If you answered NO to that question, please join us at the Special City Council meeting on Wednesday, November 5, at 6 pm at Encinitas City Hall. If you want to learn more about the project, read on. . .
In 1936, when San Dieguito High School was constructed, Santa Fe Drive was a sleepy, dead-end road, ending at the stop of the hill. Over the years, homes were built along the road, and a neighborhood thrived. In the early 60s, a small hospital went in, and the new freeway was built. It wasn’t until the early ‘80s that Santa Fe punched through to El Camino Real and became an arterial for automobiles.
But Santa Fe isn’t a highway.
It’s a neighborhood with homes, grocery stores, pickleball courts and medical facilities. Ninety percent of the time, the road is relatively calm. It’s only during the morning commute and afternoon pick up at San Dieguito Academy that it becomes clogged with automobiles.
The Santa Fe Improvement project was designed to honor this neighborhood by slowing cars, so kids could safely walk or ride their bikes to school, and those without cars could comfortably walk to El Nopalito or Vons, or any of the other commercial establishments.
Construction of the project went on for too long, and parts of the new design need tweaking. But the core of the project is solid –
Narrowed lanes force cars to drive more slowly
Pre- and post-speed monitoring data show that cars are driving more slowly now.
| 2023 (Pre-Construction) | 2025 (Post-Construction) | Speed Reduction (-%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbound - 85th percentile | 37 mph | 29 mph | -8 mph (-22%) |
| Westbound - 85th percentile | 41 mph | 37 mph | -4 mph (-10%) |
Extended sidewalks give pedestrians a safe place to walk
Previously, pedestrians and cyclists were forced to traverse uneven, narrow dirt surfaces.
Separated bike lanes keep cars away from bikes
Previously, cars queued up in the bike lane on the north side during pick up, preventing bicycle access, and crossed the bike lane on the south side to park, endangering cyclists.
Additional parking makes drivers happy
Several additional parking spots have been added, benefiting both patrons and businesses along Santa Fe Drive.
Unfortunately, the Encinitas City Council isn’t advocating for tweaking. They’re pushing to spend up to $2 million to potentially rip it out and start over. That would mean a lot of things –
- More endless construction
- Less money for fixing the drainage in Leucadia
- Less money for paving streets
- And less money to build more parks
If you’re looking for fiscal responsibility from your city government, ask your City Council members to find cost-effective solutions to the minor issues needing to be addressed in the Santa Fe project instead of spending millions of dollars and subjecting Encinitas residents to months of construction.
Contact Your Encinitas City Council Member
| Mayor Bruce Ehlers | behlers@encinitasca.gov |
| Deputy Mayor Joy Lyndes | jlyndes@encinitasca.gov |
| Council Member Jim O’Hara | johara@encinitasca.gov |
| Council Member Marco San Antonio | msanantonio@encinitasca.gov |
| Council Member Luke Shaffer | lshaffer@encinitasca.gov |
| City Clerk Kathy Hollywood | khollywood@encinitasca.gov |
All Before/After images are courtesy of the City of Encinitas
