack and find
that cars are often going well in excess of the
speed limit as they come from Garfield going
eastbound on Tamarack between Garfield and
the train tracks. The downhill slope coupled
with lack of slowing measures and very little
patrolling results in speeding. It is difficult to
pull out of our driveway due to the excessive
speed of traffic here. The high speed of traffic
creates a safety issue for my children walking to
school. Tamarack Ave
Railroad
tracks
Traffic
congestion
We look forward to traffic studies during school
drop and pick up hours. Please conduct the
study at the hours of 7:45-8:10 M-F and 2:10 to
2:35 M-F (with the exception of Thursday
afternoon, with pickup being at 1:25 on
Thursdays). Tamarack Ave Jefferson St
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 93 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 23
Walking
improvement
Absolutely!!! This is long overdue. We are
encouraged to bike and walk on the rail trail
but when it hits the street at Tamarack, it's
incredibly unsafe to cross the street to the
south due to consistent oncoming vehicle
traffic and impaired visibility. A big crosswalk
with street signs would be a very simple first
step. Tamarack Ave
Railroad
tracks
Walking
improvement
Agreed. As an adult, I am nearly hit on a
regular basis while crossing this cross walk on
foot. Walking with my toddler, I've been nearly
hit several times by cars who go into the
intersection while I am midway through the
cross walk. I do not feel it is safe for my
children (even my 11-year-old) to safely cross
this intersection. Tamarack Ave Garfield St
Walking
improvement
Crossing the Freeway entrance and exits is a
complete nightmare for pedestrians and
cyclists. Please come up with ways to fix these
for the Jefferson children, as well as the kids
who head from the Beach up to Valley Middle
School and CHS. Tamarack Ave
Freeway
entrance/exit
Walking
improvement
Crossing the Freeway entrance and exits is a
complete nightmare for pedestrians and
cyclists. Please come up with ways to fix these
for the Jefferson children, as well as the kids
who head from the Beach up to Valley Middle
School and CHS. Tamarack Ave
Freeway
entrance/exit
Walking
improvement
Crossing the Freeway entrance and exits is a
complete nightmare for pedestrians and
cyclists. Please come up with ways to fix these
for the Jefferson children, as well as the kids
who head from the Beach up to Valley Middle
School and CHS. Tamarack Ave
Freeway
entrance/exit
Walking
improvement
Crossing the Freeway entrance and exits is a
complete nightmare for pedestrians and
cyclists. Please come up with ways to fix these
for the Jefferson children, as well as the kids
who head from the Beach up to Valley Middle
School and CHS. Tamarack Ave
Freeway
entrance/exit
Walking
improvement We need crossing guards here! Tamarack Ave Magnolia Ave
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 94 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 24
Walking
improvement We need crossing guards!! Tamarack Ave Jefferson St
Walking
improvement
Please give us a crossing guard here for children
to cross safely. I know other schools in the area
have more than one crossing guard (Kelly, for
example). Because Jefferson is directly adjacent
to the freeway, and because people regularly
use the roads near the school for non-school,
high-speed freeway diversions, it is very
surprising that we have not been allotted
additional crossing guards so that our kids can
get safely to school. We also need more
patrolling of the roads near Jefferson. Tamarack Ave Jefferson St
Walking
improvement
Please provide a permanent traffic crossing
guard at this major intersection for both
pedestrians and bikes. Tamarack Ave Jefferson St
Walking
improvement
We need a safe and high vis crosswalk
somewhere between Garfield and Jefferson on
Tamarack for kids to cross from the south side
of Tamarack to the north and vice versa.
Placement could be just east of the train tracks
or at the intersection of Hibiscus and Tamarack.
The cars on this segment routinely travel at
such a high rate of speed that it's very difficult
to cross Tamarack, even when we attempt to
use the corner to corner cross (no cross walk)
at Hibiscus. More speed reduction please. Tamarack Ave Hibiscus Cir
Walking
improvement
The school could really use another crosswalk
at this location Tamarack Ave Hibiscus Cir
Walking
improvement
A raised pedestrian crossing with lights (like at
tamarack/valley) would help with visibility and
slow traffic down. The crossing guard does their
best, but it’s not a safe situation. Tamarack Ave Hibiscus Cir
Walking
improvement
Can we consider 2 things--1. better
lighting/illumination for this crosswalk at night
and in the early morning? 2. making the
crosswalk high vis (maybe a push-button
illuminator? Please also note that drivers seem
to have a difficult time seeing pedestrians as
the sun is setting over this intersection. Glare is
a factor. We have near misses with cars here
almost daily while crossing on foot. Tamarack Ave Garfield St
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 95 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 25
Walking
improvement
Rail trail needs a Lighted Crosswalk!!!
Please make it simple for kids to cross the road
with a lighted flashing crosswalk to connect the
rail trail to the south side of Tamarack Tamarack Ave
Railroad
tracks
Walking
improvement
Hibiscus circle should be connected via a cross
walk to the north end of tamarack. Currently
the south side of tamarack has limited places to
cross tamarack. And more importantly, there is
a significant distance between Garfield and
Jefferson that allows cars to pick up significant
speeds and stop signs and or raised cross walks
like done on the east side of tamarack would
lend the south end of Carlsbad to have safe
walking paths and feel more included in what
should be a neighborhood. Tamarack Ave Hibiscus Cir
Walking
improvement
100% agree with this. There is too great a
distance between Garfield and Jefferson St on
Tamarack for kids crossing from the south side
of Tamarack to the north side. We need a high
visibility cross walk btwn these two points and
more speed patrolling. My kids can't safely
walk this route at present with the high rate of
speed of the car traffic and the issues with
safety crossing even at the Tamarack/Jefferson
and Tamarack/Garfield intersections for
pedestrians. Tamarack Ave Hibiscus Cir
Walking
improvement
Agreed. This is not a safe crosswalk for kids to
cross on their own. The speeding issues on the
stretch of Tamarack west of 5 coupled with lack
of safe places to cross make it prohibitive for
older kids to walk to school without adult
supervision. We frequently see cars turning
right from Jefferson onto westbound Tamarack
without checking for pedestrians in the
crosswalk. Tamarack Ave Jefferson St
Walking
improvement
This intersection is incredibly busy with
vehicles, pedestrians, and bikes. Safer more
controlled. Crossing system is definitely
needed.. Please add crossing signs, flashers,
buttons for the pedestrians, and ADA curb
ramps as the street to sidewalk transitions are
noncompliant and very dangerous. Tamarack Ave Garfield St
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 96 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 26
Walking
improvement
Might consider using Hibiscus as a safe route to
school instead of Tamarack if better speed
reduction and crosswalks cannot be
implemented on Tamarack. Cars tend to travel
more slowly on Hibiscus (and there's a
sidewalk) making it a potentially safer route for
kids coming from the western stretch of
Tamarack to Jefferson. Tamarack Ave Hibiscus Cir
Walking
improvement
Visibility for drivers turning left is made even
worse by vehicles frequently parked illegally
along the red curbs. Tamarack Ave Jefferson St
Walking
improvement
Extremely dangerous street where cars go well
above speed limit a majority of the time.
Limited stops or speed bumps slowing cars
down. Makes south end of tamarack stuck with
dead ends and no ability to connect with its
school community on the north end. Tamarack Ave Jefferson St
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 97 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 27
In person workshop feedback
Pedestrian improvements
•Need for safe crossings across Tamarack Ave
•Not as many opportunities to cross Tamarack to get to and from school
•Trouble crossing at Hibiscus – no crosswalk.
•People walk down Anchor Way
•Need ADA crossing
•Need to watch for driveway at gas station
•Move crosswalk more toward entrance of parking lot
Traffic safety
•At the top of Garfield, crest of hill, people come from the stop sign and fly down
•Speeding cars. No stop sign between Garfield and Jefferson
•Cars turn right out of Jefferson to Tamarack – struggle. Don’t look for pedestrians
•Lack of parking near school is an issue
•Need traffic calming on Tamarack – let it be known it’s a speed trap
•Need traffic calming at Chinquapin and Jefferson
•Need school zone signs and speed feedback signs
•Visibility is poor coming out of the school parking lot, especially if ppl there.
Biking improvements
•Bikers frequently cross at rail trail – need crossing
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 98 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 28
Other comments
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 99 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 29
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 100 of 117
DRAFT
Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School
Public Input Report
Spring 2024 30
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 101 of 117
Appendix C: Tamarack Avenue/Jefferson Street
Intersection Operations Test Results
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 102 of 117
SB Queue
(ft)
Delay
(sec/veh)
SB Queue
(ft)
Delay
(sec/veh)
Existing 317 15.8 237 14.8
Proposed 215 14.9 146 12.9
Change -102 -0.9 -91 -1.9
AM PM
Scenario
Delay and Queue Results at Jefferson St/Tamarack Av
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 103 of 117
Queues Existing AM
1: Jefferson St & Tamarack Ave 04/17/2024
Jefferson Elementary SRTS Synchro 11 Report
Page 1
Lane Group EBL EBT WBL WBT NBT SBT
Lane Group Flow (vph) 65 355 43 464 319 457
v/c Ratio 0.37 0.42 0.28 0.62 0.36 0.77
Control Delay 46.7 30.5 46.3 30.3 8.8 26.6
Queue Delay 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total Delay 46.7 30.5 46.3 30.3 8.8 26.6
Queue Length 50th (ft) 34 90 23 101 53 170
Queue Length 95th (ft) 75 133 56 150 112 317
Internal Link Dist (ft)218 234 200 246
Turn Bay Length (ft) 100 100
Base Capacity (vph) 371 1426 371 1399 1085 749
Starvation Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spillback Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0
Storage Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0
Reduced v/c Ratio 0.18 0.25 0.12 0.33 0.29 0.61
Intersection Summary
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 104 of 117
HCM 6th Signalized Intersection Summary Existing AM
1: Jefferson St & Tamarack Ave 04/17/2024
Jefferson Elementary SRTS Synchro 11 Report
Page 2
Movement EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Volume (veh/h) 53 275 16 35 245 135 36 54 171 261 21 93
Future Volume (veh/h) 53 275 16 35 245 135 36 54 171 261 21 93
Initial Q (Qb), veh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ped-Bike Adj(A_pbT) 1.00 0.96 1.00 0.97 0.99 0.96 0.99 0.96
Parking Bus, Adj 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Work Zone On Approach No No No No
Adj Sat Flow, veh/h/ln 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870
Adj Flow Rate, veh/h 65 335 16 43 299 92 44 66 150 318 26 103
Peak Hour Factor 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82
Percent Heavy Veh, % 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Cap, veh/h 104 767 36 79 557 167 160 237 432 532 47 138
Arrive On Green 0.06 0.22 0.22 0.04 0.21 0.21 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46
Sat Flow, veh/h 1781 3446 164 1781 2668 802 175 519 947 909 103 303
Grp Volume(v), veh/h 65 172 179 43 197 194 260 0 0 447 0 0
Grp Sat Flow(s),veh/h/ln 1781 1777 1833 1781 1777 1694 1641 0 0 1316 0 0
Q Serve(g_s), s 1.9 4.4 4.4 1.2 5.2 5.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.6 0.0 0.0
Cycle Q Clear(g_c), s 1.9 4.4 4.4 1.2 5.2 5.4 5.3 0.0 0.0 13.9 0.0 0.0
Prop In Lane 1.00 0.09 1.00 0.47 0.17 0.58 0.71 0.23
Lane Grp Cap(c), veh/h 104 396 408 79 371 353 829 0 0 718 0 0
V/C Ratio(X)0.63 0.43 0.44 0.54 0.53 0.55 0.31 0.00 0.00 0.62 0.00 0.00
Avail Cap(c_a), veh/h 527 1018 1050 527 1018 970 1067 0 0 1459 0 0
HCM Platoon Ratio 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Upstream Filter(I)1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00
Uniform Delay (d), s/veh 24.1 17.5 17.5 24.5 18.4 18.5 9.2 0.0 0.0 11.2 0.0 0.0
Incr Delay (d2), s/veh 2.3 0.8 0.7 2.2 1.2 1.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0
Initial Q Delay(d3),s/veh 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
%ile BackOfQ(50%),veh/ln 0.8 1.7 1.8 0.5 2.0 2.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 3.5 0.0 0.0
Unsig. Movement Delay, s/veh
LnGrp Delay(d),s/veh 26.4 18.3 18.3 26.7 19.6 19.9 9.3 0.0 0.0 11.5 0.0 0.0
LnGrp LOS C B B C B B A A A B A A
Approach Vol, veh/h 416 434 260 447
Approach Delay, s/veh 19.5 20.4 9.3 11.5
Approach LOS B C A B
Timer - Assigned Phs 2 3 4 6 7 8
Phs Duration (G+Y+Rc), s 28.9 6.8 16.7 28.9 7.6 15.9
Change Period (Y+Rc), s 5.0 4.5 5.0 5.0 4.5 5.0
Max Green Setting (Gmax), s 32.0 15.5 30.0 55.0 15.5 30.0
Max Q Clear Time (g_c+I1), s 7.3 3.2 6.4 15.9 3.9 7.4
Green Ext Time (p_c), s 1.2 0.0 2.0 2.7 0.0 2.3
Intersection Summary
HCM 6th Ctrl Delay 15.8
HCM 6th LOS B
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 105 of 117
Queues Existing PM
1: Jefferson St & Tamarack Ave 04/17/2024
Jefferson Elementary SRTS Synchro 11 Report
Page 1
Lane Group EBL EBT WBL WBT NBT SBT
Lane Group Flow (vph) 77 352 37 530 168 354
v/c Ratio 0.32 0.27 0.19 0.56 0.26 0.69
Control Delay 34.2 17.3 34.9 21.2 8.8 23.8
Queue Delay 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total Delay 34.2 17.3 34.9 21.2 8.8 23.8
Queue Length 50th (ft) 25 36 12 72 19 98
Queue Length 95th (ft) 84 118 50 168 67 237
Internal Link Dist (ft)218 234 200 246
Turn Bay Length (ft) 100 100
Base Capacity (vph) 524 2001 524 1929 1346 1129
Starvation Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spillback Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0
Storage Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0
Reduced v/c Ratio 0.15 0.18 0.07 0.27 0.12 0.31
Intersection Summary
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 106 of 117
HCM 6th Signalized Intersection Summary Existing PM
1: Jefferson St & Tamarack Ave 04/17/2024
Jefferson Elementary SRTS Synchro 11 Report
Page 2
Movement EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Volume (veh/h) 71 304 20 34 320 167 23 41 90 207 45 74
Future Volume (veh/h) 71 304 20 34 320 167 23 41 90 207 45 74
Initial Q (Qb), veh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ped-Bike Adj(A_pbT) 1.00 0.96 1.00 0.97 0.99 0.97 0.99 0.97
Parking Bus, Adj 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Work Zone On Approach No No No No
Adj Sat Flow, veh/h/ln 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870
Adj Flow Rate, veh/h 77 330 22 37 348 182 25 45 98 225 49 80
Peak Hour Factor 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92
Percent Heavy Veh, % 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Cap, veh/h 120 973 65 73 588 301 130 202 343 430 100 118
Arrive On Green 0.07 0.29 0.29 0.04 0.26 0.26 0.36 0.36 0.36 0.36 0.36 0.36
Sat Flow, veh/h 1781 3373 224 1781 2247 1149 117 559 946 842 275 326
Grp Volume(v), veh/h 77 173 179 37 274 256 168 0 0 354 0 0
Grp Sat Flow(s),veh/h/ln 1781 1777 1820 1781 1777 1619 1622 0 0 1443 0 0
Q Serve(g_s), s 2.0 3.6 3.6 1.0 6.3 6.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.7 0.0 0.0
Cycle Q Clear(g_c), s 2.0 3.6 3.6 1.0 6.3 6.5 3.4 0.0 0.0 9.1 0.0 0.0
Prop In Lane 1.00 0.12 1.00 0.71 0.15 0.58 0.64 0.23
Lane Grp Cap(c), veh/h 120 513 525 73 465 424 676 0 0 648 0 0
V/C Ratio(X)0.64 0.34 0.34 0.51 0.59 0.60 0.25 0.00 0.00 0.55 0.00 0.00
Avail Cap(c_a), veh/h 587 1134 1162 587 1134 1033 1172 0 0 1743 0 0
HCM Platoon Ratio 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Upstream Filter(I)1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00
Uniform Delay (d), s/veh 21.4 13.2 13.2 22.1 15.1 15.2 10.6 0.0 0.0 12.2 0.0 0.0
Incr Delay (d2), s/veh 2.1 0.4 0.4 2.0 1.2 1.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0
Initial Q Delay(d3),s/veh 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
%ile BackOfQ(50%),veh/ln 0.8 1.3 1.3 0.4 2.3 2.2 1.1 0.0 0.0 2.6 0.0 0.0
Unsig. Movement Delay, s/veh
LnGrp Delay(d),s/veh 23.5 13.6 13.6 24.1 16.3 16.6 10.7 0.0 0.0 12.5 0.0 0.0
LnGrp LOS C B B C B B B A A B A A
Approach Vol, veh/h 429 567 168 354
Approach Delay, s/veh 15.4 17.0 10.7 12.5
Approach LOS B B B B
Timer - Assigned Phs 2 3 4 6 7 8
Phs Duration (G+Y+Rc), s 22.0 6.4 18.6 22.0 7.7 17.3
Change Period (Y+Rc), s 5.0 4.5 5.0 5.0 4.5 5.0
Max Green Setting (Gmax), s 32.0 15.5 30.0 55.0 15.5 30.0
Max Q Clear Time (g_c+I1), s 5.4 3.0 5.6 11.1 4.0 8.5
Green Ext Time (p_c), s 0.7 0.0 2.1 1.9 0.1 3.3
Intersection Summary
HCM 6th Ctrl Delay 14.8
HCM 6th LOS B
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 107 of 117
Queues Proposed AM
1: Jefferson St & Tamarack Ave 04/22/2024
Jefferson Elementary SRTS Synchro 11 Report
Page 1
Lane Group EBL EBT WBL WBT NBT SBL SBT
Lane Group Flow (vph) 65 355 43 464 319 318 139
v/c Ratio 0.30 0.33 0.22 0.54 0.43 0.76 0.21
Control Delay 38.9 22.9 39.4 27.8 10.9 29.9 13.9
Queue Delay 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total Delay 38.9 22.9 39.4 27.8 10.9 29.9 13.9
Queue Length 50th (ft) 24 58 16 83 51 101 33
Queue Length 95th (ft) 76 131 57 178 117 215 76
Internal Link Dist (ft)218 234 200 246
Turn Bay Length (ft) 100 100
Base Capacity (vph) 485 1862 485 1759 1311 808 1277
Starvation Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spillback Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Storage Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Reduced v/c Ratio 0.13 0.19 0.09 0.26 0.24 0.39 0.11
Intersection Summary
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 108 of 117
HCM 6th Signalized Intersection Summary Proposed AM
1: Jefferson St & Tamarack Ave 04/22/2024
Jefferson Elementary SRTS Synchro 11 Report
Page 2
Movement EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Volume (veh/h) 53 275 16 35 245 135 36 54 171 261 21 93
Future Volume (veh/h) 53 275 16 35 245 135 36 54 171 261 21 93
Initial Q (Qb), veh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ped-Bike Adj(A_pbT) 1.00 0.96 1.00 0.97 0.98 0.96 0.98 0.96
Parking Bus, Adj 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Work Zone On Approach No No No No
Adj Sat Flow, veh/h/ln 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870
Adj Flow Rate, veh/h 65 335 16 43 299 165 44 66 139 318 26 113
Peak Hour Factor 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82
Percent Heavy Veh, %2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Cap, veh/h 106 870 41 80 526 281 153 220 364 639 121 528
Arrive On Green 0.06 0.25 0.25 0.05 0.24 0.24 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41
Sat Flow, veh/h 1781 3446 164 1781 2208 1181 165 535 884 1158 295 1283
Grp Volume(v), veh/h 65 172 179 43 239 225 249 0 0 318 0 139
Grp Sat Flow(s),veh/h/ln 1781 1777 1833 1781 1777 1613 1583 0 0 1158 0 1578
Q Serve(g_s), s 1.8 4.0 4.0 1.2 5.9 6.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.8 0.0 2.8
Cycle Q Clear(g_c), s 1.8 4.0 4.0 1.2 5.9 6.2 5.2 0.0 0.0 10.0 0.0 2.8
Prop In Lane 1.00 0.09 1.00 0.73 0.18 0.56 1.00 0.81
Lane Grp Cap(c), veh/h 106 449 463 80 423 384 736 0 0 639 0 649
V/C Ratio(X) 0.61 0.38 0.39 0.54 0.56 0.59 0.34 0.00 0.00 0.50 0.00 0.21
Avail Cap(c_a), veh/h 554 1070 1104 554 1070 971 1090 0 0 1441 0 1742
HCM Platoon Ratio 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Upstream Filter(I)1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 1.00
Uniform Delay (d), s/veh 22.9 15.4 15.4 23.3 16.7 16.8 10.2 0.0 0.0 11.4 0.0 9.5
Incr Delay (d2), s/veh 2.1 0.5 0.5 2.1 1.2 1.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.1
Initial Q Delay(d3),s/veh 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
%ile BackOfQ(50%),veh/ln 0.7 1.5 1.5 0.5 2.2 2.2 1.6 0.0 0.0 2.4 0.0 0.8
Unsig. Movement Delay, s/veh
LnGrp Delay(d),s/veh 25.0 15.9 16.0 25.3 17.9 18.2 10.3 0.0 0.0 11.7 0.0 9.5
LnGrp LOS C B B C B B B A A B A A
Approach Vol, veh/h 416 507 249 457
Approach Delay, s/veh 17.4 18.7 10.3 11.0
Approach LOS B B B B
Timer - Assigned Phs 2 3 4 6 7 8
Phs Duration (G+Y+Rc), s 25.5 6.7 17.6 25.5 7.5 16.9
Change Period (Y+Rc), s 5.0 4.5 5.0 5.0 4.5 5.0
Max Green Setting (Gmax), s 32.0 15.5 30.0 55.0 15.5 30.0
Max Q Clear Time (g_c+I1), s 7.2 3.2 6.0 12.0 3.8 8.2
Green Ext Time (p_c), s 1.1 0.0 2.0 1.4 0.0 2.9
Intersection Summary
HCM 6th Ctrl Delay 14.9
HCM 6th LOS B
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 109 of 117
Queues Proposed PM
1: Jefferson St & Tamarack Ave 04/22/2024
Jefferson Elementary SRTS Synchro 11 Report
Page 1
Lane Group EBL EBT WBL WBT NBT SBL SBT
Lane Group Flow (vph) 77 352 37 530 168 225 129
v/c Ratio 0.31 0.25 0.18 0.54 0.28 0.53 0.23
Control Delay 31.6 15.1 32.3 21.9 9.6 21.4 16.0
Queue Delay 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total Delay 31.6 15.1 32.3 21.9 9.6 21.4 16.0
Queue Length 50th (ft) 22 27 11 72 19 58 30
Queue Length 95th (ft) 77 103 46 168 67 146 80
Internal Link Dist (ft)218 234 200 246
Turn Bay Length (ft) 100 100
Base Capacity (vph) 565 2105 565 1994 1422 1124 1456
Starvation Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spillback Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Storage Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Reduced v/c Ratio 0.14 0.17 0.07 0.27 0.12 0.20 0.09
Intersection Summary
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 110 of 117
HCM 6th Signalized Intersection Summary Proposed PM
1: Jefferson St & Tamarack Ave 04/22/2024
Jefferson Elementary SRTS Synchro 11 Report
Page 2
Movement EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR
Lane Configurations
Traffic Volume (veh/h) 71 304 20 34 320 167 23 41 90 207 45 74
Future Volume (veh/h) 71 304 20 34 320 167 23 41 90 207 45 74
Initial Q (Qb), veh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ped-Bike Adj(A_pbT) 1.00 0.96 1.00 0.97 0.99 0.97 0.99 0.96
Parking Bus, Adj 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Work Zone On Approach No No No No
Adj Sat Flow, veh/h/ln 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870 1870
Adj Flow Rate, veh/h 77 330 22 37 348 182 25 45 98 225 49 80
Peak Hour Factor 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92
Percent Heavy Veh, %2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Cap, veh/h 127 1033 68 75 622 318 134 167 281 585 187 305
Arrive On Green 0.07 0.31 0.31 0.04 0.28 0.28 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30
Sat Flow, veh/h 1781 3374 224 1781 2247 1149 113 558 939 1229 624 1018
Grp Volume(v), veh/h 77 173 179 37 274 256 168 0 0 225 0 129
Grp Sat Flow(s),veh/h/ln 1781 1777 1820 1781 1777 1620 1609 0 0 1229 0 1642
Q Serve(g_s), s 1.7 3.1 3.1 0.8 5.4 5.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.0 2.5
Cycle Q Clear(g_c), s 1.7 3.1 3.1 0.8 5.4 5.6 3.2 0.0 0.0 4.7 0.0 2.5
Prop In Lane 1.00 0.12 1.00 0.71 0.15 0.58 1.00 0.62
Lane Grp Cap(c), veh/h 127 544 557 75 492 449 583 0 0 585 0 492
V/C Ratio(X) 0.61 0.32 0.32 0.50 0.56 0.57 0.29 0.00 0.00 0.38 0.00 0.26
Avail Cap(c_a), veh/h 671 1295 1327 671 1295 1181 1327 0 0 1860 0 2195
HCM Platoon Ratio 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Upstream Filter(I)1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 1.00
Uniform Delay (d), s/veh 18.6 11.0 11.0 19.3 12.7 12.8 11.2 0.0 0.0 11.6 0.0 11.0
Incr Delay (d2), s/veh 1.7 0.3 0.3 1.9 1.0 1.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.1
Initial Q Delay(d3),s/veh 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
%ile BackOfQ(50%),veh/ln 0.7 1.0 1.1 0.3 1.9 1.8 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 0.0 0.8
Unsig. Movement Delay, s/veh
LnGrp Delay(d),s/veh 20.3 11.3 11.3 21.2 13.7 13.9 11.3 0.0 0.0 11.8 0.0 11.1
LnGrp LOS C B B C B B B A A B A B
Approach Vol, veh/h 429 567 168 354
Approach Delay, s/veh 12.9 14.3 11.3 11.5
Approach LOS B B B B
Timer - Assigned Phs 2 3 4 6 7 8
Phs Duration (G+Y+Rc), s 17.3 6.2 17.6 17.3 7.4 16.4
Change Period (Y+Rc), s 5.0 4.5 5.0 5.0 4.5 5.0
Max Green Setting (Gmax), s 32.0 15.5 30.0 55.0 15.5 30.0
Max Q Clear Time (g_c+I1), s 5.2 2.8 5.1 6.7 3.7 7.6
Green Ext Time (p_c), s 0.7 0.0 2.1 1.0 0.1 3.4
Intersection Summary
HCM 6th Ctrl Delay 12.9
HCM 6th LOS B
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 111 of 117
Appendix D: Pick-Up and Drop-Off Access Routes for
Jefferson Elementary School
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 112 of 117
Map showing location of Je erson Elementary in Carlsbad, CA. Google Earth, earth.google.com/web
Pedestrian Route
ADA Accessible Route
Pick-Up & Drop-Off Route
Special Education Drop-Off Route
Magnolia Avenue
Tamara
c
k
A
v
e
n
u
e
Jeff
e
r
s
o
n
S
t
r
e
e
t
TK/K
1-5
Pick-Up & Drop-Off Routes
Jefferson Elementary
Heavy Traffic
Important Alerts
Please Pull Forward
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 113 of 117
Appendix E: Non-Infrastructure Strategies
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 114 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 1
To: Fehr and Peers; City of Carlsbad
From: Alta Planning + Design
Date: April 22, 2023
Re: Non-infrastructure Strategies for Jefferson Elementary School
Encouraging Safe Routes to School at Jefferson Elementary School
Non-infrastructure strategies are an important part of the comprehensive Carlsbad Safe Route to School (SRTS)
program. While infrastructure improvements create safer and more comfortable routes, non-infrastructure (also
called encouragement and education) SRTS activities like traffic safety education and walking and biking
promotional activities encourage students and their families to choose active modes to get to and from school.
In addition, SRTS projects with non-infrastructure components build enthusiasm and support for active
transportation and can be an important first step toward implementing more costly infrastructure
improvements.
This memo outlines SRTS non-infrastructure recommendations for Jefferson Elementary School. The Carlsbad
SRTS project team compiled these recommendations based on school and community needs and priorities,
available resources, and SRTS best practices. These recommendations present ways that the City of Carlsbad
(City), Carlsbad Unified School District (CUSD), Jefferson Elementary School staff, parents/caregivers, and
students, and others can participate in SRTS activities.
Bike/Pedestrian Education
School-based skills and traffic safety instruction during recess, PE, or other appropriate learning time would
provide opportunities for the development of pedestrian and bicycle traffic safety skills, bike handling skills, safe
riding practices (“street smarts”), helmet fit, and bike prep for Jefferson Elementary School students. There are
various local resources available, such as the Carlsbad Safer Streets Together Resources, which include free bike
and e-bike safety courses for students and their families offered by Carlsbad Police Department. Moreover, the
San Diego County Bicycle Coalition provides bicycle laws and safety tips on its website resources page and holds
school-based pedestrian and bike safety classes.
Resources:
• Carlsbad Safer Streets Together Resources
• Carlsbad Bike and E-bike Safety Class
• Bike and e-bike laws and safety tips are available through the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
• City of Oceanside SRTS e-bike safety educational video
Crossing Guard Training
Jefferson Elementary School currently has one Crossing Guard located at Jefferson Street and Carol Place right in
front of the school. Regardless of who is serving the role of a Crossing Guard—school staff performing this role
as a part of their duties, city staff, paid contractors, or volunteers—it is important that they receive training on
at least a biennial basis to ensure they are performing their duties properly and safely.
Resources
• California Crossing Guard Training Program
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 115 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 2
Crossing Guard Promotional Education
Crossing Guards play a vital role in ensuring the safety of students, families, and residents while crossing the
street near schools. They help to alert drivers that people are crossing the roadway. Disregarding the direction
of a Crossing Guard is a violation of the law (California Vehicle Code Section 2815). Educating and promoting the
importance of listening to Crossing Guards' directions may encourage more people to follow their directions.
Hosting an annual Crossing Guard Appreciation Day at Jefferson Elementary School would help students,
parents, caregivers, and drivers show their appreciation to Crossing Guards.
The City could leverage their “Safer Together” campaign branding to create and post promotional materials on
social media to encourage students, parents, caregivers, and drivers to pay more attention to Crossing Guards
and follow their direction.
Resource:
• Westminster Safe Route to School Plan Appendix A
Please Pull Forward Signage
On-campus, “Please Pull Forward” signage can remind drivers to use the entire drop-off/pick-up space when
unloading and loading their students. This has the benefit of getting vehicles off the streets, which reduces
traffic congestion and reduces vehicle and pedestrian conflicts.
The City could leverage their “Safer Together” campaign branding to create school drop-off/pick-up signage that
reminds drivers to pull forward, stay off mobile phones, and pay attention to other students and vehicles.
Resource:
• Westminster Safe Routes to School Plan Appendix E
School Board Policy
School board policies, like California Board of Education Board Policy (BP) 5142.2 Safe Routes to School Program,
help solidify a school district’s commitment to promoting active transportation as a safe and healthy way to get
to and from school. CUSD adopted BP 5142.2 along with Administrative Regulation (AR) 5142.2 in October 2021.
CUSD support for SRTS can be leveraged to grow SRTS efforts and even secure grant funding for future SRTS
initiatives.
Resources:
• CUSD BP 5142.2: Safe Routes to School Program
• CUSD AR 5142.2: Safe Routes to School Program
School Champion Toolkit
Resources for SRTS school champions (parent/caregivers or others who volunteer time and energy towards
promoting walking and biking for the school commute) help start and/or grow walking/biking programs at
school sites. “How to” guides provide a variety of SRTS activities and describe how to implement them.
Resources:
• Parent and Community Empowerment Toolkit, San Mateo County Safe Routes to School
• Volunteer Toolkit, Safe Routes to School National Partnership
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 116 of 117
MEMORANDUM
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. City of Carlsbad 3
School Communications
Schools, including Jefferson Elementary School, are critical to promoting safe walking, bicycling, and driving
behavior and encouraging families to walk and bike. They can share walking and biking promotional messages
through school communication channels such as newsletters, social media, websites, and in-person events to
create a school culture that supports active travel.
The City could leverage their “Safer Together” campaign branding to create resources for schools like Jefferson
Elementary School to promote safe and frequent walking and biking to school.
Resource:
• Safe Routes National Partnership Back to School Messaging Guide
Suggested Route Map
The City created suggested route maps as a part of their 2020 Sustainable Mobility Plan. A suggested route map
shows walking (and biking for older students) routes to school along with key information including existing
infrastructure, approximate route times, key landmarks, and more. Suggested route maps are a great tool for
communicating walking and biking opportunities and help channelize routes, which can lead to safer conditions
for all road users.
Resource:
• City of Carlsbad Suggested Routes to School Maps
Valet Curbside Drop-off
A valet curbside drop-off program could alleviate traffic concerns on the Jefferson Elementary School campus by
speeding up the drop-off process and providing a more fluid motion of vehicular traffic in the drop-off area. The
service can be offered by older students (e.g., fifth and sixth grades) who complete traffic safety training. During
a designated time period, valets are stationed along the drop-off area and wearing bright safety vests. When
drivers pull into the drop-off area, the valets direct them to drive as far forward as possible, making use of the
entire length of the available curb. Then, valets open the passenger door for students to exit the vehicle, close
the door, and direct drivers to pull forward and exit the drop-off area.
Resource:
• AAA School Safety Patrol
Walk to School Day or Bike to School Day
Walk to School Days or Bike to School Days are before school walking or biking event involving all students.
Students are encouraged to walk to school on a particular day (chosen by the school) and receive incentives for
participation. Other events, such as Cocoa for Carpools, can be incorporated into Walk and Bike to School Days
for older students.
Resource:
• Walk, Bike, & Roll to School, National Center for Safe Routes to School
July 6, 2026 Item #7 Page 117 of 117
John Kim, City Traffic Engineer
Miriam Jim, Senior Engineer
July 6, 2026
Carlsbad Traffic Safety
Improvements Project, CIP No. 6116
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Provide input on the Carlsbad Traffic Safety
Improvements Project, Capital Improvement
Program Project No. 6116
2
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
•As part of the Safer Streets effort, the city secured
$850,000 in federal funding for construction of the
Carlsbad Traffic Safety Improvement Project in 2024
•11.47% match of local funds required
•Enhance traffic safety by upgrading crosswalks and
installing speed cushions near schools throughout
the city
3
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
BACKGROUND
•In 2025, the City Council accepted the Jefferson
Elementary School Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Plan
•Recommended infrastructure and
programmatic improvements to enhance safety
and encourage walking and biking to school
4
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
JEFFERSON SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
5
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
Scope of the project:
–Upgrade 68 existing crosswalks near 20 schools with high visibility crosswalk markings
–Upgrade 2 uncontrolled, unmarked crosswalks with high visibility crosswalk
markings and Rectangular Rapid
Flashing Beacons
–Install 4 speed cushions as
recommended in the Jefferson Elementary Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan
HIGH VISIBILITY CONTINENTAL CROSSWALKS
•Continental crosswalk uses a series of
wide, longitudinal pavement markings
•More visible and consistent crosswalk
markings
•Support safe routes to schools
•Slurry seal treatment on affected
pavement area
6
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
7
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
•List of intersections and
their nearby schools
CROSSWALK
UPGRADES
8
•Identified in the Jefferson
Elementary SRTS Plan
•Enhance connectivity for
pedestrians accessing the school
and the Coastal Rail Trail
Jefferson
Elementary School
Coastal Rail Trail
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
NEW UNCONTROLLED AND MARKED CROSSWALK –
TAMARACK AVE./HIBISCUS CIR.
9
•In response to resident’s requests
•Alternative entry on Strata Drive,
south of Calavera Hills Elementary
and Middle Schools
•Enhance pedestrians’ safety and
improve connectivity between
neighborhood and schools
Calavera Hills Elementary and
Middle Schools
Access Gate
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
NEW UNCONTROLLED AND MARKED CROSSWALK –
TAMARACK AVE./STRATA DR.
SPEED CUSHIONS NEAR JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY
•Identified in the Jefferson
Elementary SRTS Plan to reduce
vehicle speeds
•Two speed cushions on Jefferson
Street and two on Chinquapin
Avenue
10
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
LLegend
Speed Cushion
Jefferson Elementary School
Magnolia Ave
NEXT STEPS
•Final design and permitting
•Submit funding allocation for project construction
•Present final design package to TS&MC with
recommendation to the City Council for acceptance of
grant funding and project implementation
11
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Provide input on the Carlsbad Traffic Safety
Improvements Project, Capital Improvement
Program Project No. 6116
12
I T E M 7 : T R A F F I C S A F E T Y I M P R O V E M E N T S P R O J E C T