View as Webpage

News from the City of Carlsbad | Jan. 22, 2026

If you’ve taken a walk around Carlsbad lately, you may have noticed some smoother sidewalks in your path. In today’s update, I’ll share a behind-the-scenes look at the technology that’s allowing our crew to repair portions of sidewalks across the city in record time and at a fraction of the cost.



I’ll also share how the community made strong use of our libraries in 2025, along with important safety reminders following a recent earthquake and the fifth anniversary of the Park Fire.

Here’s the full lineup:

• A speedy path to safer sidewalks
• New stop signs coming at State Street and Laguna Drive
• Be ready before an emergency strikes
• One for the books! Carlsbad City Library celebrates milestone
• Community events and activities
• Weekend rail closure
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

A speedy path to safer sidewalks

Thanks to technology, the city has fixed portions of city-owned and city-maintained sidewalks at 1,100 locations across Carlsbad more efficiently and at a fraction of the cost.

• Specifically, the city is doing mechanical slicing of uneven sidewalk joints, or the area where two concrete slabs connect.
• With this slicing technology, the team can repair most uneven sidewalk joints to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards in less than an hour.
• You can see the process in this behind-the-scenes video.

Repairs with mechanical slicing cost about 15 cents on the dollar versus the traditional way, which involves replacing the entire concrete panel, or rectangle. The previous process could cost thousands of dollars, take days and require a sidewalk closure while the original panel is demolished and the new concrete is poured in place.

The city began the sidewalk slicing project in the summer and is continuing the work through the winter. Many of the sidewalks repaired are in areas with a lot of pedestrians, such as the Village, along Carlsbad Boulevard near Tamarack Beach, as well as school zones throughout the city.

If you have or see an uneven sidewalk on public property, report it to us with the Carlsbad Connects App. If the sidewalk is owned or maintained by a homeowners association or another entity, city staff will let you know and help point you in the right direction. You should receive a response during the next business day.

New stop signs coming at State Street and Laguna Drive

New stop signs will be installed at the intersection of State Street at Laguna Drive next month to help address community concerns about safety. The City Council approved the new stop signs at its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

What’s changing?

• Currently, the intersection of State Street and Laguna Drive is a T-intersection, with one stop sign on Laguna Drive and flashing pedestrian signs at the crosswalk on State Street, south of Laguna Drive. When the new stop signs are installed, the existing flashing signs will be removed.
• A new crosswalk will be added on the east side of the intersection, on Laguna Drive.

Why add stop signs?

• In 2024, a new residential development was built on the west side of the intersection of Laguna Drive and State Street. Its driveway aligns directly with Laguna Drive, effectively adding a fourth leg to the intersection.
• Community members have expressed concerns about navigating this intersection due to limited visibility and speeds on State Street.
• Stop signs will help offer pedestrians another opportunity to cross the street and make it easier for cars to cross or turn onto State Street.

Watch our social media for updates, and I will circle back when construction is complete.

Be ready before an emergency strikes

This week brought some timely reminders that we never know when an emergency might strike, including Monday’s 4.9 earthquake near Indio that many in our county felt. Meanwhile, Tuesday marked five years since a wildfire erupted off Park and Marina drives in Carlsbad. The Park Fire, as it came to be known, forced the evacuation of homes along several nearby streets. 

Thankfully, these incidents didn’t lead to disaster. However, they do underscore the importance of being ready for any emergency. Preparedness begins with these three steps:

• Build an emergency kit that includes a three-day supply of water, non-perishable food, clothes and other essentials.
• Have a family disaster plan that designates an out-of-town friend or relative as a family contact and includes maps of alternate routes out of your neighborhood.
• Sign up for emergency alerts for the two systems used across our county. Add your mobile numbers, email and home addresses to Alert San Diego (landlines already get reverse 911 calls). Visit the Genasys Protect website or download the Genasys Protect app to find your zone and subscribe to location-specific guidance during emergencies like wildfire, flooding or other public safety emergencies.

Visit the city’s website to learn more tips for creating your emergency plan, stocking your kit and staying ready all year long. 

One for the books! Carlsbad City Library celebrates milestone

Carlsbad City Library is starting the new year celebrating a major milestone – 1 million checkouts to end 2025.

That’s thanks in part to the return of Sunday hours at the Georgina Cole Library and Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane last May. This video from last Sunday shows people waiting outside Dove for the doors to open, with additional highlights.

Here are some other fun facts from 2025:

• Physical circulation (books, DVDs): 1,005,560
• Electronic circulation (e-books, audiobooks): 351,615
• New library cards: 16,832
• Library visits: 587,690
• Hours open: 8,649 (compared to 8,411 in 2024)

I’m excited to see what numbers a full year with Sunday hours brings.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore all the library has to offer, now is a great time. There is still time to join our annual Winter Reading Challenge, where our community is working together to reach our most ambitious community reading goal yet of 250,000 minutes. 

Library hours

Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane and Georgina Cole Library)

Community events and activities

Speaking of bringing our community together, here are some of the community events and activities happening soon at our city libraries, community centers and the Carlsbad Senior Center:

• Cinema Club Friday: "Minority Report" – Friday, Jan. 23, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Front Row Saturday: Alejandro Godoy Enrich – Saturday, Jan. 24, 5 to 6 p.m., Dove Library
• Volunteer Expo – Saturday, Jan. 24, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Georgina Cole Library
• Volunteer Concert: Brian Neale – Monday, Jan. 26, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Reel Wednesday: "Christopher Robin" – Wednesday, Jan. 28, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library

Find more information and fun things to do in our city calendar, the Senior Center’s Seaside Insider newsletter and our Winter Community Services Guide.

No coastal rail service this weekend

The North County Transit District asked us to remind you there will be no rail service this Saturday and Sunday between the Oceanside Transit Center and Santa Fe Depot in San Diego due to routine maintenance and rail infrastructure work. This kind of closure – called an Absolute Work Window – happens several times each year. Learn more on the NCTD website. 

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

The next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan. 27, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include: 

• An agreement with a consultant to prepare a Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 
• The city’s semiannual transportation report 
• Awarding the construction contract for the Barrio traffic calming project 
• Extending and amending an agreement for contract administration services for the Monroe Street Pool renovation and replacement project
• Continuing the proclamation of a storm-related local emergency to make swift repairs to a damaged storm drain in the coastal bluffs along Carlsbad Boulevard north of Solamar Drive
• City Manager’s employment agreement
• A request from the Carlsbad High School Lancer Dancers team for a “winning teams” grant to cover some of their travel expenses to a national competition 
• Adopting ordinances reflecting changes to elected officials’ compensation, following the annual review required by the Carlsbad Municipal Code
• Updating city regulations on accessory dwelling units to align with recent changes in state laws
• Annual work plans for the Parks & Recreation Commission, the Senior Commission and the Community-Police Engagement Commission
• An annual report on the City of Carlsbad’s and the Carlsbad Municipal Water District’s water, recycled water and wastewater operations and maintenance programs 

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 Carlsbad Library Board of Trustees is also scheduled to meet next week. Just like City Council meetings, board and commission meetings are livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward. See the full meeting schedule on our city calendar.

We may be due for some rain after our stretch of summer-like weather. So, if you’re out on the roads in the coming days, please slow down and stay safe.

Take care,

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager