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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-09-12; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Consider recommending City Council approval of the La Costa Avenue Improvement PlanCITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: September 12, 2011 ITEMNO.6B LOCATION: INITIATED BY: La Costa Avenue from El Camino Real to Rancho Santa Fe Road City Council REQUESTED ACTION: Consider recommending City Council approval of the La Costa A venue Improvement Plan. BACKGROUND: La Costa Avenue is designated as a "secondary arterial" between El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe Road and functions as a major connector to the area's roadway system. This roadway section was developed when the La Costa area was part of the County of San Diego, prior to annexation to the City of Carlsbad in 1972. Over the years, traffic has increased along this heavily traveled road linking eastern Carlsbad with Interstate 5 and the speed limit is currently posted for 45-miles-per-hour. There is residential frontage with direct driveway access to La Costa on the north side of the street west of Romeria Street and on the south side east of Romeria Street. These direct access driveways make it challenging to enter and exit residences. On-street parking is currently accommodated on the north side of the street west of Romeria Street and on the south side east of Romeria Street. A continuous striped median exists between Fairway Lane and Levante Street providing left tum access to driveways and cross streets. Sidewalks along both the north and south sides of La Costa A venue are attached to the street and there are numerous locations where the sidewalk is missing or contains physical encroachments such as mailboxes. The planning objective for the La Costa Avenue Improvement Project approved by the Carlsbad City Council was to develop a cost effective, community-preferred plan to address traffic speeds and safety on La Costa A venue in a way that respects the residential character and arterial function of the roadway. Three community workshops were held on April 28, May 26, and June 23 2011 at the Stagecoach Park Community Center. Residents, property owners and stakeholders within and outside the La Costa area were invited to attend these meetings. The attached report reflects the community preferred plan and reports that the anticipated traffic conditions are expected to meet the City of Carlsbad level of service standards. There was a contingency of meeting participants that opposed changes to La Costa Avenue that would significantly increase travel times along this important corridor. Staff conducted travel time studies that will be used to estimate and quantify traffic diversions that may result from anticipated increases in travel times along La Costa Avenue resulting from the proposed plan. This information is expected to be included in any environmental report that may be required prior to implementing the proposed plan. While the La Costa Avenue Improvement Project was being developed, the Carlsbad City Council directed staff to prepare an interim striping plan for La Costa Avenue to improve driver visibility from the residential driveways. The interim plan for La Costa A venue adopted by the Page I r \ CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COORDINATING COMMITTEE STAFF REPORT COMMITTEE MEETING OF: ( continued) September 12, 2011 ITEM NO. 68 City Council on June 28, 2011 converted one of the westbound vehicle lanes into a bike lane from Romeria Street through Fairway Lane. The new bike lane acts as a refuge improving driver sight distance exiting the residential driveways. The westbound lane reduction is consistent with the existing eastbound lane reduction previously implemented on La Costa A venue east of Romeria Street. Staff has started gathering traffic data so that a "before-and-after study" can be completed to quantify any traffic diversions that resulted from the interim striping plan. On-street parking was also eliminated at select locations along La Costa A venue to improve sight distance from driveways located between El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe Road. A portion of the on-street parking is expected to be reinstated if the La Costa A venue Improvement Project successfully reduces vehicle speed. On-street parking prohibitions will remain at select locations if sight distance cannot be met for the resulting posted speed limit. RECOMMENDATION: Based on the findings contained in this report, the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends approval of the La Costa A venue Improvement Plan. NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: The adoption of a resolution is required by the City Council to approve the La Costa A venue Improvement Plan. Page 2 Study Objective Develop a cost effective, community-preferred plan to address traffic speeds and safety on La Costa Avenue in a way that respects the residential character and arterial function of the roadway ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Considerations for La Costa Avenue • Secondary arterial • Residential frontage • Speed • Safety • Emergency response • Bikes and pedestrians • Cost of improvements • Enforcement ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD La Costa Avenue Planning Process Community survey Three community meetings -April 28 -May 26 -June 23 Update public throughout process -website City Council acceptance General Plan and environmental review ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Community Meeting #1 -April 28, 2011 • Define problem • Determine objectives • Present design elements • Discuss preferences ~ .CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Community Meeting #2 -May 26, 2011 • Review concept plans • Consider what works, what doesn't • Determine preferences for various options b CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Community Meeting #3 -June 23, 2011 • Finalize concept plans • Discuss phasing and funding options ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Planning Objectives • Increase safety for all users -Accommodate all modes of transportation (auto, bike, and pedestrian) -Reduce travel speeds -Increase sight distance for driveway access • Design a roadway in keeping with the residential neighborhood -Accommodate on-street parking in front of residential areas -Minimize the number of traffic signals -Increase landscaping -Design improvements to be effective without enforcement ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Planning Objectives • Don't divert traffic to other residential streets -Do not penalize drivers traveling at the posted speed limit (i.e., design should be consistent with high volume roadway classification) -Avoid congestion • Develop a cost effective plan «~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Design Options that Meet Planning Objectives • Reduce the number of lanes to one through lane in each direction to accommodate all modes of traffic • Include bike lanes in both directions • Complete missing sidewalk links • Maintain on-street parking in front of residential units • Use bike lane to create a buffer and increase sight distance (i.e., move travel lanes away from driveways and on-street parking) b CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Design Options that Meet Planning Objectives • Extend curbs in front of residences to accommodate wider sidewalks and improve sight distance • Use medians, bulb outs and roundabouts to create a more curvilinear design to reduce vehicle speed • Use medians and bulb outs to improve pedestrian safety crossing street • Use roundabouts at intersections rather than adding traffic signals • Use landscaping to change the character of the street and reduce speeds «~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Planning Document • The specific location of devices has not been determined and may shift based on topography, access locations, drainage, util.ities, and other considerations ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Proposed Concept Plan • One lane in each direction • Partial medians • Curb extensions • Roundabouts • Bike lanes in both directions • Improved sidewalks • Estimated cost -$3M-$SM 4 CITY OF w CARLSBAD East End of Proi ect Area XISllfG -I + t t EXISTING ~ T T • a ,, kCil t ii • t -' .---.,. ... Photo Simulations ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Cost of Improvements and Phasing • The draft plan represents an ultimate vision for La Costa Avenue • The estimated cost for the ultimate plan is $3M-$SM • The city has $1 million currently available for improvements • Additional funding may be available through grants or other funding sources • Improvements could be phased as funding becomes available ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD Phasing Options • Restripe road diet the entire length to accommodate wider medians and bike lanes • Install roundabouts • Install medians • Construct curb extensions/narrowing • Build missing sidewalks ~ CITY OF ~ CARLSBAD ~ i~ CITY OF ~~ CARLSBAD La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan August 2011 l□a· L_c Pat Noyes -& Associates La Costa A venue Improvement Plan La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Contents Background ................................................................................................................................ 2 Planning Objective for La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan ...................................................... 2 Existing Conditions .................................................................................................................... 2 Traffic Factors ........................................................................................................................ 3 Plan Development Process ........................................................................................................ 3 Community Survey ................................................................................................................. 4 Community Workshops ...................................................... : ................................................... 5 Community-Preferred Plan for La Costa Avenue Improvements ................................................ 6 Funding and Phasing Options ................................................................................................... 12 Append ix 1 ................................................................................................................................ 13 La Costa Avenue Study Community Survey Comments ........................................................ 13 Appendix 2 ................................................................................................................................ 35 Summary of Comments on Proposed Plan ............................................................................ 35 8/17/11 Page 1 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Background La Costa Avenue between Rancho Santa Fe Road and El Camino Real was developed when the La Costa area was part of the County of San Diego, prior to annexation to the City of Carlsbad in 1972. Over the years, traffic has increased along the heavily traveled road, which links eastern Carlsbad with Interstate 5 and the coast. Driveways open directly onto the road, which has a 45-mile-per-hour speed limit, making it challenging to enter and exit residences during busy traffic times. The City previously worked with a select group of residents along La Costa Avenue to address safety concerns. The results of these studies provide base data for this community-focused planning process. Some of the initial efforts by the City to address safety include speed displays and increased enforcement. More recently, the General Plan update is expected to create multi-modal standards introducing quality of life issues, providing an opportunity to consider broader objectives and options for La Costa Avenue. City traffic engineers initiated this study to identify additional changes to balance traffic safety and the needs of motorists with the quality of life for those who live in the neighborhood. Planning Objective for La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan The planning objective approved by the Carlsbad City Council for the La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan is to develop a cost effective, Community-Preferred Plan to address traffic speeds and safety on La Costa Avenue in a way that respects the residential character and arterial function of the roadway. Conditions at the Beginning of the Planning Process La Costa Avenue is designated as a "secondary arterial" between El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe Road and functions as a major connector to the area's roadway system. There are 8/17/11 Page2 La Costa A venue Improvement Plan four travel lanes, two in each direction, narrowing to one eastbound lane at Gibraltar Street. On-street parking is currently accommodated on the north side of the street west of Romeria Street and on the south side east of Romeria Street. A continuous striped median exists along the entire study segment, providing left turn access to driveways and cross streets. A striped bike lane exists either as a designated lane or a shared lane with parking for westbound bicyclists from Rancho Santa Fe Road to El Camino Real, and for eastbound bicyclists east of Romeria Street. There is residential frontage with direct driveway access to La Costa on the north side of the street west of Romeria Street and on the south side east of Romeria Street. Sidewalks along both the north and side sides of La Costa Avenue are attached to the street and there are numerous locations where the sidewalk is missing or contains physical encroachments such as mailboxes. The posted speed limit on La Costa Avenue is 45 miles per hour. Traffic Factors La Costa Avenue is classified as a Secondary Arterial by the City of Carlsbad. The segment from El Camino Real to Rancho Santa Fe Road is approximately two miles long with a roadway width of 64 feet curb-to-curb. The roadway grades vary from 1 % to 8% with numerous closely spaced driveways and limited street lighting. There are attached sidewalks along La Costa Avenue with missing segments of sidewalks, varying from short segments to multiple blocks of missing sidewalk along the south side of the street. Mailboxes in front of residences on the north side encroach into the sidewalk, limiting the width for pedestrians. The average daily traffic varies from approximately 17,900 vehicles per day west of Nueva Castilla Way to approximately 12,300 west of Cadencia Street. There are currently traffic signals at each end of the study area and at Cadencia Street, Romeria Street, and Viejo Castilla Way. La Costa Avenue is designated as a bike route in the current Circulation Element of the General Plan. The City of Carlsbad conducts traffic studies on La Costa Avenue to determine the average daily traffic, 85th percentile speed, and collision rates. Table 1 shows recent traffic data collected on La Costa Avenue. Table 1: Traffic Data Location 8S'h Percentile Speed* 10 mph Pace Speed** West of Nueva Castilla Way 47 mph 39-49 mph East of Viejo Castilla Way 47 mph 38-48 mph East of Gibraltar Street 47 mph 38-48 mph West of Esfera Street 45 mph 37-47 mph * 85 percent of the traffic travels at this speed or below **The 10 mile per hour grouping with the greatest number of vehicles During the two-year period between March 1, 2009 and February 28, 2011, there were 26 total collisions reported in this segment of La Costa Avenue. Of those, four were reported as speed- related collisions. Plan Development Process The City of Carlsbad initiated the planning process to develop an ultimate improvement plan for La Costa Avenue between El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe Road in April 2011. The first step in the process was to send notices and surveys to all residents in the La Costa 8/17/11 Page3 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan neighborhood to determine the critical issues to address in the study. The survey was also posted on the City of Carlsbad website to solicit broader input from the public. The City hosted a series of three community workshops to develop a community preferred plan. These meetings were held on April 28, May 26, and June 23, 2011, at the Stage Coach Community Center. Members of the Carlsbad community were invited to participate in the development of the La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan through these meetings. The City provided meeting summaries and posted presentation materials from each meeting on the City's website. Comment surveys were also posted online for participants and other community members to provide additional input on each step of the planning process. • Community Survey The City received 965 responses to the community survey and the results were compiled and presented at the first meeting with the neighborhood. Table 2 shows the results of the neighborhood survey: Table 2: Summary of Neighborhood Survey Question Response 1. Please indicate your level of concern for Ranked as very concerned: each of the following traffic issues on La Traffic speeds -52% Costa Avenue. Pedestrian safety -49% Bicycle safety -57% Traffic noise-24% Availability of on-street parking -8% Operation of on-street parking -10% Street maintenance -28% Street landscaping -20% 2. What, if any, concerns do you have about Visibility -59% driving safety on La Costa Avenue? Street width -31 % Signing -20% Traffic speeds -69% Right-of-way controls -34% Street curvature and grades -39% 3. What activities do you or members of Walking/jogging -40% your household use La Costa Avenue for Bicycling -30% regularly? Driving -93% 4. If there are school children in your house, Automobile -80% what is the most common method of travel Walking -43% to and from school? Bicycling -23% 5. What types of traffic control devices do Signs-52% you feel would be appropriate for use on La Pavement markings -40% Costa Avenue? Landscaping -37% Pedestrian crossings -42% Sidewalks-51 % Physical changes to the street-32% Raised medians-31% In addition to the tabulated results,·there were numerous comments. All comments were captured and included in Appendix 1 of this report. 8/17/11 Page4 La Costa A venue Improvement Plan Community Workshops The City and community residents met on April 28, May 26, and June 23, to work through each step of the planning process. The first meeting provided an overview of the study objective and planning process, a summary of the survey results, and information about potential improvement options and devices. • Over 100 members of the Carlsbad community attended the April 28 meeting for the La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan. City staff and the consultant presented an overview of the project, a summary of responses to the community survey, and a description of the devices and options the city is considering for use in developing the La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan. Participants were then invited to visit various work stations to identify specific issues and concerns along La Costa Avenue and consider the different types of improvements under consideration. Participants were also asked to complete a comment sheet to provide additional information on the issues, what they like or don't like about various devices, and what they consider is important in developing a successful plan for La Costa Avenue. Approximately 70 members of the Carlsbad community attended the May 26 meeting for the La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan. City staff and the consultant reviewed the community input from the first meeting, including specific concerns and preferences for various devices being considered for installation on La Costa, and three concept plans developed to gain additional information on preferred options for La Costa Avenue. Each of the concept alternatives was developed to determine preferences for the various tradeoffs involved in making improvements to La Costa Avenue. The major elements of the three alternatives were: • Concept A -Four lanes with medians -Two lanes in each direction -Landscaped medians -Restricted parking -No new bike lanes -No left turns into or out of driveways • Concept B -Two lanes with roundabouts -One lane in each direction -Landscaped medians -Roundabouts at two intersections -Bike lanes in both directions • Concept C -Two lanes with partial medians and bulb outs -One lane in each direction -Partial medians -Bulb outs at intersections -Landscaping opportunities on medians and bulb outs -Bike lanes in each direction Participants were then invited to review the three concept alternatives and provide input on how well each met the planning objectives and addressed the community concerns. Comment sheets were provided to gain additional insight into why participants preferred certain options or features in each of the alternatives. At the June 23 meeting, attended by approximately 50 members of the Carlsbad community, City staff and the consultant reviewed the planning process and how the input from the community survey and first two workshops were used to develop the draft plan presented at the meeting. They reviewed the planning objective for the La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan to 8/17/11 Pages La Costa A venue Improvement Plan develop a cost effective, Community-Preferred Plan to address traffic speeds and safety on La Costa Avenue in a way that respects the residential character and arterial function of the roadway. This objective was further defined through the first two community workshops and the following planning objectives provided the basis for developing a draft plan: • Increase safety for all users -Accommodate all modes of transportation (auto, bike, and pedestrian) -Reduce travel speeds -Increase sight distance for driveway access • Design a roadway in keeping with the residential neighborhood -Accommodate on-street parking in front of residential areas -Minimize the number of traffic signals -Increase landscaping -Design improvements to be effective without enforcement • Don't divert traffic to other residential streets -Do not penalize drivers traveling at the posted speed limit (i.e., design should be consistent with high volume roadway classification) -Avoid congestion • Develop a cost effective plan The draft plan for La Costa Avenue was presented for discussion and refinement. The conceptual plan would reduce La Costa Avenue to one travel lane in each direction between Fairway Lane and Esfera Street. The lane configuration would allow a bike lane in each direction of travel and roundabouts as an alternative to traffic signals. The roadway capacity would be maintained near the primary entrance points at El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe Road. Analysis of the traffic flow indicates that the proposed configuration would meet the City's level of service standards under existing and forecasted conditions. The proposed plan was estimated to cost approximately $3 million, not including sidewalks and depending on engineering design considerations. The City currently has approximately $1 million in the budget for traffic signals on La Costa Avenue and it is anticipated that these funds would be re- allocated toward these long-term improvements. Participants were asked to provide input on potential phasing preferences. The community members attending the meeting generally supported the proposed plan, but there were still concerns about longer travel times resulting from congestion and the proposed speed reduction measures. Public comments on the draft plan, from the meeting participants and the Carlsbad community input on the City's webpage, were used to finalize the community- preferred improvement plan. Community-Preferred Plan for La Costa Avenue Improvements Figures 1-4 show the proposed conceptual plan for improvements to La Costa Avenue. Figures 1 and 3 provide a plan view of the proposed improvements which are further illustrated in photo simulations in Figures 2 and 4. These graphics show the reconfiguration of travel lanes from four lanes to two lanes through the study area, with the addition of continuous, designated bike lanes in each direction, and a system of landscaped medians, curb extensions (bulb outs), and roundabouts to create a more curvilinear roadway with landscaping to provide visual breaks along the street. Roundabouts are a preferred treatment at intersections where enhanced safety and reduced vehicle speeds are desired. The Community-Preferred Plan proposes roundabouts at two locations, based on preliminary cost estimates and stakeholder comments. Additional roundabouts should be considered at other intersection locations based on actual 8/17/11 Page6 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan construction costs and need to further reduce vehicle speed. Reduced speeds on La Costa Avenue will improve safety along La Costa Avenue by improving sight distance at driveways and side streets. This system of devices is designed to slow traffic, minimize delay at the intersections, and enhance safety for vehicles, bikes and pedestrians. These improvements are consistent with the planning objectives developed through the community workshops and reflect a number of the core values articulated in Envision Carlsbad: • Access to Recreation and Active, Healthy Lifestyles Promote active lifestyles and community health by furthering access to trails, parks, beaches, and other recreation opportunities. • Walking, Biking, Public Transportation, and Connectivity Increase travel options through enhanced walking, bicycling, and public transportation systems. Enhance mobility through increased connectivity and intelligent transportation management. • Neighborhood Revitalization, Community Design, and Livability Revitalize neighborhoods and enhance citywide community design and livability. Promote a greater mix of uses citywide, more activities along the coastline, and link density to public transportation. Revitalize the Village as a community focal point and a unique and memorable center for visitors, and rejuvenate the historic Barrio neighborhood. The Community-Preferred Plan is a conceptual plan. The specific location of devices has not been determined and may shift based on topography, access locations, drainage, utilities, construction cost, and other considerations through the subsequent steps of environmental review and engineering design. For example, additional roundabouts not identified in the Community-Preferred Plan may be added at other locations if they are found to be the most effective alternative for reducing speeds and enhancing safety. Additional parking restrictions may be required to meet the stopping sight distance for safe operation of La Costa Avenue. 8/17/11 Page7 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Figure 1: Proposed Plan for La Costa Avenue, West End ........... ' 'r ff--ii • ~ ~--'!''f m • § ~r-• t • t t • t t ,fir -~ ....... iii. I ,~ ,, l,()0 -La f i~ =°.L.:.~• I ii Q J,-• • -• • --. • • t t 8/17/11 Page8 La Costa A venue Improvement Plan Figure 2: Existing and Photo Simulation of Proposed Roundabout at Nueva Castilla Way 8/17/11 Page9 La Costa A venue Improvement Plan Figure 3: Proposed Plan for La Costa Avenue, East End EXIS1WG t ' ' • 8/17/11 Page 10 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Figure 4: Existing and Photo Simulation of Proposed Bulb Out and Median at Cadencia Street 8/17/11 Page 11 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Funding and Phasing Options The Community-Preferred Plan represents an ultimate vision for La Costa Avenue. The estimated cost for the ultimate plan, including the construction of missing sidewalk segments, is approximately $3.5-4.5 million. The city has $1 million in the budget for new signals on La Costa Avenue that could be reallocated for improvements. Additional funding would need to be identified to complete the improvements and could be available through grants or other funding sources. Therefore, it is important to consider potential phasing opportunities that would allow cost effective implementation of the plan over time and as funding becomes available. The restriping of La Costa Avenue the entire length to accommodate wider medians and bike lanes would be the first action needed. All of the other improvements are based on the reconfiguration of the lanes to two through lanes, bike lanes and reconfigured medians. Subsequent construction could be implemented in a number of different ways to address funding constraints, traffic speed and safety. During the third community workshop, participants were asked to provide input on potential phasing options. These include, but are not limited to: • • Install medians west of Viejo Castilla Way • Install medians east of Viejo Castilla Way • Install roundabout at Nueva Castilla Way • Install roundabout at Romeria Street • Construct curb extensions/narrowing • Build missing sidewalks Comment forms available at the workshop and online asked respondents to indicate their preferred order of phasing for these elements. Averaging the responses received indicated preferences in the following order: 1. Install roundabout at Nueva Castilla Way 2. Install roundabout at Romeria Street 3. Construct curb extensions/narrowing 4. Install medians west of Viejo Castilla Way 5. Install medians east of Viejo Castilla Way 6. Build missing si_d~walks Although there may be specific considerations based on available funding, construction challenges, or opportunities to combine elements to reduce costs or impacts to the street, these community preferences should be considered in dev~loping a phasing plan for improvements. 8/17/11 Page 12 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Appendix 1 La Costa Avenue Study Community Survey Summary of Comments May 2011 1. Serious traffic problem at top of La Costa Ave at Rancho Santa Fe. Long, long lines to turn left onto RSF. cars waiting on La Costa do not want to let cars on Levante get into left-hand turn lane. Dangerous condition. Something needs to be done immediately. 2. Please do not create traffic jams by reducing the number of lanes on La Costa 3. Tear it up and start all over again. The raceway is now obsolete! until something is done the lawsuits will continue 4. Need Police just below Nuevo Castillo 5. Speed enforcement of 45 mph will do wonders. No raised medians. Do not spend money to change La Costa Ave. 6. This stretch of La Costa Ave is a big black hole for bicyclists. It is difficult to go eastbound w/o bike lanes or lower speeds. But La Costa Ave west of El Camino Real & El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe are major bike corridors. This link needs to be made bike friendly. 7. I am really concerned about the speed people drive on La Costa Blvd. I have a 11 and 3 yr old kids and I do not let them go outside at all unless we are driving. People drive extremely fast on this street. Something should be done as soon as possible. 8. Since I have lived here for the past 15 years, the traffic noise, especially from El Camino Real, had increased dramatically due to development. 9. Raised & landscaped medians combined with less lanes would help most. Sidewalks & crosswalks would help too. 10. Stop light at Nueva Castilla due to poor visibility when entering La Costa Av 11. People honk at me when I pull out of my driveway because they are going 60-80 mph when I pull out. Visitors don't even park on the street because it's impossible to get out of the car safely. 12. So let me see if I got this right. The vast majority of home owners on La Costa AV bought their homes knowing fully well that it is a major roadway with periods of heavy traffic. That it would require specific driving skills to enter/exit via a driveway but felt compelled to do so anyway now want the city to penalize the rest of the community to make up for their errors of judgment. Want to walk or ride a bike. Try Calle. 13. A traffic signals at the corner of La Costa Av and Nueva Castilla Wy is greatly needed. Turning left onto La Costa Av from Nueva Castilla Wy is very dangerous a majority of the time. A crosswalk and completion of the sidewalk at that intersection is needed as well. 14. Many drivers use La Costa Ave instead of Rancho Santa Fe Rd. It is quite busy around 4:00 -5:30. It backs up from Rancho Santa Fe Dr to Caloma Circle. 15. I am glad you're willing to look at this problem. 16. My kids walk to school when I see car speeding. Worry about my kids because they have to go around and pass La Costa Av. 17. Rancho Santa Fe gets to keep their street stop signs even though they were meant to have a freeway. Why do they get to "impede" traffic and we don't? Money? Power? Politics? From Cadencia to Romeria going west, cars fly by. 5 accidents in the last 2 years alone. 8/17/11 Page 13 ... La Costa A venue Improvement Plan 18. I have had problems getting out of my driveway turning right. At my house, there are blind spots and on street parking that make it very difficult to get out. The street parking should, at least, give 450' of clear distance with the current speed limit. 19. Speed on La Costa Ave similar to other roads. 55 mph between El Camino Real and 1-5 proper speed. 45 mph elsewhere good speed. 20. The speed indicators (signs) are great. They remlnd drivers how fast they are going. They should be a speed limit sign next to each though. 21. I like the new "slow down" sign. I do not like spending a lot of money on reworking the road. do not put bike lanes in 22. no roundabouts. Don't redirect traffic onto Levante due to "improvements" to La Costa. Traffic signals@ Levante & La Costa. don't reduce traffic lanes on La Costa. Consider a traffic police officer to monitor traffic. No "big box" store on empty lot near La Costa & RSF 23. Definitely need a light signal on La Costa and Esfera. Very dangerous to make a left turn. Also bushes make it hard to see if cars are coming when trying to make a left turn. Need more signals on La Costa. New speed devices are excellent. really has cars slowing. New condo development will definitely need to have signals put in and turn lanes. 24. Do not like the increased traffic because of Albertsons/strip stores. 25. Please do something for Cadencia-too many cars-speed over 60mph 26. La Costa Ave is now a main access street to San Marcos. restricting traffic or speed will only create more problems. La Costa needs to be 2 lanes in each direction or the traffic jams during rush hour will be unbearable. 27. Speed is too dangerous. 28. Make 4 lanes divided median similar to La Costa between 1-5 and El Camino Real. Do not decrease lanes or put in roundabouts 29. Do not allow bike lanes-bikers are a problem-don't stay in their lanes & they slow flow of traffic. 30. Reduce speed on La Costa Ave. Improve bicycle & pedestrian safety on La Costa 31. The exit of Nueva Castilla to La Costa is very dangerous. 32. Limit parking on street. Traffic that is backed up from Racho Santa Fe impedes pulling out/in Levante safely 33. Too Fast! People drive like it's a freeway & always tailgate when you go the speed limit. Traffic should not be re~routed to Levante. 34. Traffic noise on La Costa has been a growing problem. we had to move from our home. we found a place just a few blocks away 35. I would like to see roundabouts and more landscaping to reduce traffic speed and noise & make it more pedestrian friendly 36. Raised medians with landscaping similar to Aviara Pkwy near corner of El Camino Real would be aesthetically appealing as well as provide safety-for stretches of road that do not need a turn lane for entry to driveways. bike lanes are needed for both sides of road. sidewalks are also needed for both sides of road. 37. Whatever is done, make sure it does not increase traffic on Levante 38. No Roundabouts 39. need multilane left turn onto RSF at intersection especially rush hour 40. The speed slgns are a good start add more 41. I think the main concern will be to reduce speed as much as possible 42. The speed and noise are the only real down sides of La Costa Ave. 43. People need to slow down in residential areas 44. La Costa Ave needs traffic diet sooner than later 8/17/11 Page 14 ,,,,.... -- La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 45. Please Please enforce traffic law. I obey the speed limit and people ride my bumper, curb aggressive driving! 46. the most effective deterrent to speeding is the presence of Law enforcement 47. No need for traffic circles or center median. Reducing lanes is ridiculous waste of money 48. No problems the way it is! 49. The left tum signal at Vieja Castilla Way is a scary place to be. Where cars are speeding past you in both directions at 60 mph 50. Increased traffic enforcement for aggressive driving. I often feel hunted when driving this road if I go the speed limit cars race around to pass. 51. The visibility going into my neighborhood from Dehesa Road. The visibility going in and out! 52. Please do not change La Costa Avenue into one lane. Keep at least two lanes. 53. Speed limit is too fast for blind curves. Bikes cannot ride safety. Need revamping! 54. Please no roundabouts they are dangerous. Landscape not up to La Costa resort standards. Needs major improvement. Traffic signal needed at Nueva Castilla Way 55. Speeding cars are the biggest issue. Curves& fast cars great a hazardous environment 56. Garage sales on La Costa Ave weekly are a huge problem. Cars park in the street create a safety issue. These garage sales are like a weekly business 57. Raised 2 children on La Costa Ave and always fear accidents. Have had one already. Roundabouts, landscaping, 40 mph max, fewer and wider lanes would add to safety, street appeal, and homevalues 58. It is very unsafe to allow parking along La Costa Avenue 59. 1. Need to Slow the speeds 2. any changes made to LCA to slow traffic speeds will push traffic over to Levante, Anillo. This happened during the construction due to the hill failure. 60. Bike riding is dangerous. As an athletic person, but novice road bike rider I avoid La Costa Avenue completely. Far too dangerous, esp. eastbound. I would walk much more on LCA if sidewalks were more suitable. not too worried about speed but I've been around these roads since the 70's so I know where all the bumps, curves & cops are. 61. I could see where the east bound speed limit might stay the same-as there's no parking on the street, and maybe the west bound speed is lowered to 35mph 62. Roundabout 63. La Costa Ave has become a treacherous street for the residents who live there. Not only is it unsafe to exit your driveway, we have had someone run off the round and hit our house, as well as numerous cases where debris from car accidents has ended up in our yard. Roundabouts and a raised median would help, but traffic lights are needed as well. 64. The street is fine. The radar speed warning have reduced speed sufficiently. It is a waste of taxpayer money to try and manage the traffic or enhance the "beauty" of the avenue. 65. What would be most helpful for pedestrians is an *off street* path to the coast for bicycles, walking and jogging-preferably along the marsh. La Costa avenue is so busy it is really scary and not that enjoyable. 66. We don't believe decreasing the number of lanes on La Costa Ave is going to slow traffic. It will only make the traffic problems worse. We understand the concerns of homeowners along La Costa Ave, but that IS a major thoroughfare and not a small residential street. Homeowners need to understand that. We use La Costa Ave several times per day to take our kids to LCH Elem School and LCC H.S. A traffic signal at 8/17/11 Page 15 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Esfera & La Costa Ave would be most helpful in accessing La Costa from Esfera in the morning and late afternoons. Thank you! 67. l can understand that residents on this street might object to traffic. However, this is a major east-west thoroughfare and the City of Carlsbad must consider the needs of the motorist as well as those of the resident. The speed limit of 45 mph is reasonable for a curved and undulating roadway and if any improvement is needed, it is the addition of a second lane on the Eastern extremity of this road. 68. Very dangerous road. need more stop lights. 69. I sympathize with the residents on this road who I am sure want to see all traffic move much slower. However, I personally as a driver mostly using La Costa as an efficient throughway do not want to see traffic speeds significantly slowed or see changes to the road that would introduce bottlenecks or traffic delays. Having said that, as I mentioned above, speaking as a pedestrian rather than a driver, I do feel that additional controls on vehicles are necessary to improve the safety of pedestrians, particularly at the intersection of La Costa and El Camino. Thank you for soliciting our feedback! 70. I use La Costa Ave west end everyday and its fine, save your money and do nothing. For once do the right thing, the people love it rural, it fits our community. Don't let one accident or mishap change our streets. 71. Widen it! Do not, do not, do not make La Costa 2 lanes 72. Please do not narrow La Costa Avenue. That would be very counterproductive as the area grows. 73. leave it alone 74. the road is fine 75. no roundabouts 76. leave it like it is 77. leave La Costa alone 78. enforcement 79. enforcement 80. no roundabouts 81. do not reduce lanes 82. do not slow traffic down 83. Levante is my concern 84. leave it the way it is 85. enforce the speed limit 86. sidewalks 87. it's fine the way it is! 88. one lane each way is absurd 89. This is a non-issue 90. more enforcement 91. one lane each way is a bad idea 92. Bad idea to make this a one lane route 93. La Costa Ave does not need to be changed 94. No parking on La Costa Ave 95. 2 lanes each way 96. My ONE biggest gripe is the synchronization of the traffic signals at Town Ctr & El Camino Real, especially on the Westbound lanes. Several times I have personally needed to call Traffic to re-set the signals to allow synchronized passage west-bound thru the 2 signals. When these are NOT in sync, I need to ADD an extra TEN minutes to any La Costa Av. Westbound trip I make. 97. • Pot holes. I believe traffic speed should be reduced to 35 miles per hour 8/17/11 Page 16 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 98. I would never walk on La Costa Ave because it is too dangerous, loud, cars & trucks create too much fumes. Plus there are no sidewalks cars go too fast. 99. I actually LIKE the fact I live near an efficient roadway I would like to see more sidewalks 100. would like to see bike lanes 101. Please change the timing of the light by the Albertsons center. Left tum lights should be added on the north & south entrance to La Costa 102. If it aint broke, don't fix it. 103. Turning off La Costa to go home people are speeding behindme. I have my turn signal on & they don't slow up. I always think i'm going to get hit. 104. East of LCA before Romeria turn it back to 2 lanes right turn only. People merge left & the back right-it's not good now making a right turn from Cadencia to La Costa Ave is difficult- 105. There needs to be bicycle lane.s on both sides of La Costa Ave 106. bicyclists ride 2 or 3 abreast which puts them in the auto area-can something be done about this? 107. No roundabouts at any intersection 108. Reduce the speed limit to 35 Mph 109. Too many cars to fast! scary ride 110. I am concerned that any changes made to La Costa will increase the likelihood that Levante will become a bypass. I am more concerned about peds & bikes than I am about residents who purchased homes with access problems. I don't want public funds to fix a private problem 111. We really appreciate your attention to this very vital issue Thank You! 112. I don't have any problems except for street maintenance 113. Review street parking to insure least obstructed views for all traffic trying to merge on to La Costa-example: looking east when stopped at Gibraltar Street parked cars block view, which is short due to oncoming traffic coming over hill. 114. I would like to see evidence that traffic or street changes on La Costa Ave will not result in more traffic on Levante St which is already overwhelmed with overflow and speeding traffic 115. The stop signs they have along Levante has helped to slow traffic as well as all those stop signs in Del Mar 116. It is a Major street-do not make it smaller or slower! 117. Improved landscaping is desperately needed! Traffic safety for La Costa Ave residents! 118. While traffic on La Costa Ave is a concern I feel the city has much bigger problems it should be dealing with. 119. People in general drive very fast. I'm concern about people who are working and people that are on bikes 120. You insist that it must "function as a main east-west corridor'' and it is "designated as a "secondary arterial" this is nonsense. Think outside the bureaucratic box ... Undesignate it or propose to the appropriate gov't agency that it be redesignated. When your main premise is 'incorrect, nothing that follows will be correct. thank you for this opportunity to give input. 121. This request has been seriously started a long time ago and need to be done soon before more accidents or death or law suit 122. The street should not be modified. we need availability of current access to work, shopping & freeway. I would rather see more speed signs to keep speeders from exceeding the limit. Traffic will only increase. 123. radar/random speed enforcement 8/17/11 Page 17 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 124. Overall I am happy with La Costa Ave as it currently is. 125. The speed limit of 45 is appropriate but no one drives it! people easily drive 60 on that road. The new "slow Down" signs on north side of street are working well. add some to south side as well. 126. 1. Will there be a shopping plaza opposite CVS? if so-think about the traffic then 2. If going to 2 lanes-we need more lights to get out of side streets Nueva Castilla Way 127. Main Concerns 1, safe exit on to La Costa Ave from my house 2. Traffic Speeds 3. Traffic Noise 4. Traffic pollution 5. Lack of sidewalks 128. Red no Parking Zones block my vision coming out of driveway. cars park right behind it no parking at all east up the hill would be better 129. I like the one lane each direction. Idea but wonder if that won't cause more issues during peak houre (5-7pm east bound is bad) Please, No Roundabouts!! 130. Any change in La Costa Ave. must also insure that Levante does not become an alternative route. Levante already has a speed problem posing a added risk to the La Costa Heights elementary school ch1ldren who walk to and from their homes. many residents also jog along Levante& cross street. 131. Left turn lane onto Vieja Castilla dangerous. While waiting for green arrow, always concerned about being hit head-on by oncoming traffic. 132. No parking should be allowed on La Costa Ave. The condos have specific parking and owners should park in their designated areas. In turning out of our subdivision on Fairway Ln, it is dangerous to try to look around all the autos parked and get onto the street with the oncoming traffic going 45-50 miles per hour. 133. Please do not reduce the number of lanes. Too many cars in a single lane will put the cars closer together, which may actually increase the likelihood of accidents. 134. The mph/slow down signs seem to have had an impact. 135. Do not agree that number of lanes need to be reduced. Synchronized lights to posted speed limit. 136. Would want bike lane on both side of street and public transportation. 137. Do not choke the traffic by lane reduction. Traffic signals can be an effective flow control. 138. Reducing travel lanes to one in each direction is not wise. lt will create traffic jams, block emergency vehicles, and cause driver frustration and risky behavior. As traffic volume increases over time, more lanes will be required. 139. How in the city planning do central traffic on Levante St a residential street with 25 mph limit, which is more often then not ignored by drivers? If traffic is restricted on La Costa Ave the over flow will inevitebly come to Levante St since it is the closest thru streets between El Camino Real and RSF. 140. More radar cops to control speed, use money from speeders to keep La Costa safer and clean up landscape east of Et Camino Real. We need median just east of Bank of America. Cars are going to fast crossing into oncoming traffic and plowing into fence where people walk. Also hard to do speed limit going west, due to downhill grading. 141. From La Costa -making a left to Calle Madero is scary because I use the middle lane - but people coming from the opposite direction use the same place to make the left to Gibraltar. So many times I've almost got into an accident. It would be nice to have a bike lane 142. It's turned into a dangerous freeway. 8/17/11 Page 18 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 143. We would like to see the traffic speed on La Costa reduced significantly if possible. Thank you. 144. Make two lanes -center landscaping with roundabouts at every intersection. That way, there would be no cars idling (fumes) and motorcycles revving at stop lights and traffic would be slowed significantly. La Costa is a neighborhood street, not a freeway, it is currently being used as a freeway. Roundabouts would allow a continual flow of traffic at reduced speed, and would possibly encourage commuters to use other "arteries" to the freeway (from San Elijo, etc.) 145. Motorcyclists and cars seem to routinely race, screech tires, rev engines while driving/stopping on La Costa Ave. 146. La Costa is a major artery. Future development at RSF commercial will increase use. Only one lane on La Costa will result in more use of Levante -and a neighborhood safety concern for all children and families. 147. I would like to see palm tres planted in medians between El Camino Real and 1-5 148. It's manageable as it is, but please don't embark upon some multi-month, multi-million dollar improvement. It ain't broke, please DO NOT try and fix it. 149. La Costa Ave is dangerous for pedestrians and has become a major artery for San Marcos residents. Carlsbad's lack of planning and overgrowth has created problems that can never be mitigated. Good luck. 150. I take LC Ave from Nueva Cassilla Way to RSF. I don't see much of a problem in that stretch. 151. This road is a major artery. It should not be changed to 2 lanes. Not appropriate! 152. Carlsbad PDNolunteers might be a visible deterrent during peak travel times if possible. 153. Discontinue on street parking. Landscape medians. Do not use roundabouts or decrease number of lanes. 154. Cars come racing down hill toward El Camino Real. Very dangerous to pull out to street from apartments -especially when parked cars block view -noise very similar to the Daytona 500 -Thank you for your concern with this area. 155. We have witnessed (heard) way too many accidents at Calle Madero since moving here in 2004. Speeds are too fast and visibility from Calle Madero is impaired give traffic speed. Should not be a "secondary arterial" in the first place. That's what RSF is for! 156. Traffic light on Dehesa folks coming from the 78 on RSF then turn onto La Costa at a speed you wouldn't believe to the downhill slope. It's downright scary! Traffic light on Dehesa Court -often there are lines up to tum right to go to Encinitas. You are blocked by bumper to bumper traffic wanting to turn left of RSF. 157. Pulling out of La Costa vale neighborhood from Dadencia onto La Costa making a right towards RSF it is a blind corner and the speed of vehicles is too fast. Something needs to be done on that corner. 158. I've lived here for 46 years and have been driving for 30 years. I've seen this area grow but La Costa Ave has always been a main traffic street. I am guessing that most of these homeowners purchased their homes after 1972. With that said, they choose to live on La Costa Ave with the issues it has. I only know of one street that has had several accidents and that street should get a stop light. To avoid parked cars being hit all of La Costa Ave could be a no parking street or the speed limit could be lowered. 159. Visibility at Nuevo Castillo onto La Costa -growth of foliage on south west corner is dangerous. 160. La Costa should be 4 lanes from i-5 to RSF. Going down from 4 to 2 and back up makes no sense. Further projections should determine number of lanes to RSF. 161. The traffic lights that are in place adequately control the flow of traffic on La Costa Ave. 8/17/11 Page 19 C ~ .... ,/ La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 162. Make the road less friendly to motorists. Enforce speeds. Use cameras. Use roundabouts. Make heavy hauling trucks and also heavy equipment use Palomar Rd. It is very important to have rapid action on this project. 163. Please reconsider keeping La Costa Ave four lanes. My concern is emergency evacuation in the event of a harmony grove repeat. Delays in police, fire and paramedics. The letter does not address delays in emergency services. 164. Having a like scale from 0-3 is no efficient for this survey because it reduces variability and increases the chances of a ceiling or floor effect when reviewing the data -which can make interpreting the data difficult. 165. It is very unsafe to right exit Albertsons on the south side, hedge blocks the view to left side of car, hedge needs to be trimmed. 166. Lived on La Costa Ave since 1979. It was a mess then with all garbage trucks using it. That was resolved but with new construction it just gets worse! With the new project planned at La Costa and RSF its going to be a MESS! 167. Please address safety issues related to a left tum from Nueva Castillo to La Costa. Worried about increased traffic on out street (Levante) if changes are made to La Costa. 168. Having radar police is the best deterrent. I wouldn't oppose signals, but would oppose roundabouts or raised speed humps. 169. Enforce the speed limit. Do not reduce the number of lanes. This wil create more traffic conditions also the side walk is over grown. Unable to walk without entering the street. Bushes and weeds need to be cut back and fences need to be repaired. 170. The new signs, speed monitors, and prior existing signs are too much. Its rather irritating and gives a negative over bearing feel to my drive now. 171. The street is fine. Poor drivers and people racing or impaired cause the problems. Do not waste any money or time on their witch hunt. 172. 1. There should be attended school crossings at several points in La Costa druing school hours. 2. We have had two serious accidents in front of our home due to speed. In one a truck flipped over and totaled our sons car. 173. The lane reduction invites drivers to accelerate. 17 4. Would like to have a convex mirror at Levante and La Costa Ave so cars coming out of Levante can see traffic in both directions on La Costa. 175. In general La Costa Ave works in spite of curves in road. The signs, speed monitors appear to be working well. I've seen no accidents in 9 years. I'd limit future development on La Costa itself to minimize future use along the actual road. Have less density in projects along the active winding section of road. Thanks. 176. This would stop many issues with people pulling in and out of their houses. Only one direction of traffic. 177. Reduce speed and have police presence during busy hours. Do NOT reduce lanes as traffic will divert to Levante which has a grammar school. 178. La Costa Ave needs to have regular speed control, people drive 55 through residential area often. 179. A warning sign would be helpful approaching Nueva Castilla going east on La Costa. It is extremely hazardous when turning west on La Costa from Nueva Castella. I have lived here since 1979 and realize that more traffic is natural -however speeds on La Costa should be monitored with a flashing sign if possible. 180. My main concern is the appearance where the landslide was. The aesthetics have not been dealt with years later. 181. Pavement markings to make the street look narrower -widen bike lane. Cut hedges at every side street to enter and exit La Costa Ave. Bike lanes ought to be EXTRA wide. 8/17/11 Page 20 -....... ,- La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 182. 1. If the city is going to put more traffic lights on La Costa Ave, make sure they are sequenced to allow smooth traffic flow. 2. Making La Costa into 1 lane is a dumb idea. 183. This is whining people who made a mistake buying a house on a main artery screw up La Costa and people will use LeVante as an alternative causing even more problems and whiners. 184. Definitely need good bike lanes with visible signs especially going east-very dangerous. 185. I suggest leaving the existing median and 2 eastbound lanes. Reduce westbound to one lane so homeowners can have more room to back out of their garages. 186. Don't make changes if you slow it down traffic will back up and cars will be there all the time. 187. It needs to be 4 lane between El Camino Real and RSF. 188. Thank you for working to ensure safety and still preserve the "residential" feel of La Costa Ave. 189. Please build sidewalks all along both sides of La Costa Ave. 190. Question #1 -What is Meant by: Operation of on-street parking? Recommend the use of noise reduction pavement materials that were used in other Carlsbad areas. 191. It seems to me that the radius of the curvature of the road changes abruptly in some places. This causes some drivers to drift away from the center of the lane, possibly into . another lane. 192. Do not decrease the number of lanes on La Costa Ave. Traffic would be a nightmare. 193. We have never experienced a problem. We believe that reducing lanes is a horrible idea! This is NOT how we should be using out limited dollars. Instead enforce speed limits. Thank you for including the community in your planning. 194. Not really sure how to deal with speed on LCA ... Im even guilty sometimes. More CPD presence would help(sometimes) maybe speed trailer. But there definitely needs to be bike lanes on entire upper section(east of ECR) 195. Carlsbad police with radar guns to control speeding. A bad plan to reduce La Costa Ave to 2 lanes. Concern about getting into and out of my driveway. Need center medium to make left tum into many driveways. 196. Change speed limit, control u-tums, raise medians so residents cant turn east from driveways. Flashing speed signs great idea. 197. Need other street connections between El Camic & RSF that are easily accessible. 198. If houses had to be built on La Costa Ave circular driveways should have been mandated to drivers would not have to back out into traffic. 199. Why change to 2 lanes when proper traffic officers and fines would eliminate those that speed. 200. I only use La Costa Ave from Albertsons shopping center. It is impossible to make a right on a red -no visibility and cars speeding down hill. 201. The biggest contributor of the noise is the 45 mph speed limit. It would be great if the speed limit was reduced as some, if not many, of the houses on La Costa Ave are very close to the street. 202. Roads were made for cars, bicycle lanes were made for bicycles, sidewalks were designed for people. Two lane roads are for cars -not one lane for bicycles and runners. 203. Install stop signs to slow traffic at RSF thru Olivenhain except longer intervals between stop signs. 204. Over 20 years and speed is not kept in control. 8/17/11 Page 21 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213. 214. 215. 216. 217. 218. 219. 220. 221. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226. 227. 228. 8/17/11 C La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Reduce to one lane in each direction. This is already the case with a good portion on La Costa and implementing if for the rest of the portion between El Camio and RSF would allow us to safely get out of our driveways and merge into the lane. I am concerned that the planned changes will cause people to drive through the surface streets in our neighborhood in order to avoid La Costa Ave. We already have people speeding down Segovia Way to avoid traffic on RSF. If you make changes to slow traffic on La Costa you need to address traffic on Levante too. Our neighborhood is already being used by people cutting through from El Camino Real to RSF to avoid traffic on La Costa Ave. They speed through our neighborhood at excessive levels and blow thru the stop signs. Maybe you could install speed bumps on Levante while you are upgrading La Costa. Install landscape center medians and sidewalks. Please do NOT reduce lanes to 2. It would cause more traffic problems. La Costa Ave needs guard rails on all curves and enforcement of speed limit or lowering of that limit. Possibly high mph speed bumps might help. Thanks for light and green turn arrow at Uregu Castillo. So exciting to see what comes of this! Thank you for asking for public opinion. Reduce speed. 1. Enhance character and aesthetics of street by providing or requiring all mailboxes be uniform and of attractive design. Current hodge-podge of boxes is a detractor and negative impact on street. 2. Maintain 2 lanes both ways. Do NOT cut the number of lanes!! Sides secondary street signings are not visible. The drivers slow down on La Costa to find the address. Traffic speed and noises are most concerned Create better community street character and traffic will slow down. Place no roundabouts The speed at which cars drive from RSF towards ECR is typically above the speed limit. My main concern is the high speed and the many blind intersections. People speed horribly and there are too many cars using La Costa. It's awful and unsafe. Traffic speed isn't the problem. Don't make it out to be one. Proper controls make life easier for those of us who live here. We need turnabouts, traffic lights, anything to slow down traffic. I have seen to many accidents on a street with driveway access. I live 2 blocks off La Costa and still hear motorcycles and cars racing into early morning. I drive out of my way to access la Costa at a light because there are to many t-bones by my closest access to La Costa. Never thought it to be much of a problem in the 1st place. There have been many accidents on La Costa Ave and Nueva Castilla. People go to fast! Same is true on Levante. Most don't even stop at the stop signs! People drive in fast lane going east because drainage dips in road, cars bottom out. Traffic use on Levante St is increasing due to high volume on La Costa Ave which makes it hard to back out of driveways. We drive this street daily and walk it several times a week. We must make a left turn on Esfera to reach our house. We have no problems with current conditions. Do not add lights! Do not reduce lanes! Changes would make driving La Costa more difficult and frustrating. Roundabouts would be horrid. I hate them in Encinitas. Dant listen to a vocal few. Remember that traffic will increase if the shopping plaza opens -dont even think about reducing lanes. Reduce speed limits, add more traffic lights, particularly at "T" intersection. Page 22 .............. _ l '• -~ La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 229. I walk my children to school and have to cross La Costa -it is very scary with the speed of the traffic. A crosswalk at Esfera & La Costa would help I feel to slow traffic down. Also at the comer the trees are so thick you can't see oncoming traffic unless you stick far out in the street. 230. We would be opposed to traffic circles as drivers misuse them and they impede traffic flow. We are open to a change in speed limit or other small changes to make driving on La Costa Ave. 231. The "your speed is XXX" is good warning to slow down. Need right turn only lane for east bound La Costa at RSF. Perhaps widen or 2 left tum lanes onto RSF. 232. Leave the street as it is. Do not pander to a small group of citizens who would be happy to stop all automobile traffic. 233. No street parking. 234. The speed of vehicles rounding the blind curve between RSF and Dehesa Ct is excessive but speed limits are not enforced on the curve. We never see policemen controlling speed in this location. 235. Street signs are placed too far back on corners -not visible until after drivers pass street result is a lot of turning around and 'u' turns at corners and intersections -dangerous - caused many accidents. Drivers are inattentive -always doing something -cell phone, texting, reading, looking at other passengers and talking while driving -reaching for something on back seat. 236. We love our home, but our constantly concerned about our safety from the speeding vehicles. We believe that roundabouts and more stop lights as they have on Leucadia Blvd would help immensely. It is only a matter of time before a horrendous accident is going to occur. 237. Resurfacing needed. 238. Signs/Lights have not changed speeder habits. There needs to be "actual" slow down barriers to inhibit speeds. It it not safe to cross La Costa Ave even at the lights. People do not heed pedestrians or bikes. 239. It could be made safer. 45 seems fast. Don't turn in into a street with a light every block so it takes 15 min to get to the freeway or beach. 240. If La Costa Ave becomes less of a thru streets will Levante take its place? I hope not. 241. La Costa Ave is UNSAFE for bicycles. Should promote Levante as a more suitable bike route. 242. The intersection of La Costa and Cadencia is extremely dangerous. Right turning traffic from Cadencia onto La Costa (east bound) should not be permitted on red. 243. Please, NO ROUNDABOUTS!!! The concept works for some areas, but not for La Costa Ave. 244. Please do something about the motorcycles "bikes" that race up La Costa Ave. I will not believe they are street legal. Sometimes 5 to 1 O go up the street at one time, the noise is deafening. 245. Nuevo Castillo entry onto La Costa is very dangerous. 246. Perfect the way it is. 247. Way too much traffic and too fast. Especially in few blocks near Nuevo Castillo intersection. Lots of speeding there. 248. I drive safely and follow the speed limit. It's a main road and I don't see any problems. I've lived here in the same house for 35 years. The people that bought a house RIGHT on La Costa Ave are on a main street and that's too bad for them. They bought knowing they were on a main street. They have to be careful when they back out of their driveways. What do you expect-lower the speed limit to 25-that's not realistic. I don't think there are any problems with La Costa Ave. It's a main thoroughfare just like Melrose Ave. or Alga Rd. 8/17 /11 Page 23 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 249. The issue of blocked visibility on the south west comer of Nueva Castilla/La Costa Ave. intersection is ongoing and dangerous. 250. -4 lanes must be maintained -Control speed with stop signs/lights -No bicycle traffic -road too narrow -cyclists can use Calle Barcalona -Roundabouts are a WASTE of money! -Forget Landscaping! -Remember -No amount of money or legislation can correct stupidity! 251. Suggest a no-right turn on red lights. La Costa Ave@ Saxony Rd. 252. Do not add raised medians if there are speed bumps or turnarounds or roundabouts. 253. No roundabouts or street lights. Carlsbad lights are poorly managed. Roundabouts are still known to cause accidents and many do not know how to drive them. 254. I feel that changing La Costa to 1 lane will impact traffic in a negative way. If people drive the speed limit of 45 it should solve your problem. 255. La Costa Ave. and Tamarack Ave. are very dangerous. Build roundabouts!!! 256. Sidewalks are a major concern for my family. We would really like to use the sidewalk to jog or walk between El Camino Real and Vieja Castilla, but do not feel safe doing so. Much of the northern sidewalk along La Costa is obstructed by mailboxes, plants, or other overgrown vegetation, and are impossible with a baby stroller. The only option is to veer into the bike lane if it isn't blocked by parked cars. If it is, you must approach the vehicle lanes to pass by. A partial solution would include more landscape maintenance of overgrown vegetation, and also legislation to prohibit mailboxes or other obstruction of the side walk by residents property. 257. Making a right turn onto La Costa from Gibraltar Street is dangerous when the stop light at Romeria is green. The speed or many cars is extreme -heading up hill to the west. I suggested to the police that the motorcycle cops hang out at the top of the hill, just east of Gibraltar, but the officer I spoke with got angry for my suggestion making a left turn onto Gibraltar St is also dangerous because of the high speed cars com up the hill heading west. Often my household members will head over to Romeria to turn right on La Costa because we have a better view of the cars speeding, than if we tum right onto La Costa from Gibraltar St. There are quite a few seniors in the Gibraltar St/Jerez neighborhood. My household likes the idea of only one lane in each direction for La Costa. When I drive the speed limit on La Costa, I often get tail gated, honked at, an extended finger, etc. I think another stop light is needed to slow traffic. One of the two streets on the south side of La Costa just west of Gibraltar. All of the stop lights on La Costa should turn red more often, stopping La Costa Ave traffic, not just when there is cross traffic from the side streets (Romeria, Vieja, Castilla). 258. We don't need any more useless signals. We need to GET PLACES! and that road is a main artery! Time the lights we have now better! We are always sitting at lights you need to change the lights to exact opposite of what they are now! We all go down the road after waiting for 5 min. At a light, they HIT A YELLOW/RED LIGHT! DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE! We need to get places and your allowing the side road people priority is ridiculous. 259. My primary safety concerns are cars turning onto La Costa in an unsafe manner and encroachment onto the road by carless bicyclist. 260. Suggest the city consider a demonstration project to reduce traffic lanes to 2 or 3 place a 'K' rail barrier between d/w access and through traffic if it workds consturct permanent improvements driveways. 261. I am concerned if the street is narrowed to a 2 lane road it will create even more traffic since it's the main way to get to 1-5 8/17/11 Page 24 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Reducing speeds using roundabouts at intersections and creating a center median will allow people to merge onto the road, reduce speeds, and limit left hand turns into traffic. 262. The road diet plan is a very poor solution to the drive and safety issues on La Costa. Reducing four lanes to two is like trying to step back in time before all the housing and commercial developments. With the additional future housing and commercial developments it will make local residents drive time horrible. No parking and no left turns will be inconvenient for home owners on the east side of La Costa, however they will be safer. It will be difficult to have a traffic plan that will satisfy all residents. So some difficulty for the hundred or so residents on the east side of La Costa is reasonable compared to the extended drive time for the thousands of residents that use La Costa as their main thoroughfare. 263. Please do not put up with stopsign/ stop lights etc. that will impede the commuters using this main east •west road to get to the freeway. Anyone who was dumb enough to buy a house on La Costa Ave deserved to have difficulty to deal with the noise. Why should 98% of people using this road be concerned because of a few dumb people who now regret they bought there? 264. Roundabouts are not appropriate! Sidewalks are needed Stop lights could ease up the problem of residents merging into traffice We need that road "Wide & Flowing" for the amount of traffic it services Medians would push traffic closer to the driveways of residents. 265. NO MORE TRAFFICE LIGHTS 266. We live on Levante St, which parallels La Costa Ave. If many changes are made to La Costa Ave, we are concerned that drivers will choose Levante as an alternate, which could create other problems. La Costa Ave. is too unsafe for bicycles. It shouldn't have bike lanes & should have signs directing bikes to take the safer Levante Street. Consider installing a low dividing wall on center divider at dangerous curve locations, similar to what exists on Torrey Pines Road grade in San Diego. 267. The staya both going into Albertson needs tum signal on N•S sides. The speed on Vieja Castilo is bad-up & down. They just zoom. 268. NO ROUNDABOUTS! 269. Close La Costa Ave at Rancho Santa Fe as it originally was. Provide access to emergency vehicles only. 270. I have been a resident just off of Gibralter and La Costa for many years, and use the road to get everywhere since there is no other road out. The construction of San Elijo Hills added a huge amount of traffic, which the City is responsible for allowing. The traffic implications should have been taken into consideration before that construction was started. I heard one plan was to reduce the number of lanes down to one each way on La Costa. This would be unacceptable as it would mean huge traffic delays especially during rush hour. Roundabouts are a good idea that seem to work well in England. 271. It is outrageous to tum La Costa Ave. into one lane each way. There are many sensible ways to control the traffic. Please don't make this thoroughfare smaller which will cause gridlock. 272. No roundabouts! 273. Am a cyclist who lives directly off La Costa Ave. I occasionally ride westbound, but am even nervous about this as I sometimes need to come out into lanes of traffic to avoid parked cars. I NEVER would consider riding on the east side of the road and am worried when I see cyclists doing so -no bike lanes, high rates of car speed, and blind curves. It is only a matter of time before someone is killed. 8/17 /l 1 Page 25 ~ ,_,,.,,, La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 274. Simply reducing the speed to 35 would have significant impact at minimal expense. People are afraid of getting tickets on La Costa already and reducing the speed limit would have a net effect of significantly decreased speeds and improved safety. La Costa is not a bottleneck and reducing the speed will not change this however reducing lanes might without the desired results. Please do not create a bottleneck on La Costa with your good intentions. At the end of La Costa though, changing the lanes on East bound La Costa at the Rancho Santa Fe intersection to two left turn lanes and a single straight lane or one left, one left & straight lane and a single straight lane would also solve the bottleneck issue atthis intersection although the second option would require a change to the light timing if there is any. Reducing the speed on La Costa would have no impact on this daily bottleneck and resulting safety issue. In the end, please employ KISS and simply reduce the speed limit before spending taxpayer money. 275. A sign that says 'entering residential area' doesn't tell me anything more then seeing houses along the street. Eliminate all parking near driveways, that will help a lot. 276. La Costa Avenue is too big and busy a street for myself and many of our neighbors to feel safe enough to let our school age children walk to and from school across La Costa Ave. 277. We travel La Costa Avenue daily and feel reducing the speed limit in the residential areas would be the best solution. If La Costa Avenue is narrowed to one lane each direction, there would be major traffic jams daily. In addition, residents attempting to enter the stream of traffic would have to wait an inordinate length of time. 278. It is a high volume road and will need to remain especially when La Costa and Rancho Santa Fe gets built. My family of six have lived on Cadencia St for 31 yrs and never had a problem. It was clear 31 yrs ago it was a main road. Circles and stop signs or speed bumps will only create flow problems for the entire area. If people wanted to live on a 30 MPH road, they should have moved on one. 279. Lighted crosswalk similar to those on Carlsbad Blvd. N. of Tamarack beach (intersections where traffic lights are at present). 280. We feel that La Costa Ave. works well as it is. The street is only unsafe if a driver violates the speed limit. A police presence and huge fines are appropriate as well as better attorneys to defend our city against law breakers who are negligent and sue. 281. I am an avid runner and cyclist, and cannot bike on La Costa because there are no lanes for a large portion of the street, and everyone speeds on it! I am thankful the City of Carlsbad is looking at this problem now. Thank you. 282. Cycling near El Camino Real/ La Costa Blvd /especially along the Coast Hwy can be very dangerous cars are too fast and signage needs to be posted warning of cyclists and pedestrians. 283. The operational speed of La Costa Avenue is 10•15 mph higher than appropriate for the adjacent land use, which is solely residential between the Chabad House and Rancho Santa Fe Road. The ratio of drivers using La Costa Avenue to access Rancho Santa Fe Road to those living in residences along La Costa Avenue is too high. Measures discouraging through traffic should be implemented. 284. improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians -can use landscaping features, bike lanes, sidewalks 285. Lowering the speed limit to 35 or 40 may help because most people go between 50-55 mph. 286. I work in Carlsbad and bicycle frequently in the area 8/17/11 Page 26 ........... ' ' ,/ La Costa A venue Improvement Plan 287. the bike lane up the last part of the hill is great, but there are sections with no bike lane and it's a blind or semi blind corner for drivers. I bike and drive it several times a week. 288. Make the street more bike friendly for safety. 289. thanks for trying to make it better. 290. Currently we can only safely turn right out of our driveway. As drivers, we need somewhere to safely u-turn (at Vieja Castilla). As pedestrians, we would like to be able to cross at Calle Madero so we can walk to the elementary school. It's a lower priority for us, but currently there are locations on the existing sidewalk where it is not possible to fit a stroller through -the lampposts and mailboxes impede on the walking space. Strollers have to pass on the road and if there is a car parked in that location, strollers have to pass in the line of traffic. Mailboxes often impede the path and so runners are often in the parking lanes. It is very dangerous. 291. La Costa Avenue between El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe needs speed restrictions and better bicycle lanes. 292. We live in a high use bicycle area. Tourists, residents, and folks enjoying the north coastal region need safe bike lanes. Thanks. 293. I do not want to see the number of lanes reduced on La Costa Avenue. This would be a step backward! This road has been a busy and ugly road since I moved here almost 25 years ago. Many Carlsbad residents rely on this road for quick access to 1-5 and El Camino Real. Reducing the speed, adding traffic signals, and reducing lanes will only make travel more difficult. When the commercial area is built up, more cars will use this road to get to the new shopping centers and there will be greater congestion. While it is probably true that it is difficult for residents to leave their driveways quickly, if they wait for the lights to change and use care, I believe that they can leave safely. I would like to see this road made more attractive with plants and trees and a true bike lane. 294. With the weather we enjoy in So Cal, there really should be more bike lanes for folks to use for both commuting and for recreation! 295. I have major trouble getting from Levante, turning right on La Costa and left on RSF. There is always a line up to turn left and no way to get across traffic to get over in that lane from Levante. Maybe 2 left turn lanes would help. Also, bike lanes going east would be a huge asset. Thanks. 296. Please distinguish between La Costa avenue East of Rancho Santa Fe Road and the rest of La Costa Avenue. The eastern portion is a route children use to get to schools, including La Costa Canyon and Mission Estancia. Also--I have heard that the city is planning to decrease the number of lanes on La Costa Avenue. I am strongly opposed to that solution, as traffic is only likely to increase as the La Costa Town Center (planned for corner of RSF Road) progresses. 297. Bike lanes are needed ... .lots of cyclists use this road and cars travel very fast in both directions. 298. Signs reminding drivers to share the road w/cyclists, reminding them that cyclists have the right to ride along LC Ave safely. Also, some kind of signage indicating to yield to cyclists when turning onto 5-N heading westbound on La Costa would help--very dangerous there 299. This is one of a few east-west corridors and I do not feel safe on my bicycle. I currently have to go quite a distance out of my way if on my bike. 300. Make one side for Bike/walk path for both east and west bike and walk traffic similar to the north side of san elijo rd from Schoolhouse way to Questhaven. 301. A bike lane like they used to have years ago would be great. Riding up that hill is very unsafe due to widening of the lanes for cars 302. Road conditions of La Costa east of El Camino are somewhat dangerous for cyclists. 8/17/11 Page 27 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 303. Continuing the way La Costa Avenue was fixed between El Camino Real and the coast would be a great thing. Another excellent plan to copy is the La Costa Valley one. We really don't need to reinvent the wheel -just do what we know works well and looks great. 304. Let's make our roads safer for people who are being green and keeping healthy as well. 305. I've ridden my bike on La Costa Ave for over 30 years now. Those blind curves, narrow bike lanes and high traffic speeds coupled w/drivers disdain for the rights of cyclists make it a very dangerous place to ride. I avoid it whenever possible. 306. I ride my bike along La Costa and enjoy the hills and rolling terrain but am concerned with traffic, high speeds by vehicles and lack of respect towards cyclists (i.e., driving in the bike lanes, turning right quickly cutting off bikes, honking and yelling of obscenities, etc). I give a wide berth to vehicles and observe traffic laws by not running red lights, riding no greater than two-wide, and stopping at stop signs, as this leads to ill-will towards other cyclists that motorists will see after me. 307. Going East on La Costa is very unsafe for cyclist 308. WE NEED BIKE LANES!!!! 309. Many elderly people drive this area. Also, people speed and use cell phones while driving. Special attention needs to be paid to the intersection near the freeway entrances so bicyclists can merge & pass with safety. Place red plastic cones, painted lines need improving, and add a few blinking lights. Add yield to bicyclists too. 310. As a cyclist I'm very concerned for my safety and others. 311. Enlarged bike lane required 312. Thank you so much for allowing us to voice our opinions. 313. Bike lanes we needed it ASAP 314. I came to visit friends who live on La Costa Ave. My Gosh,,, I thought I was back in Texas at the Texas Speedway .. A very dangerous street with no apparent regard from other drivers for safety for themselves or others, I mean walkers, Bikers, or just getting out of drive ways onto this SPEEDWAY. Normally I would not take the time to fill out any surveys,, but when my friends ask for my input as an out of towner,,,, You Bet, here it is. Also NO BIKE LANES OR WALKER LANES,,, WHO DESIGNED THIS STREET??? YIKES Speed bumps are aggravating as all heck,,, but they do slow people down ,, even in Calf. Especially on this racetrack ... 315. A continuous dedicated bicycle lane is needed. Currently on street parking encroaches and in sections eliminates safe bicycle passage. 316. This is very dangerous road for east and westbound cycles as well as pedestrians on south side or trying to cross. Visibility over hills is poor and autos go very fast through this section. 317. Bicycle lanes are too dangerous, I will not use them. If bicycles could be routed to Levante or other parallel street, then the existing bike lanes could be used for traffic instead 318. The segment from Rancho Santa Fe Rd west to Romeria with 3 lanes seems to work well. It provides bike lanes in both directions, safe parking in front of housing and doesn't constrict traffic flow. Bike lanes are critically important. During the construction of the retaining wall in the 2300 block, the reduction to 3 lanes did not seem to interrupt the traffic flow. Raised landscape medians would be beautiful, but I would start with the 3 lanes leaving the turn lane and see if that would work before spending the money on the medians and increasing the maintenance. 319. l feel closing down lanes on La Costa is only a short term fix and will simply move traffic to other streets such as Levante which is currently 25. 8/17/11 Page 28 - La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 320. I live off of La Costa Ave. Yes the traffic has increased, but blame the City for allowing more homes to be built off of Rancho Santa Fe Ave. thereby increasing traffic. 321. ANY construction on La Costa will impact Levante. As our property overlooks La Costa, we are very concerned that options such as widening La Costa will impact our property values and resale potential. I understand that those whose driveways enter directly on La Costa have significant problems, but those homes are relatively few. Perhaps speed controls might be a better option. 322. My greatest concern is bicyclists using La Costa eastbound from El Camino Real where there are no bike lanes and the road is very curvy. it is a suicide wish certain days/times of the week. 323. Would like to see one lane each direction, slower speeds, easier entry/exit from/to side streets, wide/safe bike lanes, and safe sidewalks/pedestrian accommodations; maybe even traffic circles. These changes may push through traffic to Calle Barcelona; so plan should take into consideration that roadway as well. Would like to see above changes to both La Costa and Calle Barcelona. There's no need for these 4-lane, high-speed expressways through our neighborhoods. 324. Need to lower speed limits, make the road have two lanes on both sides all the way between El Camino real and Rancho Santa Fe. 325. Need to provide sidewalks on BOTH sides of the street!! 326. Just once I would like to see the City of Carlsbad do something (anything!) to speed up, rather than slow down, traffic. There is absolutely no imagination within the city when it comes to solutions to move traffic. Since I moved to Carlsbad in 1992 I have seen one major street after another (Palomar Airport Road, La Costa Ave, Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad Village Drive, El Camino Real, Rancho Santa Fe Road, etc.) ruined by traffic signals and stop signs. The city cares nothing about the costs associated with slowing down the primary flow of traffic, including the cost of my time, the additional pollution, the wear and tear on my vehicle, and especially the wasted gasoline. Just once I'd like to see some creativity: one way streets, reversible lanes, round-a-bouts, left-turns yield on green, left turns banned during certain hours of the day, etc. Instead, all we get are 'solutions' that serve no purpose other than to enable left-hand turns. Enough! 327. There is insufficient road going North/South. Encinitas fixed a problem by erecting 7 stop signs on RSF road. This throws more traffic on La Costa Blvd. We need more police supervision as there are a lot of wild and speeding drivers 328. I think the city should look at a landscaped sidewalk buffer similar to Leucadia Blvd. It has been shown that a buffer makes the streets safer and more pleasant for pedestrian use, and narrow streets cause drivers to slow down and be more careful. This in addition to replacing traffic signals with roundabouts would improve the flow of traffic while keeping speeds lower, just as with the Leucadia streetscape project. I should mention that this situation is really the result of poor planning. Wide, long, winding roads flanked by low density residential and distant commercial centers is an inefficient use of land (in the form of roads and parking), building materials and utilities, and it encourages high speeds and wasting fuel. The city should be more focused on building livable communities with smaller lots, mixed-use, greenways, building up instead of out, where walking, biking and public transit are encouraged and competitive with the private vehicle industry that drives (pun intended) current planning policies. These measures will help save money, reduce gas and water use, pollution levels, waistlines and traffic, thus making the city much more attractive as well as prepared for economic and environmental conditions. 329. I do not want to see the lanes reduced on La Costa Avenue. This would be a disaster when the new shopping center goes in at Rancho Santa Fe Road, and it would not help residents who need to tum from their driveways onto the street. It would, in fact, make 8/17/11 Page 29 330. 331. 332. 333. 334. 335. 336. 337. 338. 339. 340. 341. 342. 343. 344. 345. 346. 347. 348. 349. 350. 351. 352. 353. 8/17/11 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan that situation worse because one long line of traffic would lengthen the wait for traffic to clear so that a vehicle could enter the roadway from a driveway. I know that the city plans to install traffic signals at every intersection between Rancho Santa Fe and El Camino Real, and I emphatically do not want to see this happen. Please consider the use of landscaped roundabouts instead. These are efficient at slowing traffic and impede progress less than traffic signals do, plus they would help to beautify the roadway. Thank you. The speed of 45mph is TOO fast for a residential streeU Lowering it to 35mph would be 100 percent better! I drive La Costa at least twice daily and see no problem with it the way it is. Safety concerns on La Costa will be even greater than they are now after the huge commercial developments at La Costa and Rancho Santa Fe are completed. I checked "physical changes". I'm looking for a 4 lane road with 2 lanes each direction. One way to reduce traffic on La Costa is to connect and open Poinsetta Ln. I live in San Elijo/San Marcos and even 11 have to travel 1-5 North I will use La Costa because it is quicker to the 5 than Alga or Palomar Airport. In fact, I think MapQuest and the others show La Coast as a much quicker route to the freeway than the others. Turning onto La Costa Ave from Alga (from East going South) is very difficult due to the way the media rises up and the second lane turns. The on-street parking should be eliminated because the cars block visibility and can be a hazard when pulling in/out and especially to cyclists. A center median that prevents cars from crossing in front of on-coming traffic to enter/exit driveways would improve safety and aesthetics. I'm concerned that reducing the number of lanes to a single lane each direction the length of La Costa Ave would increase congestion and shift traffic to other streets, therefore, I don't favor reducing the number of through lanes. Roundabouts might be preferable to stop signs or other control measures. Although this may get me, police officers "hide" in the same spots. Everyone knows where they sit, so they only slow down when approaching those spots. Works fine. Don't waste money making changes that aren't needed. No more traffic lights please! Save the money! there are much bigger concerns No Roundabouts Home driveway on La Costa Ave maintenance, holes, dips, cracks ,bad dips at drains new signs which flash speed are good Do Not go to a single lane! repair the pot holes on navarra Fine as is The main reason I am expressing my concern is the development of the proposed center at La Costa & Rancho Sante Fe. There are SERIOUS traffic issues NOW that will only be magnified with increased development of this area. La Costa is fine as is Opposed to median or any landscape to push traffic closer to driveways. I don not live on this street but use it as main east west access often and an very concerned about driveway to street interface. I am sure the many residents can supply viable and imaginative solutions The narrow two lanes between Cadencia and Rancho Santa Fe forces people to use Cadencia as a major street to connect to Rancho Santa Fe and La Costa Ave. STOP this action. You have listened to a vocal minority and failed to consult with other area residents. It is flat wrong to intentionally mess up traffic flow on one of the cities Page30 -- La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan few thoroughfares that works well. YOU MUST CONSULT LOCAL RESIDENTS BEFORE DOING ANYTHING THIS STUPID, 354. This street needs to be widened to accommodate all the traffic coming off the 1-5 355. Leave as is! 356. While these are not my concerns, I am sensitive to the concerns of people who live on La Costa Ave 357. I have been living here 25 years and the noise just seems to be getting louder. At night you here speeding cars and motorcycles speeding. 358. Roundabouts would only lead to more problems. are you crazy!! 359. i would consider slowing traffic down with roundabouts-not take any lanes out. speed traps that pay for police time. lowering speed limit to 40 MPH 360. Speed limits are way too high. as you cross Rancho Santa Fe heading east on La Costa Ave, the speed limit is 45. you approach apartments and the lane narrows to 1 lane, with on street parking. this is much to fast. also it's almost impossible to tum right onto La Costa Ave. from Levante to then go left on Rancho Sante Fe in the mornings and afternoons. the traffic is a nightmare on this road 361. Speeds are too high for residential area. roundabouts would be a good idea. more space needed for walking/jogging/biking 25 MPH speed limit. like Willowsprins in Encinitas 362. Raised medians are some times more a hazard. when marbella was being done the 25 mph speed was in effect. I had to ride my brakes to maintain a 25 mph speed. I have traveled the corridor for 10 yrs at various times and have never seen a serious accident of any kind. not even a minor one. 363. One Lane each direction would slow traffic down. each one way lane should be wider than the current lane is. allow for more on street parking for residents & keep wide entrance/ exit area clear for visibility or merging into traffic lane. 364. 2 main problems: right of way with Nueva Castilla and Left turn(lights) onto rancho Santa Fe Rd insufficient for traffic 365. The Construction that sometime close one lane with the cone suddenly merge two lanes can be dangerous and almost cause accident 366. Ticketing too-fast drivers would slow people down. have police out-visible especially at peak traffic times don't narrow the road! 367. As president of La Costa da marbella HOA-I have concerns about the future of La Costa Ave. I believe that the road should be one lane either way with center medians and turn and safety lane. In addition we need sidewalks on both sides of the road along with bicycles lane. finally, roundabouts as the best way to control cross traffic on crossroads. 368. We appreciate this questionnaire 369. Since the addition of the traffic light at Albertsons center more and more people are using Levante street as the connecting route and always exceeding the speed limit. please realize the impact that the changes will have on Levante. 370. 1. reduce speed to 25 MPH 2. Make it ''Two Lane" road not four. 3. change the designation to residential 4. provide parking & bike lane & landscaping on the residential site. 5. plant large trees in the middle of the road 6. provide street signals & roundabouts 7 .roundabouts 1st then street signals 8. enforce the law from 6am-8am & 3pm-9pm 9. monitor midnight traffic 371. another concern I have is the use of Cadenica St. as a cut thru from La Costa to Romeria. Our street has become far too busy & drivers are driving very fast on the street. Heaviest use is by La Costa Heights school parents around 8am & again around 2:30pm. Can we get speed humps? or close Cadencia off from La Costa Ave? 8/17/11 Page 31 C La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 372. Downtown workers (who pay taxes) need access to home in San Marcos. No changes necessary 373. I believe the concerns can be solved with decreased speed limits and additional lighting and signs. To go into the dark ages and revert back to a 2 lane highway makes no sense. That option will create bottlenecked traffic and toxic fumes as a result of standing traffic. From a tax payer's perspective; I am curious as to why this wasn't addressed before unnecessary construction, and more condos were added to La Costa Ave.? The last thing this community needs is to spend more money on unnecessary and inefficient changes. I appreciate the opportunity to give feedback; please consider simple options, when properly implemented they will be more effective. 37 4. Currently La Costa Avenue is similar to a wide open racetrack when compared to a neighboring street like Aviara Parkway that has landscaping, medians, and signage. And when you consider that La Costa Avenue has numerous homes with driveways right on the street (and Aviara Parkway doesn't) it seems as if the wrong street was given all the attention. 375. I strongly feel the plan of round-a-bouts and reducing the traffic lanes to one (each way) would improve the road noise and safety for each home directly on La Costa. Will for sure help home values once traffic is reduced and brought to an appropriate housing community level. 376. I have lived on La Costa Ave for 5 years. It have seen the traffic flow, and speed increase. Safety for pedestrians and pulling out of my driveway has become decreasingly unsafe. 377. I think a median strategy should be explored prior to reducing capacity by removing lanes. 378. Very dangerous street sometimes. Once experienced near-accident when encountering a driver making a U tum. (Could not be seen due to hill and curvature of road.) Speeds too great to allow for safe entering and exiting residential driveways. Sometimes difficult to access side streets. Very distracting due to work on road, too many signs, general activity around parked cars. Not safe to cross. Having said that-it is a beautiful well-maintained street with nice views. Thank you. 379. Our major concern is that the City of Carlsbad does attempt to NOT widen La Costa Ave or to facilitate the increase of traffic in any way. 380. Need sidewalks on both sides of street from El Gamino to Rancho Santa Fe road. Medians similar to those on Aviara Parkway would be good. 381. Wider sidewalks and bike lanes would go a long way to slowing traffic in addition to reducing LC.Ave to two lanes along the entire length. Making LC. Ave. walkable is my goal. 382. The current building project and any future building projects has made La Costa Ave a hazard to be on and since the past retrofitting of foundations that were sliding, why would the city allow another potential erosion project to move forward. 383. We have been long time residents of La Costa and use La Costa Ave every day for direct freeway access. That's what it was developed for and is very necessary. Please, no more stop lights or slowing down of traffic. If you want to improve safety: 1) take the Public Parking off of the street and 2) stop the building of properties with additional driveways with direct access to the road. Residents who live along La Costa Ave purchased their existing properties knowing the traffic situation. Obviously it was a • desirable choice to buy their residences and choose to live along La Costa Ave. Why would Carlsbad continue to approve permits for more building on La Costa Ave that only adds to the problem? The new town homes with direct access to La Costa Ave should have never been approved. Please, no more construction. Thank you for the opportunity to voice concerns. 8/17/11 Page 32 ,...-.,, s.,...,/ La Costa A venue Improvement Plan 384. All cross streets have traffic signals. You can't put a Stop sign or Traffic signal where no intersection occurs. Most of La Costa Ave already has sidewalks. Widening the street would most likely involve eminent domain issues (you will have a nasty fight there). More traffic from the east needs to be routed to Aviara. Is it obvious that poor community planning has allowed this mini-mess to have taken place, instead of routing traffic on Santa Fe/ Leucadia Blvd? Close La Costa Ave off to all but "Local Traffic"? 385. I live on Dehesa Court. It is dangerous turning left from Dehesa onto La Costa because the road downhill from Rancho Santa Fe is a blind curve. Traffic going up the hill on La Costa to Rancho Santa Fe really backs up in the afternoon rush hour. Riding a bike on La Costa going east from El Camino Real is not safe. There are no bike lanes, the lane is narrow and there are blind curves. I am a cyclist and l won't ride there (I detour up Levante), but some people do and I've had close calls. There should either be a bike lane added or maybe signs just prohibiting bikes going east on that section of La Costa. 386. speed limit reduced. need flashing ped lights at areas where condos/townhomes are so they can get out of the complex. do like the 101 and put upped crossing signs and lines 387. This is residential street and I've watched your speed signs say slow down on almost every car. Not only that but between 6am to 8am and !>pm to 8pm there is a parade of cars using LCA as a cut trough from 5 to RSF. They should be using Leucadia/RSF or Melrose/Alga to get through but they use LCA because they can speed up and down that road. I have talked to many who do that. Changing the road to have roundabouts, one lane and other traffic calming methods will return the road to La Costa residents and those who want to cut trough without speeding. 388. Speed is a major concern, vehicle turning off of La Costa Ave onto Gibraltar or Romerea at high rates of speed. Those two side streets are very dangerous. Could recommend, police set up some type of sting to catch speeding and wreckless vehicles. Best time is 6-7 am and 5-6pm. Drivers easily reach excessive speeds on these streets. I've only see police patrol these streets once or twice in 2 years. I live off of Jerez Court. Please send police out to ticket the speeders on these streets. After a few days of doing this, I guarantee you'll have a substantial amount of tickets written which will bring in some form of new revenue to the city. Again, please stop the speeders on these streets. 389. Need a signal at Esfera 390. Single lanes in each direction (as it was several years ago) works well east of Cadencia and would slow traffic west of Cadencia. This would also allow for bike lanes in both directions. 391. I have lived on this street for 9 years and it has gotten worse every year. Cars fly down the road and lam scared a child or animal will get hit. Please do everything you can to slow cars down, increase safety, reduce the amount of traffic, and especially, reduce the· amount of noise. 392. Stop signs would add auto emissions. Roundabouts are ridiculous on a major artery. Additional signals are a last resort and would contribute to traffic backups; especially at Rancho Santa Fe Eastbound. 393. Existing markings, speed limits etc. are perfectly fine as long as they are obeyed and enforced. The speed gauge sign is very helpful when driving. 394. I drive W on LC every morning btwn 7 and 730am and E on LC every evening around 5pm. I do not see any traffic problems and speed has been under control since CPD began regular enforcement. 395. For physical changes it would be nice to have bicycle lanes on both side of the rode 396. Reduce speed limit. Make it residential road. Narrow the road way to two lane road. Provide bike lane and parking along the street. Install tall trees and very heavy bushy tress in the middle or the road. Provide roundabouts with fully landscape with bushy and 8/17/11 Page 33 C .......... , ....,.., La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan fat tress in them. ProVide some statues monuments and other street calming materials in the medians 397. Please add No Parking zones where parking plus road curvature make for zero visibility of on-coming vehicles and entering the road safely a crap shoot. 398. More of the digital speed indicators and speed cameras to increase revenue and slow traffic. 399. Change speed limit to 35 MPH east of Fairway Ln to El Camino Real. Eliminate parking in front of condominiums & Fairway Ln development. 400. There needs to be something to slow down traffic especially before the Chabad. Too many cars veering off-road or in to other cars in this area. 8/17 /11 Page 34 --"\ -... -,,1 La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan Appendix 2 Summary of Comments on Proposed Plan June 2011 How well do you feel the proposed plan meets the study objective for La Costa Avenue? Excellent! The plan will slow traffic, giving pedestrians a fighting chance to get across the street while beautifying the neighborhood -raising property values (and taxes.) While roundabouts will slow traffic, it will not stop it unnecessarily like traffic signals. In addition, screeching stops and peeling out from signals will stop. The only real complaints heard in the meetings were either from those who think 45 MPH is too slow for the street (get over it!) or overflow would go to Levante. Neither are true. Overflow will be minimal -at morning and evenir:,g rush hours only and will likely go to Calle Barcelona, Alga, Leucadia Blvd and even Palomar Airport Road for those who use La Costa Avenue to get to 1-5. All of the alternatives are much better suited for more and faster traffic. About half or a little more. The new model is more a practice of application of technical methodology to self-impress those who are designing than it is an attempt to actually solve the exactness of the problems with a good long term viable solution that will be lasting. lt was evident during the group sessions, as is so often the case with the city of Carlsbad, that the design group was facilitating an attempt at selling buy-in to their pre-conceived solution more so than actually seeking input from the concerned citizenry who took their time to voice their concerns and ideas. I am very encouraged by this plan. It incorporates all the safety items necessary to make La Costa Ave safer, return it to a residential street while maintaining a smooth flow of traffic for those who use it as a commuter road. It would be wonderful if the traffic speed laws took into account the residential nature of La Costa Ave. instead of just the traffic flow speeds. Most of the safety issues could be resolved just by lowering the speed limit to 35 mph. This would add less than one minute to the trip. Our primary concern, safety on La Costa Avenue, has been met; by slowing the traffic pattern. Also, visually it will be a much more pleasing to the eye and will only present our avenue as more of a "community" and will give it more of a neighborhood feel. We think it will add to our property values as well. Excellent Plan. Meets study objectives very well. Very well planned draft. Perfect -love it -make it a neighborhood and will increase hove values for all. Very well thought out and planned for those living/commuting on LCA while focusing on safety and speed. No more wasting 3 mins. at each light! Awesome 8/17/11 Page 35 C Perfectly Very well done. The sooner the better! Very well! I think it is very good job you have done Best that can be done in reasonable budget. Very good. ... ,/ La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan I am very pleased with the proposed plan. I think that it meets all of the objectives that we have discussed at all of the meetings. What do you like most about the plan? Why? One lane in each direction will slow traffic and widen shared median space or allow for serentine medians for left-turns, particularly at Gibraltar and Calle Madero where opposing traffic traveling at 45 MPH or above now competes for the same ~100 ft. of tum lane. When one driver has to give way to the other, he too often has to swerve into the adjacent lane, side swiping another vehicle. That won't happen under the new plan. Bulb-outs will protect parked cars. Roundabouts will keep traffic moving, but slower -as intended. Through time, however, should be no slower overall. Lastly, trees and shrubs in the medians will add beauty and add value to the neighborhood, maintaining the upscale essence of the community -in constrast to adding more and more asphalt and traffic signals that deteriorate home values. That someone is moving forward and attempting to make some improvement to a situation which has appear as a growing problem which seemingly will continue to grow. Bike lanes, sidewalks that are complete and wide enough to navigate with a stroller, wheelchair. or two people walking abreast are a good start. A single lane in both directions will accomodate traffic and allow space for the bike lanes and sidewalk improvements. The round abouts wo~k well for me, but I think a lot of people will think they will slow them down too much ( In the absence of speed limit reductions, this appears to be a necessary item to calm the traffic and yet keep it moving). The raised center medians will improve the look of the street and provide additional safety. It meets the "calming" effect we were all looking for. Lane reduction 1) Appears that it will allow flow so traffic won't be pushed to Levante (I like roundabouts!) 2) Makes the street more attractive (I like partial medians and landscaping) Meets all conditions: sight distance, parking, bikes, speed, emissions, beautification, cost. Add lighting -too dark. Roundabouts -makes it residential neighborly-slows traffic and volume -perfect 8/17/11 Page36 Roundabouts; focus on safety Roundabouts, safe traffic It is safe and it makes sense Roundabouts & curb extensions Lane reductions east & west Yes it serves the good of the city La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan 1) Will slow speeds -giving everybody safety 2) Give La Costa Ave some good look & class vs. weeds & dirt 3) Maybe cause some thru traffic do divert to other major roads The most important part of the plan is slowing traffic to prevent continuing accidents and recognizing the La Costa Avenue is a residential street. What do you like least about the plan? Why? Nothing, except possibly the cost. But as noted above, property values, and therefore the tax base, should be increased helping repay the investment over time. The use of roundabouts. They are death traps. I have taken the time to park my car and observe the mired of things that happen on Leucadia Boulevard' various roundabouts, which is one of the very few places in the county where stupidity has found it necessary to complicate matters with an inept solution. Look at the curbs, they are black from tire marks because the roundabout are not within the effect design proportion and dimension of how a roundabout is supposed to facilitate traffic control. The circles are way to small, which puts the design in favor of any victim's lawsuit. Because the Leucadia roundabouts are too small they don't effectively cause the driver to slow the vehicle, but rather to make attempts to steer and veer it through the roundabout at the approaching speed. On several occasions, I watch car tires hit the curb with such force that the control of the vehicle was temporally lost by the drive and different reactions resulted. One was to panic and brake the car to a stop causing the following vehicles to react and veer up other curbs or into oncoming traffic to avoid a rear end collision. Another was to whip steer the car through the rodeo wildness cause by hitting the curb with the hope of not hitting another car. It is my understanding that roundabout were invented in and are primarily used in England, Australia, etc. where it has to be noted that the driver sits on the other side of the car, which provides a very different perspective to the roundabout when it is approached. The whole mindset is different and any reactionary result is also different from the American driving position. The installation of roundabouts will eventually result in deaths. Those who are purporting this stupidity will be then guilty of murder. If I am in the area, I will at every opportunity encourage the victim's family to sue the city and all involved with roundabout installation and use the multiple-million dollar settlement of my aunt's roundabout death as establish grounds for the worthlessness of roundabouts as a solution to traffic problems The cost is an issue, but hopefully help can be obtained from adjoining cities whose residents use La Costa Ave for thier commute. None found 8/17/11 C -Page37 C La Costa A venue Improvement Plan Did not include restricting size of vehicles able to park on the street. Should have size limits; i.e., nor more than 7 feet high and one car length long. Should strictly prohibit RVs on the street. They should be on the owner's property. LCA is too hazardous and RVs make a mockery of the safety measures being implemented. Carlsbad is no longer the 70's beach town that it was. Carlsbad is now a sophisticated city and RVs should have restrictions, not only on LCA but citywide. Perhaps some landscaping at both ends (ECR & RSF) so it looks "complete." Not enough roundabouts -but they are expensive so I understand Fear of the traffic back up during AM/PM hours. Too little street parking, taking too long. Start immediately! Nothing Need additional roundabouts at Cadenica and Viejo Castilla. Parking in front of residential driveways. Not to reduce the speed limit to 25 mph Time to implement it I am a little uncertain about the roundabouts. I strongly believe that traffic needs to be slowed so roundabouts may be the best answer. Expect that the "plan" will lead to substantial increase in traffic on Levante Street -why - because we have many children (and an elementary school) on Levante St -we live on Levante St. >30 yrs. How could the plan be improved to meet the study objective more effectively? We think every objective was addressed and the response to each was very positive and resulted in an appealing, esthetic plan. Take a deep breath and just implement something with paint stripes before huge amounts of money are expended on something that the citizens of Carlsbad will be forced to live with an tolerate, because there is never enough money to fix bad design in government, never, unless there is death involved. When the plan is implemented, speeds will be reduced and hopefully the speed limit can then be lawfully reduced and enforced. We like the proposed plan as it is. As stated above PLUS: There should be a raised median at the area between the Marbella condos on the south side and Alta Verde, Alteeza, Tres Verde condos on the north side. This is a high density area and left hand turns should be controlled by a raised median. 8/17/11 Page38 ..... .,,., ......_.,, __,I La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan The Marbella condo is right across the street from two single family home driveways, as well as the Tres Verde condos. No suggestions No need to improve -I love it Nothing, I think it's great Nothing Wider parkways, take away from the medians. Start east, Romeria to Cadencia, consider children to and from La Costa Heights Elem. from homes north of La Costa Ave. No parking in front of driveways; or, at least, limit size of vehicles ie. no RVs and no vehicles above 7 feet high or, longer than one car Do all you have proposed & reduce speed limit and change it to residential designation. Continue to stress: -"changes are not just for those who live on La Costa but for tho9se who travel it -it takes two cars to make an accident" -speeders and those who leave driveways I think that the current proposed plan will meet all objectives that I had in mind. I can think of no further improvements at this time. Do away with "on-street" parking on La Costa Ave -reduce width of "turn lane" continue to have 2 lanes of traffic. Traffic representative said they would study impact on Levante St. at 6/23 meeting. How well do you feel the La Costa Avenue Improvement Plan process addressed the community's preferences and concerns? Beautifully -literally. La Costa Avenue will have slower traffic, fewer accidents, be a safe place for pedestrians and bicyclists. It will cut down on noise and add character and beauty to the community. We cannot wait! It really doesn't. It is a crafty and cleaver manipulation of experimentation that has been very well perpetuated upon the citizenry in a very slick manner to create buy-in with delayed timing, mock meetings and much political massage. The city has made it clear without verbiage that the goal is to do what they want to satisfy the court requirements at any and all costs first and foremost. This is the goal and the attempts to make the citizenry feel that they have been participatory and that they have been listened to is merely frosting on an otherwise nearly impalatable cake. I applaud the efforts to correct the long needed safety on La Costaq Ave. I FEEL THAT THE INTERIM PLAN SHOULD INCLUDE AN EAST BOUND BIKE LANE, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN FAIRWAY AND VIEJO CASTILLA. IT IS THE MOST NARROW PORTION OF THE ROAD, WITH THE SLOWIST BIKE SPEEDS. Excellent job and we want to thank all those involved in the project. We have lived on the avenue for over 25 years and plan on staying. With the traffic calming modalities in place, and medians with landscaping, not only will this be a safer place to life, but also for people using our 8/17/11 C Page39 ,......._ La Costa A venue Improvement Plan road to get from El Camino to Rancho Santa Fe Rd. And again, it will give our area a sense of being a residential neighborhood, which is what it has always been. And all in all it will certainly add to our property values. As I said before, the Plan is excellent and visionary. Tweaking it a bit to include the aforementioned median by Marbella and the other condos, as well as the vehicle size restrictions, would make it perfect. ALL OF THE PEOPLE, DOUG, SKIP, PAT are amazing1 This was an extreme challenge but they navigated the waters beautifully. Thought it was a excellent process, conducted very well. City/consultants clearly listened to community input. Excellent process -I apologize for my neighbors' comments!! Pat, Doug, Skip great job Perfect -you've won my heartl Thank you for a program well run For the crowd ->50/50 but I agree 95% positive This plan couldn't be more effective. It addresses safety ant that's what's most important! Well done. Excellent -kudos to everyone involved. Now, Council should do their job and get it done! The staff has done very good job so far Good meetings -professionally done -might need some special time with Levante people showing why non-local people will not logically use it as by-pass -most increase will be from those who live there; not using La Costa & cut up to where they live Not everyone will be pleased by any plan as is evident from the public hearings. The third meeting however showed a great response from citizens, nearly all but a few stating that they were happy with the proposed plan. Good and organized efforts! Not everyones! 8/17/11 Page 40