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Early this morning, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his Pennsylvania burrow, saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter weather. While the groundhog’s annual prediction is not much of a nail-biter for those of us lucky enough to be in Carlsbad, I do see a chance of showers in the forecast on Sunday, which will require a little extra caution on our roads. Today, I have updates on our traffic safety efforts plus these topics:
- Learn about new projects
- Apply to serve on a new city commission
- Fire Department partners with schools
- Half-price museum passes at Carlsbad libraries
- Celebrating Black History Month
- Have an old appliance or furniture too big for the trash? We can help
- Heads up: Saturday event will briefly impact Poinsettia Park
- Upcoming city meetings
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Carlsbad residents sign the pledge for safer streets
Last week, we launched the Safer Streets Together pledge campaign, with the goal of engaging all parts of the Carlsbad community in our shared goal of safety by agreeing to this simple statement:
“I care about my community and pledge to do my part
to keep Carlsbad's streets safe for everyone.”
As you might imagine, the response has been overwhelming. Here’s what one local family who lives in the La Costa area had to say:
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You can join Andrew and Kara in showing your support by filling out this online form. It takes less than 30 seconds and can make a big difference.
Why? Because a key part of a “safe systems” approach to traffic safety is acknowledging that human behavior makes a difference. For example, the chart below shows how speed affects serious injuries and collisions. Human beings make mistakes. But those mistakes don’t have to be fatal.
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Once you take the pledge, please be sure to show your commitment to others with a window cling or yard sign (or both!). We’ll be at the Farmer’s Market every Wednesday this month handing them out. | |
You can also get these items at:
P.S. There has been such a positive response that some of our city library locations ran out of yard signs last week. Rest assured, we’ve restocked, and there are plenty to go around.
Partnering for safety
As part of the city’s traffic safety efforts, we’re teaming up with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Circulate San Diego to host a series of safety workshops and trainings. The first one is next week:
Virtual bike friendly driver class
Thursday, Feb. 9, 6-7 p.m.
Register today.
This would be a great class for newer drivers and anyone who wants some quick tips on how drivers and cyclists can safely share the road. Spoiler alert, one of the biggest causes of collisions is something called the right hook:
| Please consider signing on for this one-hour session, and many thanks to the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition for providing these sessions tailored to Carlsbad. | |
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Project updates
On Monday, city staff will be discussing several important safety projects with the Traffic & Mobility Commission.
Traffic & Mobility Commission
Feb. 6, 4 p.m.
Carlsbad City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive
Some of the topics include:
- Carlsbad Boulevard and Tamarack Avenue improvements – options for reconfiguring the area around this busy intersection with cars, walkers and bicyclists.
- Tamarack speeding – an update to designs for slowing down cars on Tamarack Avenue between Skyline and Adams.
- A discussion of “Vision Zero,” an international program focused on eliminating fatal traffic collisions.
- An overview of street design concepts.
Okay, that last one might sound boring, but hear me out.
As part of the orientation process for new commissioners, we will be reviewing the principles behind something called complete streets.
- Since 2008, all cities in California have been required to consider all modes of travel when designing streets, whereas before cars were always the main focus.
- Here in Carlsbad, the City Council incorporated complete streets into our General Plan Mobility Element (an overall set of policies about how land is used to ensure an excellent quality of life).
- We had already been applying these new standards to our local roads, but since the emergency proclamation have been able to really accelerate their implementation (no pun intended).
I’ll share more on all this in the coming weeks.
The Traffic & Mobility Commission meets on the first Monday of each month and is a good place to learn about projects in the works and provide input.
The agendas and agenda packets are posted on the commission page. Sign up to get notified when they are available. You can watch Monday’s meeting on our website or come in person. Comments can be emailed before the meeting to traffic@carlsbadca.gov.
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Apply to serve on new city commission
Speaking of commissions, we are now accepting applications for our newest, the Community – Police Engagement Commission. The City Council formed this commission at the end of last year after getting input from the public and social justice organizations on issues related to law enforcement policies, practices and accountability measures.
Please read more about the commission and consider applying. The deadline is noon on Wednesday, March 1.
Another way you can learn more about our Police Department is by participating in their new Police Citizens Academy. This is a very popular program, so don’t be disheartened if you are placed on a waiting list. It will be worth the wait I promise.
Our Police Department understands that positive relationships with the community are essential components of a safe community. The horrific images out of Memphis last week were a sobering reminder of this.
Learn more.
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Fire Department works with local schools
You may think of our Fire Department as the ones who show up during an emergency, but they are also working to help prevent emergencies in the first place.
Recently, the city’s Fire Department has been working with local schools on two important programs. The first is training faculty in overdose recognition and intervention. The other is a series of “First Aid Life Skills” training for students. This includes teaching basic CPR, pediatric choking intervention, overdose recognition and how to recognize when someone is having a stroke.
The technical name for this is “community risk reduction,” and our Fire Department has made it an even greater focus in the past couple of years.
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Half-price museum passes at Carlsbad library
February is also National Library Lovers Month, and one of the things I love most about the Carlsbad City Library is how it connects the community with so many resources beyond just great reading materials. Here’s one example:
- In February, the library is offering free month-long passes that can save you 50% on admission to more than 60 San Diego County museums and other attractions, including the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad.
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The passes are valid through Feb. 28 and are courtesy of the San Diego Museum Council in honor of San Diego Museum Month.
- Each pass is good for up to four people to get half-off admission at participating museums, historic sites, gardens, zoo/aquariums and more.
You can pick up the passes at any Carlsbad City Library location.
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Learn more about the Carlsbad City Library’s cool resources and programs by visiting the library website or a library location near you.
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Black History Month
February is Black History Month and the City of Carlsbad is featuring programs and resources that celebrate the Black experience and Black historical figures who have helped shape our world.
Wednesday Film Series
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This month, the city’s Wednesday Film Series is presenting movies that tell compelling stories about the Black experience in America.
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Next up is Till, the poignant story of grief turned to action and the power of a mother to change the world.
------------------------Till (2022, PG-13, 2h 10m)
------------------------Biography, Historical, Drama
------------------------Feb. 8, 6 p.m.
------------------------Schulman Auditorium
------------------------Dove Library Complex
------------------------1775 Dove Lane
------------------------FREE
Carlsbad City Library programs
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The Carlsbad City Library also offers eResources like the Black Freedom Historical Records, which illuminate the challenges and triumphs the African American community has experienced in the pursuit of equality.
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In honor of Black History Month, the library will also host a virtual discussion of the graphic novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler's Kindred.
------------------------Graphic Novel Virtual Book Discussion
------------------------Feb. 27, 7-8 p.m.
------------------------Kindred by Octavia E. Butler’s
------------------------Email emily.hardy@carlsbadca.gov to register
B.I.G in concert
The city’s Showtime @ The Schulman concert series will celebrate Black History Month with a performance by B.I.G. (Brothers Igniting A Groove) on Feb. 25. The Orange County-based group performs a mix of R&B, smooth jazz and old school funk, including covers and original music.
-----------------------Showtime @ The Schulman
-----------------------Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
-----------------------Schulman Auditorium
-----------------------1775 Dove Lane
-----------------------Carlsbad, CA
-----------------------FREE
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What to do with your bulky household items
As part of our series on creating a more sustainable Carlsbad, this week we’re sharing tips on what to do with large household items that are broken or that you no longer need.
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Consider donating or reselling. If an item is in good condition, try to find it a new home. Have a garage sale, post it on a “buy-nothing” website or donate to a local charity.
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Repair broken items. Save money and help the environment by fixing your broken items instead of replacing them. Get free help repairing bicycles, small appliances and more at a local Fixit Clinic.
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Schedule a bulky item pickup. If you can’t donate, sell or repair your items, the city offers a bulky-item pickup service. You can call Republic Services at 760-332-6464 to request up to three bulky item pickups a year, with up to five items picked up each time. This service is included with your trash fees.
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Make sure your items are eligible for pickup. Acceptable items are typically too large to fit in your curbside cart and are under 200 pounds, such as appliances (including refrigerators), furniture, tires, carpet, mattresses, etc. Visit our website for the full list of items accepted.
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Prepare your items for pickup: Wrap mattresses in plastic or place in a mattress-disposal cover. Disassemble awkward items like home gyms or swing sets and bundle for easy handling. Cut down carpet to 4 feet in length and bundle.
Learn more on our Recycle, Reduce, Reuse webpage or email us at reducereuserecycle@carlsbadca.gov.
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Saturday event to briefly affect Poinsettia Park
If you’re planning a trip to Poinsettia Park this weekend, please be aware that the nonprofit Mitchell Thorp Run/Walk is taking place Saturday morning. About 800 people are expected to participate, and it will affect how you access the park.
- The park’s pickleball and tennis courts will still be open. All the other fields and picnic areas have been reserved for the event.
- The park’s entrance driveway will be closed from 9:20 a.m. to 11 a.m. to help ensure the safety of all participants.
- Cars won’t be able to enter or exit the park until all the runners and walkers have completed the route.
- Event staff will be on-site to notify vehicles of the closure as they enter.
- Overflow parking will be available at Pacific Rim Elementary School and KinderCare.
- At 9:45 a.m., three skydivers are expected to land at the park during the event’s opening ceremony.
Permits system maintenance
Speaking of temporary closures, if you happen to be remodeling or otherwise trying to access our building permit system, please be aware that in-person permitting services and online permits through the Customer Self Service portal will be unavailable tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 3, due to a system upgrade.
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Get involved: Upcoming meetings
The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, Feb. 7, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics scheduled to be discussed include:
- An annual report on the city’s Housing Trust Fund, which supports new affordable housing construction and housing-related services
- Buying an affordable housing unit on Laguna Drive to resell it to an eligible lower-income buyer, as part of a city program to make homeownership possible for people with low-incomes
- Updating the city’s travel policy to standardize accounting and make record keeping more efficient, among other needed updates
- The annual update on the city’s investment policy
- Awarding a contract to new sidewalks on parts of Garfield Street, Tamarack Avenue and Monroe Street either where none exist today or the ones there don’t meet today’s standards
- Introducing an ordinance that will make the rules governing the city’s Arts Commission consistent with those of the other city commissions
- Adopting ordinances that would raise the city’s limit on campaign contributions and increase the compensation for the Mayor, City Council members, City Clerk and City Treasurer
- The annual work plan for the city’s Housing Commission
- Reviewing the city’s efforts to combat homelessness and adopting the city’s recently updated Homelessness Action Plan
- Accepting a $2 million county grant to be used for the expansion of the La Posada homeless shelter owned and operated by Catholic Charities
- An update on the Clean Energy Alliance, a joint effort with surrounding cities that is providing more sustainable sources of energy
- An update on the city’s Internal Audit Program, including the status of previous recommendations and a look at upcoming audits
- Reestablishing the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District under a different state law to help promote local tourism more effectively
- Authorizing bidding on a project to resurface and restripe several east-west arterial streets, some of the city’s major east-west corridors, along with traffic safety improvements
A link to the full agenda and staff reports is available on the city’s website. You can watch the meeting live on the city’s website or cable TV channel.
The only other city meeting scheduled next week is the Traffic & Mobility Commission I mentioned earlier, on Monday at 4 p.m.
Before I sign off, I wanted to share a little research: according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Punxsutawney Phil, on average, has gotten it right only about 40% of the time over the past 10 years. So if you’re tired of the cold mornings we’ve been having lately, they won’t necessarily last another six weeks. Time will tell.
Have a nice weekend, and don’t forget to take the pledge for safer streets in Carlsbad.
Scott Chadwick
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