The Encinitas City Council voted Oct. 15 to ask staff to compare three safety treatments for the North Coast Highway 101 roundabout at Acacia/Leucadia Boulevard after staff presented collision data showing most crashes at that location occur between about 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

A staff presentation said 19 collisions were recorded at the roundabout from early 2023 through August 2024; 17 of those occurred between roughly 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., concentrated on weekend evenings. The city engineer reported that previously approved plans included wood‑faced bollards along the curb line and other signage, but a follow‑up engineering review concluded bollards at the curb would be “fixed object” hazards in the curb recovery zone and staff proposed connected guardrail as an alternative.

Public speakers and business owners in Leucadia urged the council to preserve the streetscape and aesthetics and avoid placing rusted patina guardrail or curb‑edge fixed objects where bicyclists or pedestrians might be pinned between a vehicle and a hard barrier. Pedestrian‑safety advocates urged more enforcement and modern crosswalk measures: “Paint doesn't really provide protection, but separated infrastructure does,” a Safe Streets speaker said, pointing out a video showing a vehicle leaving the lane and reaching the bike lane.

Property owner Rick Smith, who owns a commercial storefront at the roundabout approach, asked for an aesthetically acceptable solution and noted some existing bollards near storefronts. Traffic safety advocates and the mayor emphasized advanced warning signage and in‑road pavement lights for crosswalks as possible lower‑impact measures to reduce wrong‑way or high‑speed entries into the roundabout.

After extended discussion, Councilmember Lyons moved — and the council approved unanimously — a substitute motion directing staff to:

- Compare the previously approved wooden‑sleeved bollards versus decorative boulders (both are fixed objects) and provide analysis about placement and safety tradeoffs.
- Explore the cost and feasibility of installing in‑pavement crosswalk lighting (in‑road lights) for the roundabout crosswalks.
- Add chevrons and 1‑way signs at each roundabout entry and include those chevrons in the cost estimate.
- Return to council with the cost comparisons and recommendations before installing any fixed objects at the curb line.

Council members said they wanted to first implement the other approved safety measures (rumble strips, flashing Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, additional signage and striping) and collect six months of crash data after those changes before any permanent curb‑edge treatment is installed. Staff said construction to add the flashing beacons and signage is already underway and likely to be finished within weeks.

A staff estimate discussed at the meeting put the prior bollard budget and the proposed guardrail in the same general price range, and council asked staff to return with firm cost estimates for the in‑pavement lighting option and aesthetic choices in the roundabout area.