Multiple residents told the Capitola City Council on July 24 that Bay Avenue’s current configuration has created dangerous crossings and congestion and asked for short‑term and long‑term safety fixes.

Commenters described recent collisions and near misses near the Capitola/Bay intersection and at Gales and Nob Hill, urged stepped‑up enforcement and improved lighting, and proposed immediate, low‑cost measures such as repainting crosswalks, portable crossing signals, pedestrian flags and temporary traffic control. Dorothy Anton, who identified herself as a community member, urged short‑term, inexpensive measures and painted crosswalks; Gina Tompkins, who said she lives at Bay Avenue Senior Apartments, told council that a neighbor suffered critical injuries in a July crash and asked for three months of visible enforcement and lights at problem intersections.

Other residents urged postponing a larger design decision and recommended additional community surveys and data review. Carrie Howard, a Burlingame Avenue resident, asked the council to “pause” and reconsider a roundabout at Bay/Hill with more community input; multiple speakers said the recent quick‑build configuration has increased congestion, prompted drivers to use parking lots to bypass backups, and produced aggressive driving.

Council members responded in the meeting’s deliberations. Council Member Jensen (who later noted a financial interest and recused from one Bay‑Avenue vote) formally requested the council agendize Bay Avenue again for a future meeting, proposing a September–October timeframe so that school‑year traffic could be considered. Several council members said they supported revisiting the corridor with additional data, including clarification about what crossing treatments and flashing crosswalks the city can legally install. Council directed staff to return the item for more study and outreach; the council did not adopt a final corridor design that night.

Why it matters: Bay Avenue connects Highway 1 to the Capitola Village and carries mixed pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic. Residents described serious safety incidents and asked for immediate and near‑term steps as well as renewed public design review. The council’s decision to re‑examine the corridor keeps multiple short‑term fixes and longer‑term design options on the table.