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News from the City of Carlsbad | April 23, 2026

I’m starting this week’s update with a behind-the-scenes video of our crew installing the new all-way stop signs at Madison Street and Grand Avenue in the Village. Thank you to the community for sharing your input on this intersection and I’m glad we could make these changes to improve traffic safety.

I’ll also give you a glimpse of a beloved city program that has impacted thousands of students in Carlsbad (there’s a video of this one, too).



Here’s the full lineup:

• New all-way stop installed in the Village
• Share your input on Kelly Elementary School Safe Routes to School
• CityStuff brings local government to life for Carlsbad third graders
• Recognizing a lifelong love of reading
• Keep the Earth Day spirit going
• Prescription Drug Takeback Day is Saturday
• Last chance for Fiesta at the Rancho tickets
• Community events and activities
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

New all-way stop installed in the Village

A new all-way stop at Grand Avenue and Madison Street will make it easier for our community members to cross the street or turn onto Grand.



In this video, you can go behind the scenes with our crew who did the installation Wednesday morning. 

After receiving community concerns about the intersection, staff analyzed traffic volumes and patterns and recommended an all-way stop to enhance pedestrian access. The City Council approved the project at its March 24 meeting. 

As an added bonus, an all-way stop at this intersection will allow the city to add new parking spaces by removing red curbs that will no longer be needed.

Addressing parking needs in the Village and Barrio remains a top priority for the city, with 44 spaces added last year. Last month, the City Council advanced two additional parking projects, aimed at both near-term and longer-term strategies to increase parking availability.



You can view more details about those efforts on the city’s website.

Share your input on Kelly Elementary Safe Routes to School

Earlier this week, the City of Carlsbad launched an online survey to gather input on potential street improvements in the area around Kelly Elementary School.

The survey is part of the city’s effort to develop a Safe Routes to School plan for Kelly Elementary that will identify short and long-term infrastructure improvements. The city has already completed some recent street improvements along Kelly Drive, including new all-way stops, a new queue lane for the school parking lot and restriping the street median.

• Safe Routes to School is one way the city is working with the community to enhance traffic safety. It is based on the 3 E’s of traffic safety: education, enforcement and engineering.
• This program creates opportunities for city staff to collaborate with students, parents, school officials and nearby residents to develop a plan that reflects the needs of the surrounding community.

Community input is a crucial component of developing a Safe Routes to School plan, so I encourage you to take a moment to share your thoughts if you live near Kelly Elementary or have a student at the school.

The online survey will be open through May 18. You can also share input by emailing us at traffic@carlsbadca.gov.

Background

During its meeting on Dec. 9, 2025, the City Council directed staff to develop a Safe Routes to School plan to identify future street improvements near Kelly Elementary School. Developing the plan takes about one year. In addition to working with the community to gather input, the city is analyzing current conditions to identify potential improvements.



Once the improvements have been identified, staff will present the final plan to the City Council for review and consideration. 

CityStuff brings local government to life for Carlsbad third graders

Every year in the City of Carlsbad, more than 1,000 local third graders get an inside look at how government works through CityStuff, a beloved annual program. They even get to hold a mock City Council meeting where they decide the fate of an 80-year-old tree damaging a sidewalk – you can see some highlights from a previous year in this video.

• CityStuff began in 2002 through a partnership between the City of Carlsbad, Junior Achievement and local elementary schools.
• Since then, the program has served an estimated 20,000-plus students through five one-hour sessions in the classroom, followed by a sixth lesson at the Council Chamber.
• This year, from March 18 through May 7, 41 classes from 14 local schools are taking part in CityStuff and experiencing democracy in action.

The first four interactive lessons teach what it takes to build and maintain a city, as well as the important role businesses play. Students learn about city planning, zoning, taxes, banking and becoming an entrepreneur as they work together to create their own restaurant.

The fifth lesson is all about the City of Carlsbad and the important job of the Mayor and City Council members as well as how Carlsbad became a city.

In the sixth lesson, highlighted by the mock City Council meeting at the Council Chamber, each student plays a part as the Mayor, City Council members, local experts or residents. And on occasion, the Mayor or City Council members will drop by the sessions to engage with classes visiting. Students also visit the Georgina Cole Library and Harold E. Smerdu Carlsbad Community Garden, where a scavenger hunt adds an extra layer of discovery to the unforgettable experience.

CityStuff is open to any school that serves Carlsbad third grade students. Teachers who want their classes to participate can sign up starting in January.

Ask your child's third-grade teacher about CityStuff, and if they're not yet participating, ask the teacher to reach out directly to the city.

Recognizing a lifelong love of reading

National Library Week is the perfect time to recognize the city’s dedicated library staff who support our community year-round. Across Carlsbad, library employees inspire a love of reading every day.

Today, we’re highlighting one library worker who has made a lasting impact over more than three decades.

Terry Bradshaw is one of the city’s longest-tenured Library Assistants with 33 years of service. You’ll often find her at the Georgina Cole Library leading children’s story time and class tours or helping patrons sign up for new library cards.

With the city’s annual Carlsbad Reads Together program in full swing, Terry has been sharing the children’s selection, “The Dot,” with local kids. She's helping bring the citywide reading program to life for our youngest readers. Watch this video to see Terry tell us more about the book.

Keep the Earth Day spirit going

With Earth Day this past Wednesday, I thought I’d share some good reminders of small actions you can take at home to make a difference year-round. Here are a few ideas to protect our environment:

• Keep food out of the landfill by planning meals, saving leftovers and composting food scraps
• Protect local waterways by keeping litter out of streets and storm drains and properly disposing of household hazardous waste
• Recycle right by keeping recyclables clean and dry and checking what belongs in each cart
• Reduce waste at home by using reusable bags, bottles and containers and choosing products with less packaging
• Save water outdoors by watering efficiently and choosing drought-tolerant plants for your yard
• Use energy wisely by turning off lights, unplugging devices when not in use and shifting energy use to off-peak hours when possible

You can find more ideas like these on the city’s How to Help the Environment webpage. If you’re ready to take the next step, you can put these ideas into action this weekend at our Fixit Clinic and/or our Electronic Waste Collection Event.

Fixit Clinic

Electronic Waste Collection Event

Saturday, April 25

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Georgina Cole Library

1250 Carlsbad Village Drive

Bring in broken or worn items like bikes, small appliances, clothing or even luggage and work side by side with volunteer coaches to repair them. The city will provide tools, workspace and guidance to help you troubleshoot and give your items a second life.

At the same time and place, Republic Services will collect old or broken electronics for proper recycling, making it easy to dispose of items responsibly instead of sending them to the landfill.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Properly disposing of unwanted or expired medication helps keep our community safe and protects our environment, too. The city is hosting a drop-off event on Saturday, April 25, as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Saturday, April 25

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Safety Training Center

5750 Orion Street

If you can’t make it Saturday, the city also offers a year-round Prescription Drug Drop Box at the Police & Fire Headquarters at 2560 Orion Way.

Last chance for Fiesta at the Rancho tickets

If you’ve been thinking about joining us for Fiesta at the Rancho, there’s still time to get your tickets. This special evening at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park brings together great food, live entertainment and a silent auction in a one-of-a-kind setting that celebrates Carlsbad’s history.

Fiesta at the Rancho

Saturday, May 9

5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

6200 Flying Leo Carrillo Lane

Tickets: $150

Proceeds support the California History and Art Program, which serves more than 1,100 Carlsbad fourth graders each year through hands-on learning experiences. The city partners with Friends of Carrillo Ranch, Inc. to make this program possible.

More community events and activities

Here are some more activities and events happening soon at our city libraries, community centers and the Carlsbad Senior Center:



• Cinema Club Friday: "The Last Dragon" – Friday, April 24, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Arbor Day volunteer tree planting event – Saturday, April 25, 8 to 10:30 a.m., Poinsettia Community Park
• Fixit Clinic – Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cole Library
• Front Row Saturday concert: Chris Torres – Saturday, April 25, 5 p.m., Dove Library
• Your Morning Music with a Slice of History: Rockabilly and Motown – Monday, April 27, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Carlsbad Senior Center
• Reel Wednesday: "The American President" – Wednesday, April 29, 4 p.m. only, Dove Library
• Carlsbad High School Film Academy Spring Film Series: “It Came from Beneath the Sea” – Wednesday, April 29, 7 p.m. only, Dove Library 

What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

The next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, April 28, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include: 

• Awarding a contract for a project to replace street light bulbs with LEDs across the city 
• Extending an agreement with an engineering firm for the project to repair and upgrade the beach access stairways, upper sidewalk and railings and lighting on the west side of Carlsbad Boulevard between Pine Avenue and Tamarack Avenue
• Terminating a no-longer-needed easement that gave the Carlsbad Municipal Water District access to a school campus to install or maintain public infrastructure
• Awarding a contract to repair sidewalks across the city 
• Updating the community grants program to make it simpler and easier for community groups to apply 
• Appointing two members to the Historic Preservation Commission 
• A proposed ordinance that would allow the temporary storage and staging of construction equipment and materials within the city’s public right-of-way
• Adopting an ordinance approving the Police Department’s use of what’s considered military equipment, which is required by state law
• Approving the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Annual Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant Program

The agenda and staff reports are available on the city’s website.

3 easy ways to participate

1. Sign up to get agendas and staff reports emailed to you directly
2. Provide feedback via email to clerk@carlsbadca.gov by 2 p.m. the day of the meeting 
3. Sign up to speak at the meeting

… and 3 ways to watch

1. Follow the meeting live on the city's website 
2. Watch the meeting live on the city’s cable channel: Spectrum channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99
3. Watch a recording of the meeting afterward (online or on our channel)

The Economic Development Subcommittee is also scheduled to meet on Tuesday. See the full meeting schedule on our city calendar. Board and commission meetings are livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward.

It looks like we could be in for some rain this weekend, so if you’re out and about, please take your time and look out for one another on the roads. Take care and I’ll be back next week with more updates.

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager