The Coast News, February 6th, 2015

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THE COAST NEWS

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FEB. 6, 2015

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Mixed reactions MARCOS meet -NEWS housing element results

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By Aaron Burgin

ing crosswalk on Carlsbad Avenue and Hemlock Avenue, one of the proposed sites for the flashing beacons. Nobody was injured but the driver was charged with not yielding the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, according to Jodee Sasway, public information officer with the Carlsbad Police Department. The commission recommended city council approve the six beacons, at four existing crosswalks along Carlsbad Boulevard and at two uncontrolled mid-block locations on Grand Avenue. The recommended sites to install the flashing beacons are at existing crosswalks along Carlsbad Boulevard at Hemlock Avenue, Cherry Avenue, Maple Avenue and Sycamore Avenue. The two on Grand Avenue would be located at Christiansen Avenue near the senior apartments and one west of the intersection between Grand Avenue and State Street. Bilse said there were multiple requests for a flashing beacon near the retirement community. The signs are a lower cost alternative to installing traffic lights, Bilse told the council. “Traffic signals (are) an alternative but

ENCINITAS — The results of Encinitas’ much publicized civic engagement efforts forTHE the upcoming Housing Element VISTA — which were powered by the controversial online NEWS platform eTown Hall — were met with mixed reactions from the residents and the City Council on Tuesday night. The housing element is the city’s first comprehensive overhaul of its housing and residential zoning map in more than 20 years, and will map RANCHO out where an anticipated 1,300SFNEWS units of affordable housing will be placed within the city. Voters are expected to vote on the plan in 2016. The plan will require the city adopt a new zoning designation that would allow upwards of 30 residential units per acre in order to satisfy the state affordable housing mandate. City officials said the plan is critical because the city faces lawsuits and state action if it does not update the housing element. City planning staff had spent several months and hosted several workshops and forums to gather input from residents, using eTown Hall as the sole repository. In all, about 1,000 people visited the site, and of those, 500 gave their preferences for where high-density housing should be located within the city’s five communities. City staff took those responses and generated three maps that depicted the residents’ preferred locations for affordable housing; the first was based on the choice of one of the city’s pre-designed maps, the second was based on the results of a “build your own” scenario where residents could select candidate sites, and the third was a blend of the first two maps. Mayor Kristin Gaspar, who has been a vocal

TURN TO CROSSWALKS ON A18

TURN TO RESULTS ON A18

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The rectangular rapid flashing beacon on Oak Avenue alerts drivers that pedestrians are trying to cross. Senior Traffic Engineer Doug Bilse said the sign was a pilot program to test drivers’ reactions. No complaints have been received about the sign. Photo by Ellen Wright

Signaling a path to safety

Traffic commission recommends more flashing pedestrian signs By Ellen Wright

CARLSBAD — The Traffic Commission approved a recommendation to install six rectangular rapid flashing beacons in the Village, just like the one on Oak Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, at a meeting on Feb. 2. The push-activated beacons light up and alert drivers that pedestrians are waiting to cross. The beacon on Oak Avenue was used as a pilot program in 2013 to assess safety of the relatively new traffic device. “This was a pilot program to evaluate whether additional (beacon) systems would be appropriate at other enhanced crosswalk locations on Carlsbad Boulevard,” said Senior Traffic Engineer Doug Bilse. Bilse said the council was worried the flashing lights would distract drivers. The city has not received any complaints about the beacons on Oak Avenue. The Federal Highway Administration released a study on the rapid flashing beacons and found that the beacons influence drivers to stop

A pedestrian with a bike and paddleboard is clipped by a truck failing to yield at a crosswalk on Carlsbad Boulevard and Hemlock Avenue this week. The pedestrian wasn’t injured in the accident. Photo by Tony Cagala

and yield to pedestrians more. “The drivers comply with a pedestrian going out into the crosswalk and (the driver) stops and yields the right of way,” said Bilse. On Tuesday around 7 p.m., a pedestrian’s bike was hit while he was crossing at the exist-


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