Carlsbad traffic commission reviews FY25–26 work plan; commissioners press for earlier public notice and quick-build projects

The Carlsbad Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission reviewed its draft fiscal year 2025–26 work plan and heard public and commissioner requests to improve outreach and prioritize low-cost, quick-build safety projects.

Nathan Schmidt, transportation planning and mobility manager, told commissioners the work plan is required by the Carlsbad Municipal Code and is intended to align the commission’s work with city council priorities. He described the commission’s mission to enhance safe mobility using data-driven decisionmaking and said the draft focuses on multimodal system reviews and mobility around schools.

"Carlsbad Municipal Code requires all commissions to have an annual work plan and present that to the city council," Schmidt said. He outlined two principal goals: review staff recommendations for multimodal projects and focus on mobility issues near schools, including quarterly reports from the Carlsbad Police Department.

Public commenter David Pierce urged the commission to prioritize “quick build” improvements that do not require major construction or large sums of money, and to favor low-cost measures such as plastic bollards, temporary speed cushions and left-turn bay extensions over larger capital projects. "I want to emphasize the importance of quick build projects, things that do not need to tear up the road," Pierce said.

Several commissioners asked staff to improve public notice and packet access. Commissioner Nickelman asked whether the commission could do a better job "socializing" how members of the public submit comments and where to find information. Commissioners suggested distributing packet materials earlier than late Thursday afternoons, adding executive summaries to long staff reports and using the city manager’s newsletter and social media more aggressively.

Schmidt and other staff said notification varies by project and that projects with direct neighborhood impacts are typically noticed by mail, through the city manager’s newsletter and by social media. Tom Frank, transportation director and city engineer, said staff also conducts door‑to‑door mailings for projects that will directly affect property frontages. Staff agreed to coordinate with communications to report back on outreach metrics.

Commissioners suggested additional recurring informational or workshop items on topics the public requests frequently, including speed-limit reviews and the Vision Zero (Vision 0) policy the city council adopted even though the commission did not recommend it. Schmidt said staff will return to the commission with a revised draft of the work plan before it is forwarded to the city council.

At the start of the meeting the commission voted to accept the minutes as written; the motion passed unanimously.