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Council approves Safe Routes to School projects, asks staff to study flashing LED crosswalk at Plato and Carter
Summary
Encinitas approved a package of near-term pedestrian and school-area traffic improvements funded from separate city accounts and directed staff to study a flashing red LED stop sign at Plato and Carter and to coordinate curb-ramp work with a Pollaky School redesign.
The Encinitas City Council approved a package of Safe Routes to School improvements and directed staff to study a flashing red LED at the Plato and Carter stop and to coordinate curb-ramp work with an upcoming school redesign.
Abe Bandigan, the city's traffic engineer, outlined the program that combines two funding sources: a roughly $300,000 resident-request account used for neighborhood traffic improvements and an annual $200,000 allocation the council has set aside for school-area safety projects. Bandigan said the combined resources bring nearly $500,000 to the neighborhood safety program this year and that potential projects are identified with school principals and district infrastructure staff.
Council members asked staff to explain a change in one curb ramp that staff said was being replaced because older ramps did not meet current state and national standards. Council also pressed staff about adding a marked crossing at the Plato and Carter intersection in Leucadia after residents raised safety concerns. Bandigan explained that the location lacks a receiving sidewalk and that building a compliant crossing now could mean an incomplete crosswalk 'a concern that raises cost and design issues. Staff noted a related mitigation agreement from a developer (estimated at about $1.8 million) that will fund a future pedestrian path in the Piraeus/Plato corridor.
Council voted to approve the Safe Routes list with added direction: conduct a targeted video study and feasibility review for a flashing red LED stop sign at Plato and Carter and coordinate the Paul Ecke (Pollaky) School ramp replacement with the school's near-term redesign so the city does not build redundant infrastructure. Council also asked staff to consult principals and the school site council on timing.
Why it matters: the moves commit near-term funds to neighborhood safety and set a path to design infrastructure linked to larger, already-planned school-site improvements, while responding to resident concerns about an intersection used for school access.
Next steps: staff will perform the flashing-stop sign study, return with its findings and recommendations, and coordinate design and scheduling with the Pollaky School project team before proceeding with any permanent curb-ramp demolition or replacement.
