Encinitas approves major redesign for Santa Fe West Project

City Council votes 4-1 to adopt Option B, removing separated bike lanes and back-in parking after months of safety and traffic concerns amid a heated issue

ENCINITAS — The controversial Santa Fe West Project will undergo significant changes after the City Council voted Wednesday to approve a new design.

The council voted 4-1 to adopt Option B, which removes the separated bike lanes, replaces back-in parking with parallel spaces and widens travel lanes to 11 feet. Councilwoman Joy Lyndes cast the dissenting vote.

The Option B modifications will cost up to $1.9 million.

The project broke ground in 2023 on the Santa Fe Western Phase from Interstate 5 to Evergreen Drive. Since then, it has been the center of controversy with a wave of complaints over safety, traffic flow and emergency responses over the past 11 months.

Before the council were a trio of options, to which the council approved Option B with 11-foot-wide travel lanes, removing the separated bike lanes and replacing them with buffered bike lanes, replacing the back-in parking with parallel parking and more.

The cost of the modifications to Santa Fe Drive will be up to $1.9 million. The other $1.6 million are elements already planned as part of the overall project. Courtesy image

Supporters, though, have long said the project has improved safety for cyclists and pedestrians, especially for high school students at San Dieguito Academy. The segment in question runs along the front of the school, and the battle cry for supporters over the past several months has been “improve, don’t remove.”

Mayor Bruce Ehlers, though, said a city survey showed about 900 out of 1,000 respondents supported removing the back-in parking.

“I support traffic calming,” he explained. “I support well-designed and well-executed projects. From what I’ve seen, it was not well designed and not well executed in places.”

Ehlers compared the council’s new action to Streetscape in Leucadia, where most of Coast Highway is parallel parking with buffered bike lanes. He also said fixes west of the Nardo/Mackinnon intersection must be done as well, noting the sidewalk includes a bike lane, pedestrians and garbage cans on pickup day.

During two May meetings, staff and the City Council discussed potential changes and solicited input from residents regarding the road.

A new direction

The redesign introduces parallel parking and buffered bike lanes on both sides of the corridor, according to the plans. The council said it aims to improve safety and mobility between the two intersections, while maintaining a landscaped parkway for pedestrians.

On the north side of the road along SDA’s campus, the layout features an 8.5-foot parallel parking lane adjacent to the curb, followed by a 2.5-foot painted buffer and a 6.5-foot bike lane and minimizes the S-curve at the Nardo/Mackinnon intersection. A secondary 3-foot buffer separates the bike lane from the 11-foot travel lane. A landscaped “parkway” sits between the sidewalk and parking so those drivers can access the sidewalk when leaving their vehicles.

The south side mirrors the north with an 8.5-foot parking lane, a 2.5-foot buffer, a 6.5-foot bike lane, and a 3-foot buffer before the travel lane, but includes additional adjustments for driveways and utilities. Both sides maintain 11-foot travel lanes and a 10-foot center turn lane.