The fight over Santa Fe Drive is not over yet. Yesterday, the Encinitas City Council voted to move ahead with a redesign of the recently rebuilt stretch of the corridor, setting aside roughly $450,000 to rethink the western phase and pay for fresh design work and public renderings. The move opens the door to reconfiguring parking, widening travel lanes and reworking the bike lane setup along the half-mile just south of San Dieguito Academy, after months of testy public comment and a clear split between safety advocates and neighbors fed up with the current layout.
As reported by FOX 5 San Diego, councilmembers agreed to put roughly $450,000 toward updated plans, renderings and engineering that will explore alternatives to the back-in angled parking installed during last year's construction. According to FOX 5 San Diego, the council directed staff to study options such as parallel parking, buffered bike lanes and wider vehicle lanes. The station also noted that council promised a special public meeting in the coming weeks so residents can look over user-friendly renderings and weigh in on specific design choices.
What the city built and how it paid for it
The western phase of the Santa Fe Drive Corridor Improvements Project wrapped up in April 2025 and added separated bike lanes, new sidewalks, protected intersections, landscaping and a mid-block crossing near San Dieguito Academy, according to the City of Encinitas. The work came with a roughly $4 million price tag and was largely covered by state money that Sen. Catherine Blakespear helped secure, according to a press release from the senator's office.
Neighbors split over safety and access
Supporters, including school leaders and traffic-safety advocates, say the new protections have slowed drivers down and made it safer for students to cross the street. Opponents say the reverse-angle, back-in parking is clunky to use and has led to backups for everyday drivers, delivery trucks and mail carriers. One resident told The Coast News, "I urge you to review the before and after photos." Public comments capture a community split between people who want adjustments around the edges and others who want to rip out elements that safety advocates argue are proven tools for reducing crashes and injuries.
Price tag and next steps
Councilmembers were presented with three redesign concepts, each with different compromises. Staff materials put the midrange option at an estimated cost roughly $3.5 million, The Coast News reported. City staff say about $4 million is available for the corridor from a mix of state grants and local funds, and the council's decision to allocate roughly $450,000 will cover the next round of design work and public outreach, according to FOX 5 San Diego. Staff are expected to return to the council with more detailed drawings, updated cost estimates and a proposed timeline before any construction changes are approved.
What to watch
Sen. Blakespear and local traffic-safety organizations have urged city leaders to keep the core safety features of the project in place, warning in a statement that removing protections would be expensive and could undo recent safety gains along the corridor, according to a press release from the senator's office. The special meeting promised by the council, along with the follow-up staff presentations, will be pivotal moments for parents, students, business owners and commuters to speak up. Whichever design the council ultimately chooses will decide whether most of the new bike and pedestrian infrastructure stays, or whether Santa Fe Drive is reshaped again to put more emphasis on driver access.
