Carlsbad approves comprehensive parking study and Grand Avenue lane reduction; council adopts lane‑reduction oversight policy 4–1

The Carlsbad City Council voted on March 11 to move forward with a comprehensive parking study of the Village, Barrio and beach areas and approved a design package to add diagonal parking and reduce westbound lanes on a segment of Grand Avenue.

Mike Strong, Community Development Director, told the council the study responds to shifting state law and local development patterns—citing AB 2097 and density‑bonus changes that limit cities’ ability to impose minimum parking for projects near transit. After a best‑value selection process, staff recommended awarding the contract to Avari Consulting; the study’s scope includes 12 quarterly surveys (three per quarter), intercept surveys in English and Spanish, inventory consolidation with prior studies, occupancy and future‑supply analysis, and short‑ and long‑term recommendations.

“Parking is so critical in the village right now,” said Christine Davis, executive director of the Carlsbad Village Association, who urged council to approve the study and offered the association’s help with outreach. Staff said the study will include stakeholder interviews and comparisons with cities that experience substantial visitor demand, and that the consultant will present methodology and final recommendations to the council next year.

Separately, City Traffic Engineer John Kim presented a striping‑only proposal to convert parallel parking to diagonal on the north side of westbound Grand Avenue between Tyler Street Alley and Jefferson Street. The plan would reduce westbound vehicle lanes from two to one, add a two‑way left‑turn lane, and (together with a previously approved all‑way stop at Grand & Madison) produce a net gain of about 11 on‑street parking spaces. Staff estimated $40,000 in design, permitting and outreach cost and said construction would be brought to council for approval in 2026.

David Pierce, a resident, supported a road diet but opposed adding angled parking, urging reuse of under‑used commercial lots and warning that angled parking can increase conflicts with cyclists. Tom Frank, Transportation Director, and John Kim said the proposal reflects internal coordination with police and fire and that staff will include safety data, outreach and design details in reports presented to council.

Council action: The council unanimously approved the contract and scope for the comprehensive parking study and adopted the parking‑design resolution for Grand Avenue. On a separate vote to adopt a council policy clarifying oversight of lane reductions, the council approved the policy 4–1; Mayor Pro Tem Patel cast the lone no vote, saying she was concerned a supermajority requirement could impede timely safety‑related changes.

Next steps: Staff will kick off the consultant contract and conduct the quarterly surveys over the coming year; design work for Grand Avenue will proceed and staff expects to bring a construction package to council in 2026.