SANDAG presents draft 2025 regional plan to commission; local officials and residents raise questions on funding, rail and protected bike lanes

Jennifer Williamson, deputy director for mobility planning at SANDAG, presented the draft 2025 Regional Plan to Carlsbad's Traffic Safety Mobility Commission, describing the plan as a multi‑decade, multimodal program that pares back some prior large‑rail proposals and focuses on deliverable near‑term projects, greenhouse‑gas reductions and active transportation.

Williamson said the draft plan is about $130 billion, down from an earlier $165 billion figure in a prior plan cycle, and that the plan must meet a state greenhouse gas reduction target of roughly 19 percent for the reporting period used in the plan. She described emphasis areas that affect Carlsbad: managed lanes on I‑5 and SR‑78, freight and connector improvements, Sprinter and Coaster service improvements (including double…