North Coast Highway 101 Streetscape Project
As one of the City Council’s high priority projects, in early 2008 the City initiated a streetscape project to enhance the North Coast Highway 101 corridor. Community input has been utilized to create a concept plan for beautification, landscape, pedestrian, circulation, traffic management, and parking improvements for an approximately two (2)-mile stretch of North Coast Highway 101 (A Street to La Costa Avenue). A detailed design for the southerly segment extending approximately ½ mile (A Street to North Court) will be created and ultimately constructed based on the concept plan established with the project.
This page contains links to information about the North Coast Highway 101 Streetscape capital improvement project and will be updated periodically. Here you will have access to draft documents, exhibits, photographs, public notices of workshops and hearings, city staff reports, and more as the project proceeds through the design and permit process. To date, four workshops and additional public meetings and presentations have been held to receive citizen input in developing the project design.
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Next Steps
As directed by Council, staff will initiate the required discretionary permit process which includes a Design Review Permit, Coastal Development Permit and an amendment to the General Plan, Local Coastal Program and the North 101 Corridor Specific Plan (N101SP). North Coast Highway 101 is classified as a Major Arterial (four-lane roadway) in the Circulation Element of the City of Encinitas General Plan and depicted in cross sections of the N101SP as a four-lane roadway. Given the three lane configuration for Plan 4A, an amendment to the General Plan and N101SP roadway classifications are deemed appropriate. As the General Plan and N101SP are components of the Local Coastal Program, an amendment to the Local Coastal Program is also necessary.
Staff and the project consultant are reviewing the project plans and preparing a cost estimate to fully evaluate the project phasing and to refine Phase 1.
January 13, 2010 City Council Meeting
The project was presented to the City Council on January 13, 2010. Staff and the project consultant gave an overview of the entire process, the project plan alternatives, emergency response and the traffic analysis. Dan Burden a walkable communities and project facilitation expert was also in attendance to present traffic calming concepts and design criteria.
Council directed staff to move forward with Plan 4A as the preferred alternative and initiate the required discretionary permit process including an amendment to the General Plan, Local Coastal Program and the N101SP. Council also directed staff to evaluate the project phasing and return with a refined Phase 1 that focuses on walkability, the tree canopy, and traffic calming measures.
City Council Agenda Report, January 13, 2010
City Council Meeting Video, January 13, 2010
Public Notice for January 13, 2010 City Council Meeting
Questions/Comments
Public involvement is key to the ultimate design of the North Coast Highway 101 Streetscape. Please feel free to contact Diane Langager, Principal Planner by phone at 760/633-2714 or by e-mail at dlangag@cityofencinitas.org with any questions and/or comments you have regarding the North Coast Highway 101 Streetscape project.
Workshop #4 and Other Events
To allow for additional public input related to project alternatives, Community Workshop #4 was held on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the Encinitas Community Center; at which time a new design alternative (#5) was presented to compare to a refined version (#4A) of the previously created design Alternative #4. The results of additional traffic analysis were also presented.
The two alternatives provide differing design concepts which the public was asked to consider and provided feedback via a survey questionnaire. The Plans were also made available at City Hall for viewing during normal city hall business hours Monday, October 12 through Wednesday, October 14, 2009. Feedback from the citizens viewing the plans at City Hall was also requested via the Workshop #4 survey; however, the questionnaire distributed at City Hall clearly specified October 12 – 14, 2009. The results of the survey received from participants at the formal workshop on October 10, 2009 are computated separately from the results of the survey received form the citizens viewing the plans at City Hall.
Click here to view video of Workshop #4; October 10, 2009.
Public Notice for Workshop #4 & Other Events
Workshop #4 Survey:
October 10, 2009 Workshop Participant Results
October 12 – 14, 2009 City Hall Viewing Results
The Plan Alternatives consist primarily of the following:
Alternative 4A - Roundabouts, reverse angle & parallel parking, and one north bound lane
Alternative 5 - Four (4) travel lanes; traffic signals (no roundabouts), and parallel parking
Both plan alternatives work to maintain the majority of the existing trees.
Concept Plans/Project Alternatives:
Alternative #5-1
Alternative #5-2
Alternative #5-3
Alternative #4A-1
Alternative #4A-2
Alternative #4A-3
Alternative #5 Street Section A,B,C
Alternative #5 Street Section D,E,F
Alternative #5 Street Section G, H
Alternative #4A Street Section A,A1,B
Alternative #4A Street Section C,D
What is reverse angle parking?
Accessible on-street reverse and parallel parking
What is a pedestrian controlled “Hawk” signalized crosswalk?
Educational Session and Informational Open House
Other events were also held prior to Workshop #4 to assist in educating and informing the public of traffic calming, pedestrian safety & walkability concepts as well as the project status. These events consisted of an Educational Session held on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at which 44 participants signed in; and an Informational Open House held on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at which 69 participants signed in.
The educational session provided a broad range of presentations, educational material, and case studies on contemporary traffic and streetscape design concepts; and concluded with an informational open house during the last two hours. Three lecture components were conducted which presented 1) Pedestrian Safety/Walkability Design Criteria; 2) General Concept Designs/Theories regarding roundabouts; and 3) a case history regarding the Birdrock/La Jolla Streetscape Project. A panel discussion/question & answer period was also held.
The open house allowed for review of the project history, related documents, alternative #4 (from workshop #3), and questions for City staff & the design consultant.
Background Information
The following links provide background information for the process, past workshops and design work relevant to the North Coast Highway 101 Streetscape Project.
Kick-Off Presentations
Planning Commission Agenda Report, February 7, 2008
Planning Commission Meeting Video, February 7, 2008
City Council Agenda Report, February 13, 2008
City Council Meeting Video, February 13, 2008
Previously Completed Community Participation Workshops:
Workshop DVDs
A DVD of Workshop #1 Part B (Saturday 2/23/08), Workshop #2 (Thursday, May 29, 2008), Workshop #3 (Thursday, November 13, 2008), the Educational Session (Saturday 10/3/09) and Workshop #4 (Saturday 10/10/09) are available for viewing at the Encinitas and Cardiff Public Libraries. DVDs are also available for purchase at the cost of $15.00 at City Hall in the Planning & Building Department; 760/633-2710. Click here to view video of Workshop #4 located on the City’s website.
Workshop #1:
The first workshop was comprised of two-parts to present design theories and concepts to the public; conduct a walking tour and to receive initial comments from the community and ascertain the community’s preferred design themes. The public was asked to list their values for living in Encinitas and their priorities for the North Coast Highway 101 Corridor. The workshop participants were also broken into groups to brainstorm the design concepts/themes they support for utilization in the North Coast Highway 101 Streetscape Project. The results of the scoping are listed in the summary for Workshop #1.
Public Notice for Workshop #1 A & B (2/21/08 and 2/23/08)
Workshop #1 A & B Summary
Workshop # 1A (Thursday 2/21/08) Photos
Workshop #1B (Saturday 2/23/08) Photos
Workshop #2:
The second workshop was held to present alternative concept design plans to the community for review and feedback. The three alternatives presented to the public were:
Alternative #1 – Design characteristics: Roundabouts, reduction in the number of travel lanes (1 Northbound lane, 2 Southbound lanes), reduced travel lane widths, back-in angled parking, increased parking (328 spaces), and a restored/replanted tree canopy.
Alternative #1 included the majority of the design concepts supported by the community, however, in order to accommodate the reconfiguration of the travel lanes and angled parking the median needs to be relocated. With the relocation of the median many of the existing trees will need to be removed; therefore the restoration of the tree canopy would occur with new tree plantings.
Alternative #2 – Design characteristics: Traffic signals, reduction in the number of travel lanes (1 Northbound lane, 2 Southbound lanes), reduced travel lane widths, back-in angled parking, increased parking (350 spaces), and a restored/replanted tree canopy.
Alternative #2 includes the majority of the design concepts included in Alternative #1; however traffic signals are included in lieu of roundabouts. In order to accomplish the roundabouts as proposed in Alternative #1, some encroachment into private property occurs; therefore the City would need to acquire the property to complete the improvements. Alternative #2 was developed to avoid the encroachment by utilizing traffic signals. More parking spaces are accomplished with this design since traffic signals do not require as much space as the roundabouts. The road and median configuration is the same as Alternative #1, therefore existing trees will need to be removed and the restoration of the tree canopy would occur with new tree plantings.
Alternative #3 – Design characteristics: Roundabouts, reduction in the number of travel lanes (1 Northbound lane, 2 Southbound lanes), reduced travel lane widths, back-in angled parking, increased parking (261 spaces), and preserve majority of the existing tree canopy.
Alternative #3 includes the majority of the design concepts included in Alternative #1; however the road configuration and center median is meandered in certain areas to minimize the loss of existing trees. The tree canopy would be restored with the preservation of the majority of the existing trees and enhanced with new tree plantings. Given the meandering road and median configuration not as many parking spaces can be accomplished; only 261 spaces are accomplished with this alternative as opposed to 328 with Alternative #1 and 350 with Alternative #2.
Public Notice for Workshop #2 (5/29/08)
Workshop #2 Handout/Comment Form/Questionnaire
Workshop #2 Summary
Concept Plans/Project Alternatives
Other Design Options/Ideas
These concept ideas were provided by the consultant for consideration for integration into the project design.
Workshop #3:
The third workshop was held to present the refined plan alternative and to receive additional community input regarding the project. The public was asked to complete a questionnaire and participants broke into groups to comment on the Alternative #4.
Public Notice for Workshop #3 (11/13/08)
Workshop #3 Handout/Comment Form/Questionnaire (11/13/08)
Workshop #3 Summary of Questionnaire Responses (11/13/08)
Refined Plan Alternative #4
Other Streetscape Events:
Planning Commission Project Update – September 18, 2008 at 6:00pm; City Hall
A project status report was presented to the Planning Commission at their regularly scheduled meeting to inform them of the three design alternatives and provide an update of the results of the community workshops.
Planning Commission Agenda Report, September 18, 2008
Planning Commission Meeting Video, September 18, 2008
Informational Open House – October 1, 2008 from 4:00pm – 8:00pm; Encinitas Public Library, Community Room
This was an opportunity for the public to view the concept design plans to gain a further understanding of the project alternatives. The workshop summaries were also available in order to assess the results of the workshops. Staff and the project consultant were available to provide information and answer questions. It was an informal setting with no planned presentations; the citizens attended at their convenience. Approximately 90 citizens attended the Open House based on the sign-in sheet.