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In this first update of 2024, I’m sharing a little-known gem hiding in plain sight along our coastline, plus ways the city can help get your new year off to a safe and healthy start:

• Crosswalks: good, better and best
• North Encinitas roadwork getting underway
• Trail of the week: A detour worth taking
• 3 top New Year’s resolutions, Carlsbad style
• Winter Reading Challenge launched
• Meet the author behind Netflix’s most watched series in 2023
• First City Council meeting of 2024
• Tree recycling through Jan. 14
• Carlsbad athlete draws national attention (again)

Coastal crosswalks under construction

Over the past two months, we've been putting together a weekly construction map to keep you updated about city projects and help you avoid areas where road work could cause traffic delays. One of the projects you'll see on the map is improving six crosswalks on Carlsbad Boulevard, one of the hot spots on our injury collision heat map.

We've already completed the improvements on a crosswalk in the north part of Carlsbad Boulevard, in front of the Army and Navy Academy. This video gives you an idea of what the upgrades look like.

You might remember that we upgraded crosswalks along the coast several years ago. This next round of improvements will build on the safety features already there:

In addition to the improvements described above, the five remaining crosswalks will feature flashing lights in the pavement to alert drivers when someone wants to cross. 

Construction hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The project should be done in time for summer.

• Please remember to slow down in construction zones
• Stay alert for crews as well as people walking, biking and driving in the area

Thank you for your patience as we make these improvements. Don't forget to check the map each week to see where other road work is taking place. Keep in mind that it only shows city projects, not private projects or work by local utilities.

Heads up on north Encinitas construction

The City of Encinitas let us know they’re about to begin the final phase of the Leucadia Streetscape Project along Coast Highway 101 (it’s called Carlsbad Boulevard in our city, but it’s the same road).

This last part affects Coast Highway just south of La Costa Avenue at the Carlsbad border. They’ll be doing drainage improvements first, followed by roadwork. You can expect periodic lane closures and detours over the next 18 months.

Get more information about the Encinitas project in this fact sheet and project website. To sign up for project updates, email the project team at streetscape@encinitasca.gov.

A gem hiding in plain sight



This week I’m going to share some fun facts about the sea wall that starts just south of Tamarack. That’s not an official city trail, just a nice, wide sidewalk. I will also tell you about a very cool trail nearby that is part of the citywide trails system. 

Southern “sea wall” (Carlsbad Shore Protection Wall)

Last week I explained the “upper sea wall” and the Sea Wall Trail, which everyone calls the “lower sea wall.” This week we’ll continue south to what most people just call “the sea wall.”

• This wide path is about 1 mile from Tamarack Avenue to Cannon Road, and for most of that time you’ll walk along a sea wall built in the 1990s.
• This one was completed in 1996 to protect the Agua Hedionda Lagoon from beach sand blowing into it and to protect Carlsbad Boulevard from sand and storm damage.
• If you weren’t around in the 90s, you can imagine the “before” state if you’ve driven along Ponto beach where mounds of sand tend to pile up along the road and parking area.
• Like the sea wall to the north, this one stands at about 3 ½ feet tall, and goes down 20 feet underground.

Here is one of the original drawings of the project, created 30 years ago, before advancements in computer-generated design. 

In addition to marveling at the engineering involved, you can also see part of the city’s public art collection, created by artist Raul Guerrero. The protective sea wall has been embossed with a meandering fish pattern, and at lifeguard towers 31, 32 and 33 there are several mosaic tile squares inlaid into the wall.

In case you’re wondering, this is the same sea wall art we feature on the city’s home page:

North Shore Hubbs Trail



Most locals have plenty of experience walking along this portion of the sea wall – it’s one of the most popular spots in all of Carlsbad. A nearby 1-mile roundtrip trek along the north shore of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, however, could easily be overlooked.

• The trailhead is beside a small utility structure, just north of the bridge over the lagoon inlet.
• You can also get there from Garfield Street if you are willing to walk down a ramp and start in the middle.
• It’s an easy 1-mile round trip stroll right along the water.

The trail offers a unique perspective on the outer portion of the lagoon (Agua Hedionda Lagoon is divided into three parts, the outer, middle and inner lagoons). The 66-acre outer lagoon allows shore fishing and provides intake water for the Carlsbad Desalination Plant.

Where does the trail name come from?

As you approach the eastern end of this short trail, you may pass a nondescript set of buildings without taking a second look. This is the Leon Raymond Hubbard, Jr., Marine Fish Hatchery, one of several locations operated by the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.

• It’s part of the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program, focused on restoring the California white seabass population in our oceans, the only program of its kind on the West Coast of North America.
• The trail is named after the facility, which, in turn, is named after Dr. Carl L. Hubbs, one of the foremost scholars in the field of Ichthyology (I had to look that up. It’s the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish).
• The hatchery is not open to the public, so please don’t drop by, but they do tours occasionally. You can find out about that on their website. 
• Or, you can watch this five-minute video, filmed in 2022 during an industry conference, to learn about the interesting work that happens there.

3 top New Year’s resolutions, Carlsbad style

Carlsbad residents tend to focus on enjoying a healthy outdoor lifestyle year long, so here are a few other ideas if you’re looking to solidify your New Year’s resolutions:

Goal: Be more social and meet new friends.

• Connecting over shared interests is one way to make new friends. Do something you love and find your people in one of our city classes or programs, which run the gamut from physical fitness to art and technology. (Some examples below.)
• If you're 50 or older, our new Community Friendship Builders group is all about making new connections. It meets at the Carlsbad Senior Center on the second and fourth Friday of the month at 11 a.m. for activities and conversation designed to spark common interests.

Goal: Learn something new.

• Indulge your creative side with a class on ancient Japanese brush painting.
• Learn to research your family tree in one of our genealogy computer classes.
• Explore new technology with a 3D Design workshop at Dove Library.

Goal: Experience more art in your life.

• Do you need more art, movies or music in your life? The City of Carlsbad has some fantastic cultural arts programs, including the Cinema Club, performing arts shows, interactive art experiences, gallery exhibitions and more. See our arts calendar and sign up for email updates.

Want to read more in the new year? Join the Winter Reading Challenge

If reading more is on your 2024 to-do list, get started by joining the Winter Reading Challenge. Read for at least 240 minutes before Jan. 31, and you can earn a $20 voucher for Dave & Buster’s. This year's theme is "Where We Come From," celebrating the rich and diverse backgrounds that make up our Carlsbad community.

Here's how it works:

• Register – Sign up for the challenge on the Carlsbad City Library's Beanstack page or through the Beanstack app for Android or iOS. You'll need to log into your account or create an account if you don't already have one.
• Record – Read and track your minutes in Beanstack until Jan. 31.
• Reward – If you read 240 minutes or more, you'll earn a $20 Power Card voucher compliments of Dave & Buster's at The Shoppes at Carlsbad. Visit any library branch by Feb. 7 to pick up your reward while supplies last.

Meet the author behind "The Night Agent"

Among the many, many year-end compendiums released over the holidays was Netflix’s first comprehensive “What We Watched” report. At the top of the list, clocking in at 812,100,000 hours viewed globally, was “The Night Agent.” Now, you can meet the author of the book that inspired the series when he stops by Dove Library this weekend.

Quirk studied history and literature at Harvard College and then spent five years reporting on crime, private military contractors and international gangs for The Atlantic. He has written eight thrillers that you can check out from the Carlsbad City Library.

Matthew Quirk author event

Saturday, Jan. 6

2 p.m.

Dove Library Schulman Auditorium

1775 Dove Lane

Registration is not required, but seating is first come, first served

Here is a link to the library’s regular author events lineup, which features writers talking about their work and answering questions from the audience. 

First City Council meeting of 2024

The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, Jan. 9, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics will include: 

• Monthly update on the city’s investments  
• Contracts for refurbishing the roof and exterior of the Calavera Hills Community Center and replacing the audio and video systems at the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium at the Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane 
• Additional funding to cover needed design changes for water infrastructure improvements on El Fuerte Street, Palomar Airport Road and Melrose Drive
• Extending an easement at the city’s fleet maintenance yard to allow SDG&E to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of the city’s transition to electric-powered vehicles
• A contract to begin the process of replacing the outdated system used to remotely monitor and control Carlsbad’s water and sewage operations 
• Putting projects out to bid for the replacement of water and sewer lines on Foxtail Loop, Palomar Oaks Way, Valley Street and the Tyler Street alley  
• Purchasing eight housing units originally sold by developers as affordable housing. The city buying these units will allow them to remain designated as affordable housing and resold to eligible lower-income buyers as part of the city’s efforts to increase the amount of affordable housing in Carlsbad  
• Appointing one member to the Beach Preservation Commission and one to the Parks & Recreation Commission 
• Conducting the annual review of elected officials’ compensation, which is required each January by the Carlsbad Municipal Code 
• Approving the reissuance of state bonds that were issued to a developer in 2003 to build the 106-unit Mariposa Apartments affordable housing development off College Boulevard in Calavera Hills
• The annual work plans for the Parks & Recreation Commission, the Senior Commission and the Beach Preservation Commission
• An update on a project to redesign several streets in the Barrio to reduce speeding and improve walkability, including options for two intersections where traffic circles were not feasible 
• The semiannual report on the city’s ongoing efforts to improve traffic flow and redesign city streets according to the policies in city’s General Plan, which are focused on safe, convenient and efficient travel for all modes of transportation

See the full agenda and staff reports

The City Council encourages your participation. You can get agendas and staff reports emailed to you directly, and if you want to provide input, you can email council@carlsbadca.gov before the meeting or come in person and fill out a request to speak.

If you want to watch from home, we have three options:

1. Watch the meeting live on the website
2. Watch a recording of the meeting afterward
3. Watch live or a replay throughout the week on the city's cable TV channel, Spectrum channel 24 and AT&T U-verse channel 99

Boards and commission meetings are also livestreamed on the city's website and available to watch afterward. You can see the meeting schedule on our city calendar.

Recycle your tree through Jan. 14

As a reminder, you can still recycle your Christmas trees through Jan. 14. Place your tree next to your green compost cart on your regular collection day (cut it in half if it’s larger than 6 feet) or drop it off at one of five locations across the city:

• Calavera Hills Community Park, 2997 Glasgow Drive
• Fire Station 1, 1275 Carlsbad Village Drive
• Palomar Transfer Station, 5960 El Camino Real
• Poinsettia Community Park, 6600 Hidden Valley Road
• Stagecoach Community Park, 3420 Camino de los Coches

IMPORTANT: Learn how to prep your tree for recycling.

Local athlete draws national attention

Congratulations are in order for Carlsbad High School quarterback Julian Sayin, who was announced yesterday as the Gatorade California Football Player of the Year. He was also named one of three finalists in contention for the national award.

Julian is now enrolled at The University of Alabama and is committed to playing for the 18-time National Championship winning team starting in the 2025 season. He was spotted practicing with his new team before the Rose Bowl earlier this week and will join spring practice later this year.

We are proud to have so many outstanding and talented young people in Carlsbad, from sports to STEM to music and more. Good luck, Julian!

I hope you had a wonderful start to the new year, even if it was followed by some rain. Speaking of which, please remember to turn off your automatic sprinklers if you haven’t already. With recent storms, you should be able to forego watering your garden for at least a couple of weeks, saving both water and money!

Scott Chadwick

City Manager