Encinitas accepts interim Santa Fe Drive improvements, directs fixes after safety complaints

The City Council of Encinitas voted in May to accept the interim condition of the Santa Fe Drive Corridor Improvements Project (western phase) and to record a notice of completion, beginning the contractor warranty period. Council also approved a $95,000 contract to address bicycle/driveway conflict areas and asked staff to return with design alternatives for a longer‑term fix.

Council and staff framed the action as a way to close out construction so Tri‑Group Construction can be paid and the city can begin warranty oversight, while still acknowledging the project is not the final corridor design. Batter Solomon, the city engineer presenting the project update, summarized what the western phase delivered and why staff recommended finishing the contract now: “The contract work was completed — the sidewalk, bike lane, the bus stops, the reverse single parking, the landscaping and drainage improvements, as well as an RRFB midblock crossing at SDA,” Solomon said.

The council took the action after an extended public discussion in which more than a dozen residents described safety problems they saw during school drop‑off and pickup, operational conflicts for bicyclists and drivers, and difficulties for emergency…