City council approves staff proposals for four Caltrans HSIP safety projects, with design changes and conditions

Encinitas City Council on Oct. 22 authorized staff to apply for Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 12 grants and approved preferred design directions for four safety projects: a protected bikeway and buffer upgrades on Encinitas Boulevard; protected bikeway geometry and a protected intersection concept at El Camino Real and Santa Fe Drive; a high-visibility pedestrian crossing at the city’s border with Solana Beach; and pedestrian/bicycle improvements along South Coast Highway 101 in Cardiff.

The council voted unanimously to proceed with the grant applications and gave staff direction on specific cross-section preferences and temporary construction measures. Traffic staff and the consultant team presented concept designs and said the Caltrans grant awards require ‘‘protected bikeway’’ countermeasures (flexible posts or equivalent) for some projects but give staff some latitude during final design and scope-change requests.

Why this matters: The projects aim to reduce crashes, shorten crossing distances for pedestrians and bicyclists and improve multimodal access to schools, beach areas and commercial corridors. HSIP grants cover a majority of construction costs but require a local match; by approving concept direction tonight the council preserved the city’s ability to seek up to 80% federal/state…