Encinitas City Council Contact List:

Mayor: Bruce Ehlers behlers@encinitasca.gov

District 1: Luke Shaffer lshaffer@encinitasca.gov

District 2:  Jim O’Hara johara@encinitasca.gov

District 3: Joy Lyndes  jlyndes@encinitasca.gov

District 4: Marco San Antonio msanantonio@encinitasca.gov

City Manager: Jennifer Campbell citymanager@encinitasca.gov

More info about City Leaders here

About HSIP Grant funding:

Encinitas was recently awarded four (4) grants from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) to increase the safety of our local road ways. HSIP is a federally funded program designed to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on public roads. It provides grants to states and local agencies for safety projects aimed at improving road infrastructure and reducing crash risks.  Projects are typically selected based on crash data, safety assessments, and cost-benefit analyses, where historical local road way data indicate high incident rates/risk, resulting in the need for enhancement. Encinitas was awarded these grants based on crash data and safety assessments for areas in the city, one of which included Encinitas Boulevard.    

HSIP aims to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by identifying, implementing, and evaluating cost-effective safety projects. Eligible safety project enhancements under the grant include:

• Bicycle lanes and crosswalk enhancements. 

• Traffic signal upgrades and pedestrian islands. 

• Roadway lighting and speed management improvements. 

• Protected bike lanes.

About a State of Emergency Declaration:

“Under Section 2.50 of the Encinitas Municipal Code and the California Emergency Services Act, a local emergency may be declared by the director of emergency services — in this case, the city manager — when conditions of “extreme peril to the safety of persons and property” arise. The declaration must be ratified by the City Council within seven days to remain in effect.

In short, a local emergency declaration allows cities to bypass certain procedural hurdles, enabling them to act more quickly to reduce threats to public safety through enhanced education, enforcement, and infrastructure improvements." Read it from the source, Walker Armstrong and the Encinitas Pocket.

Email City Council to take Action:

Below are two email templates. If possible, we strongly encourage you to adjust these messages to make them your own. 

Template 1: Declare State of Emergency and improve street safety along Encinitas Boulevard from El Camino Real to Cerro.

 Dear Mayor Ehlers and Council Members, 

Please declare a State of Emergency after the death of 12 yr old Emery Chalekian and 3 other vulnerable Encinitas residents this year. With the declaration of a State of Emergency, please focus on improvements to road safety between El Camino Real and Cerro (as detailed in the city’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan on page 42-43) beginning at the intersection of Encinitas Blvd and Village Square Drive where Emery was struck and killed. In addition, please include speed cameras, enforcement, and more speed limit signage in your plans for safety improvements

Template 2: Accept HSIP grant for improvements at Quail Gardens Dr to Via Cantebria

 Dear Council Members and Mayor Ehlers,

As a resident of Encinitas, I am excited about the prospect of the City of Encinitas acceptance of the HSIP grant to enhance street safety along Encinitas Boulevard between Quail Gardens Drive and Via Cantebria.  

I would like to the following enhancements to be implemented (as detailed on page 40-41 of the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan):     

                  Near-term: 

-High Visibility Crosswalks at Delphinium and Balour 

                  -Pedestrian Refuge Island at Balour

                 -Retroreflective Backplates 

                  Long-term:

-Multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists between Quail Gardens Drive and Via Cantebria.

I also believe that enforcement by speed cameras will make our city safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians (see the AB 645 article in the Blog section). 

Other Resources:

Encinitas Specific:

Encinitas Bike Walk

Encinitas Comprehensive Safety Action Plan

Podcasts:

Freakonomics: Why are Americans so good at killing pedestrians