Carlsbad rejects Tamarack roundabout

Carlsbad City Council kills long-debated roundabout plan at Tamarack and Carlsbad Boulevard, opting instead for modest, lower-cost intersection upgrades

The Carlsbad City Council killed a proposed roundabout at Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard during Tuesday’s meeting. Instead, the council approved limited improvements to the intersection. Steve Puterski photo

CARLSBAD — One of the more controversial traffic proposals in recent years is dead.

The City Council rejected the installation of a roundabout at the intersection of Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard during Tuesday’s meeting. Instead, the council approved a smaller project with limited intersection improvements with new ramps, improved medians, more visible crosswalks and the removal of a guardrail.

Many residents, especially those who live nearby, have railed against the project for the past several years and continued during Tuesday’s meeting. It’s been a blistering issue as many residents have said the roundabout would/will worsen traffic, decrease safety and jeopardize pedestrians and cyclists.

“That intersection has been running smoothly for years,” Mayor Keith Blackburn said. “Normally, we would say safety is more important than dollars, and I don’t see the safety that overrides the dollars. Especially when our five-, six-year forecast shows we’ll bring in less money.”

Most of the City Council, though, worried about the cost of the $19 million project and a lack of a funding source. Transportation Director Tom Frank presented three options to the council, with another being upgrading the traffic signal and other improvements for $17 million.

However, all three projects don’t currently have a funding source, although the approved project could find money from TransNet and gas taxes, Frank said. Additionally, the some on the council expressed concerns over the delayed construction timeline with the roundabout, as it completion was estimated for 2029 instead of 2028.