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Commission supports two all‑way stops, rejects Tamarack proposal after months‑long debate
Summary
The Carlsbad Traffic Safety Mobility Commission voted to recommend all‑way stop control at Batiquitos Drive & Aviara Drive and at La Costa & Camino De Las Coches, and rejected staff's proposal for Tamarack & Sunny Hill after concerns about removing a raised crosswalk and emergency access.
The Carlsbad Traffic Safety Mobility Commission voted Monday to recommend two all‑way stop installations to City Council and rejected a third proposal after commissioners and residents raised safety, traffic‑flow and emergency‑access concerns.
Senior Engineer Miriam Jim presented staff's analysis under the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) and recommended all‑way stop control at three locations: Batiquitos Drive & Aviara Drive; La Costa Avenue & Camino De Las Coches; and Tamarack Avenue & Sunny Hill Drive. Jim told commissioners the analysis considered collision history, vehicle and pedestrian volumes and sight distance and that the proposed measures responded to resident requests for improved pedestrian and bicycle safety.
"Based on counts collected in February, there were a relatively high number of pedestrians crossing at this location, 221 on a typical day," Jim said of the Batiquitos site. For the La Costa location the staff slide cited about 115 bikes and 252 pedestrians per typical day; at Tamarack staff reported about 162 bikes and 187 pedestrians, with two reported bike collisions between 2020 and 2025.
Residents and parents at the meeting urged action. Several speakers said the La Costa intersection lacked safe crossings for schoolchildren and called for flashing beacons or crosswalks. One resident read a letter from a 9‑year‑old who described a near‑miss at La Costa and Camino De Las Coches.
Commission discussion focused on tradeoffs between measures. Some commissioners and the transportation director, Tom Frank, noted that combining vertical traffic‑calming features (like raised crosswalks) with an all‑way stop can create conflicts for emergency vehicles; Frank said the Transportation Review Committee and emergency responders reviewed the proposals and recommended removing vertical deflection where a stop would be installed.
After a procedural vote to consider each intersection separately, the commission took three votes:
- Batiquitos Drive & Aviara Drive: The motion to accept staff recommendations passed (meeting record: "That one passes. 4 1 with 1 abstention").
- La Costa Avenue & Camino De Las Coches: The commission approved staff recommendations (meeting record: "four‑one with one abstention"). Staff said the location met MUTCD volume thresholds and presents high pedestrian and bicycle activity because of nearby shops and schools.
- Tamarack Avenue & Sunny Hill Drive: Commissioners debated the effect of removing an existing raised crosswalk and whether a stop sign would improve safety on the downhill approach to a school route. The motion failed (meeting record: "That one fails. 5 to 5 nos, 1 yes").
Staff said that, if the commission supports a location, the next step is for staff to introduce an ordinance for City Council adoption and to install stop signs and associated pavement markings after council approval. Commissioners also discussed monitoring any installed all‑way stops for compliance and potential follow‑up reporting after an observation period.
The commission did not adopt final city policy changes at the meeting; the recommendations for the two approved locations will go forward to City Council for ordinance action.
