Carlsbad council adopts Hope Elementary Safe Routes to School plan with curb extensions and a new multi‑use path

The Carlsbad City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 14 to adopt the Hope Elementary Safe Routes to School Plan, a city-led project designed to make walking and biking to school safer for students and the surrounding community.

"This is actually our first Safe Routes to School plan," Nathan Schmidt, transportation planning and mobility manager, told the council. He said the plan was developed through community engagement—walk audits, meetings with parents and school staff—and that Hope Elementary serves more than 600 students K–5.

Short‑term improvements identified in the plan include upgraded striping, high‑visibility crosswalks, signage improvements and flashing school beacons that staff say can be implemented quickly in the FY25–26 resurfacing program. Long‑term elements would require additional design and grant funding and include curb extensions and a dedicated Class 1 multi‑use path on the east side of Tamarack Avenue so that bike and pedestrian facilities can be added without removing on‑street parking.

Schmidt said staff counted about six bikes parked at the school during a snapshot observation: "We saw about 6 bikes," he said, noting that adjacent middle‑school routes feed into the same corridors and that the improvements will benefit more than just elementary students.

Council members asked clarifying questions about parking impacts, additional outreach to concerned parents and integration with other nearby schools. Schmidt said the roadway resurfacing program will incorporate the short‑term elements and staff will seek grants and other funding sources for the longer‑term projects.

The council adopted the resolution accepting the Hope Elementary Safe Routes to School Plan and directed staff to proceed with the implementation steps described in the presentation.