Carlsbad is continuing its efforts to improve traffic safety after two bicycle fatalities over eight days in August prompted the city to declare a local emergency.
Education, engineering and enforcement are the three components of traffic safety, and efforts there seem to be working so far, City Manager Scott Chadwick told the Carlsbad Planning Commission at a special meeting last week.
Part of the city’s strategy is to work closely with schools. E-bikes have become hugely popular since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and clusters of students on their new machines dart along streets near campuses at arrival and departure times.
“Practically all the children you see riding e-bikes are wearing their helmets,” Chadwick said, a change from before the pandemic.
He recalled seeing three kids with surfboards riding one e-bike before the city declared its emergency and allocated $2 million to support an immediate response.
Signs and message boards have been posted, high-visibility bike lanes added, pedestrian crossings upgraded and enforcement enhanced. Traffic citations are up, and there have been no fatal bicycle collisions since August, he said.
“We are carefully tracking this,” the city manager said.
Carlsbad schools do not use buses, which would reduce the number of children who ride bikes or are driven to school. The city considered a bus program as part of increased safety efforts, but the idea was quickly ruled out because of the expense.
A fleet of 110 electric buses would be required at a cost of $44 million, excluding administration, staffing and other expenses, according to an estimate by city staffers.
Planning Commission Chair Joseph Stine emphasized the need to focus enforcement efforts on areas that statistics show to be "hot spots" for collisions, such as the downtown Village and intersections along El Camino Real and other thoroughfares.
Education is especially important for young bike riders who often are less aware of dangers and more likely to take chances, the commissioners said.
All drivers need safety lessons, not just young people, said Commissioner Alicia Lafferty.
“The education aspect is something that’s so incredibly valuable,” Lafferty said. “We want to be able to expand that ... not just for the bikers, but for other people who run into issues.”
Carlsbad became the first city in the region to pass an e-bike safety ordinance in March 2021, before the fatalities, prompted by rising rates of collisions involving bicycles and vehicles.
The new rules include a diversion program that allows first-time offenders to avoid a citation by enrolling in an education program.
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