It was obvious from the very beginning that the turning radius of the new roundabout on Santa Fe Drive is too small. The city went ahead and built it anyway, not taking any additional property from the corner properties. This would have been too expensive and caused a political storm. Another engineering marvel by our wonderful city!.
I heard from an insider at city hall that workers are being pulled from the San Dieguito Water District to do unrelated work in the Public Works department, while people in the Engineering department are sitting on their butts. So if you live in the SDWD, the next time you pay your bill you will be paying for work being done in parts of the city that are in other water districts. Another example of creative financing by our marvelous city manager Kerry Miller!
Was there a need for a controlled intersection at that spot? Or is this just a method of slowing down traffic?
Roundabouts slow down commutes. Are we trying to increase commute time?
If it is for slowing traffic why not put it at the bottom of the hill? People seem to accelerate out of the circle and aren't going much slower except right at the circle.
Yea, that's what the city staffers must be doing all day, jerking off instead of thinking these things through! Sante Fe was fine the way it was. Park or no park. This fine piece of Crap has been brought to you by Blair A. Knoll (633-2793) for only $1,915,120.00 and that's just construction costs.
what if we narrow the 5 down to 3 lanes from TJ to OC, pocket the savings on maintenance and make coaster tickets 2 dollars. people would be forced to drive less. :D
Yes, Council's, City Manager's bad planning, poor foresight on Hall Property and all capital improvements, including library. They are so big on increasing their egos, they do so at our expense.
It is not only the Coastal Commission that has made the process so long, either, though Council, Pattinson, are always try to blame all delays on them.
I second the webcam! So much crazyness there...the other day I was headed west on Santa Fe, right as I approached the circle a 'soccer mom' in an Expedition coming east swerves LEFT and catches air off the raingutter dip onto Devonshire! Clueless! But the best part is, coming home from the freeway I now have right-of-way to turn left onto Rubenstien over all the cars coming up the hill...I just hope they know that... :(
Could macho vindictive Mayor Bossypants Christy Guerin, City Manager, Kerry Miller, City Attorneys Sabine & Morrison have put this torture chamber/device on Santa Fe to punish the Quality of Lifers who won the lawsuit against the city re the Hall Property demolition that spewed so many toxins into the air, before the required Environmental Impact Report was ever begun? Will there be a cluster of disease, down the road, in this area?
Has anyone else noticed how many irrigation/sprinkler heads were installed in the tiny patches of dirt along the "New & Improved" Santa Fe? What do they plan to grow that requires so much water?
And have you noticed the erosion that has already occurred in those planting patches with the recent rain? Where are the runoff controls? The city wanted to tax us to pay for the ocean pollution that they themselves create.
Yea, and I bet you really like all the GIANT yield signs placed all around the project. Way to go City Staff and Council! They are SO beautiful! I can't wait until they put more roundabouts in Encinitas too. Then it will look just like your home town on the east coast. I think we really need to pave over all the yucky dirt & get rid of all that ugly natural coastal vegitation while we're at it. If we just had more sidewalks, Encinitas would be a more walkable community. no chance of stubbing your toe or getting a pebble in your shoe. Once while I was walking to the beach I got a sticker in my foot. What we really need is more houses, we could tear down all the old ones & build condos & apartments so more people could move here from LA & New York. Mabe they could run for city council so we could get all their great ideas on what Encinitas should be like.
Hey, that last post, by anonymous is crazy. Who would want these circle jerks on 101? Who would give up part of their businesses to make the street wider?
I hope that previous post was just more sarcasm.
Or is it Aceti, resurfacing? hmmmm. I think it's ridiculous, too, that City thinks overflow parking can happen in parking lot by Rite Aid, Vons, etc. That place is usually packed, due to Family Fitness, from my experience. Private shopping centers are not designed for public parking for those visiting parks. The parking at Cottonwood Creek is woefully inadequate, too. And what about that stinky water?
More laughingstock antics. We are not happy with "Santa Fe streetscape" if that is what this farce is.
I personally love the round about. Once fully landscaped, the Sante Fe west of I5 will be one of the nicest streets in Southern CA.
I personally would like to walk to the beach and get a sticker in my barefoot like the previous reader mentioned, but I am afraid that I will get run over by all the Rat Race commuters.
The people that are saying negative things about the Sante Fe Streetscape are obviously people that do not walk within their community.
The roundabouts are perfect.
Not East coast. Try Worldly- Round abouts work all over the world. A round about will improve the quality of life for the whole community.
A Round about beats the hell out of a signal. Before you respond to this blog comment, research round about performance records on line againt that of a signal.
Dont be afraid of the change. You will be OK.
A small frightened minority fear change. Change will happen regardless. Lets make change positive and install more round about throughout Encinitas.
Obvously the person commenting about the round about does not know much about their design. No additional right of way will be needed and the adjactent businesses will prosper.
Increased bike ridership. Improved property values, over all improved quality of life for all Encinitas residents, and improved City Revenues from increased property values and business revenues.
Lets make Encinitas a place where people can get out of their cars with their pets and walk along the god given coastline. A ride in a car does not do the coastline justice. May God and all human spirits Bless Leucadia, may we continue to make our community more pedestrian freindly.
Lets reduce the need for foreign oil by getting out of cars and walking a little.
The roundabout is growing on me, I drove through there today and I kinda dig it. I like the tree planted in the center. I think it's neat but you know what makes it neat? Slowing down and checking out the groovy Lutheran church. Too bad that church is getting torn down. The giant yield signs are lame but the amount of money getting poured into Santa Fe is working, the area looks great. Too bad Leucadia will continue to get it's meger funds yanked. Just imagine if the important coastal corridor that is Leucadia got the same respect as Santa Fe Dr?
You can sure tell who is a property owner and who is a renter by the comments they make. So I guess if you are a renter you don't want the city improved because that might make it a nicer place to live and perhaps raise your rent.
Santa Fe drive is great and I hope soon all the streets will be improved to that quality.
For the most part the city is on the right track. However, there are still some in our city council that are out for themselves and not the people they are elected to represent. Santa Fe drive isn't one of those projects. None of the current council lives anywhere close to the improvements.
So, why did they do it? They got tired of hearing about all the commuters that speed through our neighborhoods when the freeway is busy. This is an attempt quell that activity and slow some of the speeders down.
hey peeps don't have a cow. The roundybout is cute and all but trucks and suvs don't fit. Soccer mommies keep crashing into it. I ride a motorcycle so I don't give a shit either way.
I have driven roundabouts in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. They only work well when traffic is light. When traffic gets heavy, stoplights are inevitably added. You can check this for yourself by taking a short trip across the border to Tijuana. Stay on Paseo de los Heroes. There are four roundabouts in four long blocks. The first at the Centro Cultural and the second, Cuauhtemoc, have stoplights and are organized chaos. The next two have stop signs and are slightly better because of less traffic. If you really want to test the efficacy of roundabouts, go to Mexico City and drive the roundabouts along Reforma. It's a hair-raising experience.
Roundabouts may be aesthetically pleasing, but again, only work well when traffic is light. The Scripps Hospital expansion, the Interstate 5 widening, and the development of the Hall property guarantee that the Santa Fe Drive roundabout will have to be modified. The city rushed this project. They should have waited to coordinate this with the other projects coming in the near future in the immediate area. I am talking about the roundabout. The undergrounding of utility lines is a huge improvement.
There are problems with the round-a-bout. Our new one is not typical. Most of the round-a-bouts I have driven are two lanes and of course that makes them wider. I will be interested to watch when the fire guys practice taking the hook n ladder through that thing. I think the idea was well intentioned but the design is lacking. Maybe we as citizens will grow to love it and the fire guys and NCTD buses will find a way to shrink.
Every one is entitled to their opinion, personally I think the roundabout is too small & really not a good thing for Santa Fe dr. There's no need for me to "research round about performance records on line" I've driven on many roundabouts the world over. Even Engineers in third world countries would have made it bigger. I realize there was no room, so maybe it was a bad idea. To me it just looks like it should be in a mall parking lot, instead of a busy street. That's why I took the pictures of the stuck truck & sent them to J.P. By the way, the traffic was backed up all the way to the intersection, blocking the entrance to the hospital. Yea, GREAT design! Way to go City! You can like the thing, it's o.k., Just don't assume that because I don't like it, I'm a uninformed fearful non walking renter. I liked the way Encinitas & Leucadia used to be. I'm not into living in the city & liked the rural beach community it once was. I walk & ride my bike daily. I just don't need designated arias to do so. It sucks when you have a trail you enjoy walking or riding on "improved" by the city. They cut down the natural vegetation, widen it to at least 6 feet, smooth it out & throw bark on it. sorry, I don't see how that's better. I don't like commuters cutting through our neighborhoods either. But you only have the City's of Encinitas & Carlsbad to blame. Way too many new houses are being built. More people polluting our ocean & taking our precious water. I'm a local business owner, Home owner & I lease a large piece of property here in Encinitas. I don't care about Improved property values. Unlike you I didn't buy my house to turn it over for a profit. I bought it because Encinitas is my home & I am raising my family here. Go ahead & turn Encinitas into Laguna. I give up. We're out numbered by transplants like you any way. It's a joke the city still calls itself "Flower Capital". Where are all the green houses & flower fields? Under your Friggin malls & McMansions that's where.
The Encinita round abouts are excellent. Designed by a world expert. the referenced Mexico round abouts were not designed properly.
Properly designed roundabout work beautifully. Signaled intersections suck.
Thank god some of the City engineers are thinking of creative ways to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety. They are true heros of encinitas. Because of their ingenuity, Encinitas will be a much nicer area than the typical LA beach community.
Hopefully people like "the all seeing eye" will get disgusted with how nice Encinitas is becoming and move to LA where they will fit in just fine.
Gerald I also have driven around the world and don't have the same experience as you. I have never met a round about that was hair raising. Mexico City is easy because it is so slow. Not because of the round abouts because of the poorly timed signals. The only areas that move at all are the big streets with round abouts.
Jon P. has an interesting comment about the City of Encinitas' 100 foot areial ladder truck. It may not fit through the roundabout. My guess is that the engineering was done so that when complete it will fit.
However, have you ever thought why we need a 100 foot aerial ladder in Encinitas when our tallest building is only 30 feet high. Perhaps we can trade it in for some trucks and engines that will actually be needed in our city.
This gets me started on firemen. Although everyone of their hearts are in the right place have you ever heard of anyone that gets paid $80,000 to sleep 33% of the time and watch television another 33% of the time. You would think that the city could find something for them to do the entire 24 hour shift that improves the city while they are not fighting fires. Maybe they should be on 8 hour shifts like most people are.
yeah , firemen are lazy, until they risk their life pulling your drunk ass out of the burning car you stacked trying to negotiate the roundabout on your way home from yeahguys (Yogis). Encinitas firemen are there when we need them and do a fine job in my opinion. I don't think they need all new firestations though.
Excellent comments about the Fire department trucks and favorable work conditions. The fireman profession is the best.
Get paid 80K+, plenty of time off so you can own another business, excellent union benefits including retiring with 3%/year pers (meaning you get 90% of your highest yearly wage pay when you retire after 30years on the force); and when you are at work, you get to watch movies, sleep, jog by the beach and work out. Many times a group will take the engine unit on a shopping spree, or just take a stroll along the beach.
Firemen have it made. My kids and nieces and nephews all want to be fireman... My friends that are fireman love it and I wish I was one too. As long as you don’t mind seeing and picking up a little road kill at the car accidents, or taking kids on tours through the station, or shining a brass plated fire hydrant. Plus in Encinitas, council wants to build 3 mutli-million dollar new fire stations… so our Encinitas Firemen will have the ultimate enjoyment opportunity. I can not wait to the huge high definition flat screens and comfy lounge chairs at each new station.
What a life to be a highly paid union fireman! Can it get any better?
Quietly, there is a push by some officials to form a regional fire authority in North County. If this happens, there will be no local city control over wages and services. Usually, salaries and benefits also increase when a fire authority is formed. Couple that with the authority's need for a grand master building to house the new fire authority staff, and fees for fire department services will be established.
i drive roundabouts several times a day, in encinitas and tj the main problem i see with the enci one is the clueless people driving in it... to many soccer moms and cell phone yuppies with bewildered expressions trying to figure it out. at least in tj people have got it down. also the comment about future traffic growth creating jams sounds profetic
oh yeah, how the hell did firemen get into this????
Yes, we could start a whole new post on firemen. We don't need a hundred foot ladder truck in our opinion. And yes, they could keep busy cleaning the yucky water at Cottonwood Park perhaps? Put some kind of filtration systems on a few of those trucks. They've got plenty o' hose!
Firemen make an awful lot of dough compared to most folks. We do count on them, but balance is essential. I was at Moonlight Beach one day when a big truck got stuck in the sand there. The fire guys had to dig it out. Grandkids thought it was fun to watch.
Where are the firewomen? I don't think we need the multi million dollar new firehouses, either. No way. And no more bureaucratic "authorities," either, just more burden on taxpayers.
Oh the fire folks will be for Mayor Guerin, probably, as she is always for raises in perks and benefits, pay, for sheriff and fire departments. I can't get over the fact that she is a big money spending "Republican." Hey, did you default on a home loan Christy Guerin? Or what? Wish someone with some courage would interview you.
The papers around here are pretty darn conservative. Christy might sic Sleazy Sabine on them. The local press often seem afraid to exercise their cherished First Amendment Rights. At least the La Mesa fiasco got coverage in the San Diego Union Tribune, and by Bill Arballo's column in the Coast News. What's up NCT? Are you afraid of Guerin's Goon Squad, Sabine & Morrison?
Oh, Mayor Guerin, how can you run in races if you had to retire on workman's comp disability from the sheriff's dept, where you were a lowly jail guard? You, hubby, all your bro-bros are on the dole. Welfare for the wealthy, we call it.
Hope you get defeated like the lanscaping and lighting measure, Propositions A and C did. Dalager, too, cuz he can't stand up to Ballbreaker Bossypants Guerin.
1. Above all else, he wants to build a regional park on our Wallet. Figure it out; $30,000,000-$60,000,000 with 58,000 residents- Thats $517 to $1,000 per resident. A family of 4 - thats $4,000.... Crowded Carlsbad will love using their new coastal regional park paid for by their kindhearted neighbors.
2. He wants to turn our neighborhood streets and roadways in freeflowing highways for commutors. Screw Pedestrians and quality of life in Encinitas, more commutor traffic needs to flow through our local streets to get to San Diego quicker! Whats wrong with you residents? Speeding Commutors do not affect on quality of life! Right?
Just read a great letter posted on Encinitastaxpaers.com about the upcoming election. The letter was called, "opportunity knocks". Take a look. I think that organization will be very helpful in getting two new councilmembers in Nov and throwing out the City Manger and City Attorney.
I agree with poster from April Fool Day. He speak my language. Him smart!!! Everything City Hall do...GOOD! Anyone who speak against-BAD! You Tarzan, me ...Jane!!
In all seriousness, ya'll must realize the anonymous feature is a good thing for BOOSTERS.
Everytime I want to go south of town, I make sure to go round the bout at least once, talking on my cell phone, driving my BMW SUV; looking around, checking if I see anybody I know in the circle, too. Got to go round the complete circle at least once a day.
As I go to Freeway 5, knowing I'll be stopped in traffic, I just reb my motor, count to ten, or much longer, knowing this gives me plenty of time to decide who to call next.
Can't fight progress! Wait, can you hold on awhile longer? I've got Steve Aceti on the line!
Hi, I'm a civil engineer and IMO there are better ways to slow down traffic and make our streets pedestrian friendly than roundabouts. But hey, at least your city is attempting to tackle this stuff. Some cities I work with don't care at all.
What was the objective of this particular round about? Slow down traffic? Avert a traffic signal?
Don't compare it to a signal when that wasn't even in the picture.
Slow down traffic? I though santa fe was an artery. Why should we slow down traffic. Quality of life, if you want traffic to be even slower than it is that is not thinking about quality of life. It takes forever to cross the City nowadays. What a waste of time.
And if you speak to cut through traffic, that ain't going away if we allow for even more densification to occur. More people, more traffic and our roads already can't handle it.
It was obvious from the very beginning that the turning radius of the new roundabout on Santa Fe Drive is too small. The city went ahead and built it anyway, not taking any additional property from the corner properties. This would have been too expensive and caused a political storm. Another engineering marvel by our wonderful city!.
ReplyDeleteI heard from an insider at city hall that workers are being pulled from the San Dieguito Water District to do unrelated work in the Public Works department, while people in the Engineering department are sitting on their butts. So if you live in the SDWD, the next time you pay your bill you will be paying for work being done in parts of the city that are in other water districts. Another example of creative financing by our marvelous city manager Kerry Miller!
Was there a need for a controlled intersection at that spot? Or is this just a method of slowing down traffic?
ReplyDeleteRoundabouts slow down commutes. Are we trying to increase commute time?
If it is for slowing traffic why not put it at the bottom of the hill? People seem to accelerate out of the circle and aren't going much slower except right at the circle.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE KEEP MOVING PEOPLE DON'T QUESTION WHAT WE DO EVER
ReplyDeleteI got stuck in one of those once when i took the family to Europe.
ReplyDeletePaliament
Parliament
hey kids look Parliament
Parliament
I almost got hit the other day in this thing by a real jerk. Maybe there is such a thing as a circle jerk.
ReplyDeleteYea, that's what the city staffers must be doing all day, jerking off instead of thinking these things through! Sante Fe was fine the way it was. Park or no park. This fine piece of Crap has been brought to you by Blair A. Knoll (633-2793) for only $1,915,120.00 and that's just construction costs.
ReplyDeletethere better be a gold plated fountain in the middle of that sucker for two million.
ReplyDeleteWe drove through this ridiculousness the other day and laughed
ReplyDeletetill we cried.
I blame Steve Aceti.
ReplyDeletesomebody should put a webcam up on that thing... never ending entertainment
ReplyDeletea bit off topic, but...
ReplyDeletewhat if we narrow the 5 down to 3 lanes from TJ to OC, pocket the savings on maintenance and make coaster tickets 2 dollars. people would be forced to drive less. :D
I can't wait to see how the "P.R.I.C.S." (People Riding In Crowded Streets) navigate this thing, especially when there's a pack of 10 or 20 of 'em.
ReplyDeleteThis is the curse of the Hall Property!
Yes, Council's, City Manager's bad planning, poor foresight on Hall Property and all capital improvements, including library. They are so big on increasing their egos, they do so at our expense.
ReplyDeleteIt is not only the Coastal Commission that has made the process so long, either, though Council, Pattinson, are always try to blame all delays on them.
Proper pre-planning prevents piss poor performance.
I second the webcam! So much crazyness there...the other day I was headed west on Santa Fe, right as I approached the circle a 'soccer mom' in an Expedition coming east swerves LEFT and catches air off the raingutter dip onto Devonshire! Clueless!
ReplyDeleteBut the best part is, coming home from the freeway I now have right-of-way to turn left onto Rubenstien over all the cars coming up the hill...I just hope they know that... :(
Oh, Wait....I don't live on Rubenstien anymore.... :)
ReplyDeleteCould macho vindictive Mayor Bossypants Christy Guerin, City Manager, Kerry Miller, City Attorneys Sabine & Morrison have put this torture chamber/device on Santa Fe to punish the Quality of Lifers who won the lawsuit against the city re the Hall Property demolition that spewed so many toxins into the air, before the required Environmental Impact Report was ever begun? Will there be a cluster of disease, down the road, in this area?
ReplyDeleteOh, that's right, demo was exempt, City claimed.
That's not what the judge said.
Has anyone else noticed how many irrigation/sprinkler heads were installed in the tiny patches of dirt along the "New & Improved" Santa Fe? What do they plan to grow that requires so much water?
ReplyDeleteAnd have you noticed the erosion that has already occurred in those planting patches with the recent rain? Where are the runoff controls? The city wanted to tax us to pay for the ocean pollution that they themselves create.
ReplyDeleteThe Sante Fe Streetscape project is a great design and will be wonderful once complete!!
ReplyDeleteWay to go City Staff and Council! This project is exactly what Encinitas needs.
The Round about is a wonderful traffic calming device that slows but not stops the traffic.
The commutor traffic should be on I5 not local streets.
This is money well spent that will greatly improve the quality of life for all residents.
As far as the cut through commutors, use I5 or the Coaster, not our neighborhood!
I can not, waite for more round abouts in Encinitas. The City install many on HW101 to slow traffic and make Encinitas a more walkable community.
Yea, and I bet you really like all the GIANT yield signs placed all around the project. Way to go City Staff and Council! They are SO beautiful! I can't wait until they put more roundabouts in Encinitas too. Then it will look just like your home town on the east coast. I think we really need to pave over all the yucky dirt & get rid of all that ugly natural coastal vegitation while we're at it. If we just had more sidewalks, Encinitas would be a more walkable community. no chance of stubbing your toe or getting a pebble in your shoe. Once while I was walking to the beach I got a sticker in my foot. What we really need is more houses, we could tear down all the old ones & build condos & apartments so more people could move here from LA & New York. Mabe they could run for city council so we could get all their great ideas on what Encinitas should be like.
ReplyDeleteHey, that last post, by anonymous is crazy. Who would want these circle jerks on 101? Who would give up part of their businesses to make the street wider?
ReplyDeleteI hope that previous post was just more sarcasm.
Or is it Aceti, resurfacing? hmmmm. I think it's ridiculous, too, that City thinks overflow parking can happen in parking lot by Rite Aid, Vons, etc. That place is usually packed, due to Family Fitness, from my experience. Private shopping centers are not designed for public parking for those visiting parks. The parking at Cottonwood Creek is woefully inadequate, too. And what about that stinky water?
More laughingstock antics. We are not happy with "Santa Fe streetscape" if that is what this farce is.
Yes, Encinitas is the laughingStock, the laughingBond, the laughingDalager, and the laughingGuerin of North County.
ReplyDeleteI personally love the round about. Once fully landscaped, the Sante Fe west of I5 will be one of the nicest streets in Southern CA.
ReplyDeleteI personally would like to walk to the beach and get a sticker in my barefoot like the previous reader mentioned, but I am afraid that I will get run over by all the Rat Race commuters.
The people that are saying negative things about the Sante Fe Streetscape are obviously people that do not walk within their community.
The roundabouts are perfect.
Not East coast. Try Worldly- Round abouts work all over the world. A round about will improve the quality of life for the whole community.
A Round about beats the hell out of a signal. Before you respond to this blog comment, research round about performance records on line againt that of a signal.
Dont be afraid of the change. You will be OK.
A small frightened minority fear change. Change will happen regardless. Lets make change positive and install more round about throughout Encinitas.
Obvously the person commenting about the round about does not know much about their design. No additional right of way will be needed and the adjactent businesses will prosper.
Pedestrians Safety, increased bike
continuing from the last comment
ReplyDeleteIncreased bike ridership. Improved property values, over all improved quality of life for all Encinitas residents, and improved City Revenues from increased property values and business revenues.
Lets make Encinitas a place where people can get out of their cars with their pets and walk along the god given coastline. A ride in a car does not do the coastline justice. May God and all human spirits Bless Leucadia, may we continue to make our community more pedestrian freindly.
Lets reduce the need for foreign oil by getting out of cars and walking a little.
The roundabout is growing on me, I drove through there today and I kinda dig it. I like the tree planted in the center. I think it's neat but you know what makes it neat? Slowing down and checking out the groovy Lutheran church.
ReplyDeleteToo bad that church is getting torn down.
The giant yield signs are lame but the amount of money getting poured into Santa Fe is working, the area looks great. Too bad Leucadia will continue to get it's meger funds yanked. Just imagine if the important coastal corridor that is Leucadia got the same respect as Santa Fe Dr?
You can sure tell who is a property owner and who is a renter by the comments they make. So I guess if you are a renter you don't want the city improved because that might make it a nicer place to live and perhaps raise your rent.
ReplyDeleteSanta Fe drive is great and I hope soon all the streets will be improved to that quality.
For the most part the city is on the right track. However, there are still some in our city council that are out for themselves and not the people they are elected to represent. Santa Fe drive isn't one of those projects. None of the current council lives anywhere close to the improvements.
So, why did they do it? They got tired of hearing about all the commuters that speed through our neighborhoods when the freeway is busy. This is an attempt quell that activity and slow some of the speeders down.
hey peeps don't have a cow. The roundybout is cute and all but trucks and suvs don't fit. Soccer mommies keep crashing into it. I ride a motorcycle so I don't give a shit either way.
ReplyDeleteBefore the council is given sainthood for the new and improved Santa Fe, look at other reasons why Santa Fe is being made over.
ReplyDeleteThe hospital will soon have a mega expansion. The hospital project won't have to mitigate traffic problems on Santa Fe.
The Hall project would need traffic mitigation on Santa Fe.
More traffic will funnel onto Santa Fe and adjoining streets as Caltrans constructs the widening of the freeway.
I have driven roundabouts in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. They only work well when traffic is light. When traffic gets heavy, stoplights are inevitably added. You can check this for yourself by taking a short trip across the border to Tijuana. Stay on Paseo de los Heroes. There are four roundabouts in four long blocks. The first at the Centro Cultural and the second, Cuauhtemoc, have stoplights and are organized chaos. The next two have stop signs and are slightly better because of less traffic. If you really want to test the efficacy of roundabouts, go to Mexico City and drive the roundabouts along Reforma. It's a hair-raising experience.
ReplyDeleteRoundabouts may be aesthetically pleasing, but again, only work well when traffic is light. The Scripps Hospital expansion, the Interstate 5 widening, and the development of the Hall property guarantee that the Santa Fe Drive roundabout will have to be modified. The city rushed this project. They should have waited to coordinate this with the other projects coming in the near future in the immediate area. I am talking about the roundabout. The undergrounding of utility lines is a huge improvement.
There are problems with the round-a-bout. Our new one is not typical. Most of the round-a-bouts I have driven are two lanes and of course that makes them wider. I will be interested to watch when the fire guys practice taking the hook n ladder through that thing. I think the idea was well intentioned but the design is lacking. Maybe we as citizens will grow to love it and the fire guys and NCTD buses will find a way to shrink.
ReplyDeleteEvery one is entitled to their opinion, personally I think the roundabout is too small & really not a good thing for Santa Fe dr. There's no need for me to "research round about performance records on line" I've driven on many roundabouts the world over. Even Engineers in third world countries would have made it bigger. I realize there was no room, so maybe it was a bad idea. To me it just looks like it should be in a mall parking lot, instead of a busy street. That's why I took the pictures of the stuck truck & sent them to J.P. By the way, the traffic was backed up all the way to the intersection, blocking the entrance to the hospital. Yea, GREAT design! Way to go City! You can like the thing, it's o.k., Just don't assume that because I don't like it, I'm a uninformed fearful non walking renter. I liked the way Encinitas & Leucadia used to be. I'm not into living in the city & liked the rural beach community it once was. I walk & ride my bike daily. I just don't need designated arias to do so. It sucks when you have a trail you enjoy walking or riding on "improved" by the city. They cut down the natural vegetation, widen it to at least 6 feet, smooth it out & throw bark on it. sorry, I don't see how that's better. I don't like commuters cutting through our neighborhoods either. But you only have the City's of Encinitas & Carlsbad to blame. Way too many new houses are being built. More people polluting our ocean & taking our precious water. I'm a local business owner, Home owner & I lease a large piece of property here in Encinitas. I don't care about Improved property values. Unlike you I didn't buy my house to turn it over for a profit. I bought it because Encinitas is my home & I am raising my family here. Go ahead & turn Encinitas into Laguna. I give up. We're out numbered by transplants like you any way. It's a joke the city still calls itself "Flower Capital". Where are all the green houses & flower fields? Under your Friggin malls & McMansions that's where.
ReplyDeleteThe fucking round-a-bout is fucking yuppie bullshit you fucking yuppie assholes.
ReplyDeleteNice blog btw. 1st time reader. I own 5 properties in Encinitas, 2 of them since 1970.
ReplyDeleteThe Encinita round abouts are excellent. Designed by a world expert. the referenced Mexico round abouts were not designed properly.
ReplyDeleteProperly designed roundabout work beautifully. Signaled intersections suck.
Thank god some of the City engineers are thinking of creative ways to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety. They are true heros of encinitas. Because of their ingenuity, Encinitas will be a much nicer area than the typical LA beach community.
Hopefully people like "the all seeing eye" will get disgusted with how nice Encinitas is becoming and move to LA where they will fit in just fine.
Gerald I also have driven around the world and don't have the same experience as you. I have never met a round about that was hair raising. Mexico City is easy because it is so slow. Not because of the round abouts because of the poorly timed signals. The only areas that move at all are the big streets with round abouts.
ReplyDeleteJon P. has an interesting comment about the City of Encinitas' 100 foot areial ladder truck. It may not fit through the roundabout. My guess is that the engineering was done so that when complete it will fit.
However, have you ever thought why we need a 100 foot aerial ladder in Encinitas when our tallest building is only 30 feet high. Perhaps we can trade it in for some trucks and engines that will actually be needed in our city.
This gets me started on firemen. Although everyone of their hearts are in the right place have you ever heard of anyone that gets paid $80,000 to sleep 33% of the time and watch television another 33% of the time. You would think that the city could find something for them to do the entire 24 hour shift that improves the city while they are not fighting fires. Maybe they should be on 8 hour shifts like most people are.
The guys who become fireman are always the guys who were the biggest stoners at your highschool. Firemen are the ultimate lazy guys job.
ReplyDeleteyeah , firemen are lazy,
ReplyDeleteuntil they risk their life pulling your drunk ass out of the burning car you stacked trying to negotiate the roundabout on your way home from yeahguys (Yogis).
Encinitas firemen are there when we need them and do a fine job in my opinion.
I don't think they need all new firestations though.
Excellent comments about the Fire department trucks and favorable work conditions. The fireman profession is the best.
ReplyDeleteGet paid 80K+, plenty of time off so you can own another business, excellent union benefits including retiring with 3%/year pers (meaning you get 90% of your highest yearly wage pay when you retire after 30years on the force); and when you are at work, you get to watch movies, sleep, jog by the beach and work out. Many times a group will take the engine unit on a shopping spree, or just take a stroll along the beach.
Firemen have it made. My kids and nieces and nephews all want to be fireman... My friends that are fireman love it and I wish I was one too. As long as you don’t mind seeing and picking up a little road kill at the car accidents, or taking kids on tours through the station, or shining a brass plated fire hydrant. Plus in Encinitas, council wants to build 3 mutli-million dollar new fire stations… so our Encinitas Firemen will have the ultimate enjoyment opportunity. I can not wait to the huge high definition flat screens and comfy lounge chairs at each new station.
What a life to be a highly paid union fireman! Can it get any better?
Yes, it can get better for firemen.
ReplyDeleteQuietly, there is a push by some officials to form a regional fire authority in North County. If this happens, there will be no local city control over wages and services. Usually, salaries and benefits also increase when a fire authority is formed. Couple that with the authority's need for a grand master building to house the new fire authority staff, and fees for fire department services will be established.
i drive roundabouts several times a
ReplyDeleteday, in encinitas and tj
the main problem i see with the enci
one is the clueless people driving in it... to many soccer moms and cell phone yuppies with bewildered expressions trying to figure it out.
at least in tj people have got it down.
also the comment about future traffic growth creating jams sounds profetic
oh yeah, how the hell did firemen get into this????
Yes, we could start a whole new post on firemen. We don't need a hundred foot ladder truck in our opinion. And yes, they could keep busy cleaning the yucky water at Cottonwood Park perhaps? Put some kind of filtration systems on a few of those trucks. They've got plenty o' hose!
ReplyDeleteFiremen make an awful lot of dough compared to most folks. We do count on them, but balance is essential. I was at Moonlight Beach one day when a big truck got stuck in the sand there. The fire guys had to dig it out. Grandkids thought it was fun to watch.
Where are the firewomen? I don't think we need the multi million dollar new firehouses, either. No way. And no more bureaucratic "authorities," either, just more burden on taxpayers.
Oh the fire folks will be for Mayor Guerin, probably, as she is always for raises in perks and benefits, pay, for sheriff and fire departments. I can't get over the fact that she is a big money spending "Republican." Hey, did you default on a home loan Christy Guerin? Or what? Wish someone with some courage would interview you.
The papers around here are pretty darn conservative. Christy might sic Sleazy Sabine on them. The local press often seem afraid to exercise their cherished First Amendment Rights. At least the La Mesa fiasco got coverage in the San Diego Union Tribune, and by Bill Arballo's column in the Coast News. What's up NCT? Are you afraid of Guerin's Goon Squad, Sabine & Morrison?
Oh, Mayor Guerin, how can you run in races if you had to retire on workman's comp disability from the sheriff's dept, where you were a lowly jail guard? You, hubby, all your bro-bros are on the dole. Welfare for the wealthy, we call it.
Hope you get defeated like the lanscaping and lighting measure, Propositions A and C did. Dalager, too, cuz he can't stand up to Ballbreaker Bossypants Guerin.
Dalager has to go for 2 reasons:
ReplyDelete1. Above all else, he wants to build a regional park on our Wallet. Figure it out; $30,000,000-$60,000,000 with 58,000 residents- Thats $517 to $1,000 per resident. A family of 4 - thats $4,000.... Crowded Carlsbad will love using their new coastal regional park paid for by their kindhearted neighbors.
2. He wants to turn our neighborhood streets and roadways in freeflowing highways for commutors. Screw Pedestrians and quality of life in Encinitas, more commutor traffic needs to flow through our local streets to get to San Diego quicker! Whats wrong with you residents? Speeding Commutors do not affect on quality of life! Right?
Just read a great letter posted on Encinitastaxpaers.com about the upcoming election. The letter was called, "opportunity knocks". Take a look. I think that organization will be very helpful in getting two new councilmembers in Nov and throwing out the City Manger and City Attorney.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.encinitastaxpayers.com/
ReplyDeleteI checked it out, great!!! Good website!! Wonderful info.
Thanks guys and gals!
What's the difference between a properly designed roundabout and an improperly designed one?
ReplyDeleteI agree with poster from April Fool Day. He speak my language. Him smart!!! Everything City Hall do...GOOD! Anyone who speak against-BAD! You Tarzan, me ...Jane!!
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, ya'll must realize the anonymous feature is a good thing for BOOSTERS.
Thank you good day.
Everytime I want to go south of town, I make sure to go round the bout at least once, talking on my cell phone, driving my BMW SUV; looking around, checking if I see anybody I know in the circle, too. Got to go round the complete circle at least once a day.
ReplyDeleteAs I go to Freeway 5, knowing I'll be stopped in traffic, I just reb my motor, count to ten, or much longer, knowing this gives me plenty of time to decide who to call next.
Can't fight progress! Wait, can you hold on awhile longer? I've got Steve Aceti on the line!
Hi, I'm a civil engineer and IMO there are better ways to slow down traffic and make our streets pedestrian friendly than roundabouts. But hey, at least your city is attempting to tackle this stuff. Some cities I work with don't care at all.
ReplyDeleteSo I am totally confused.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the objective of this particular round about? Slow down traffic? Avert a traffic signal?
Don't compare it to a signal when that wasn't even in the picture.
Slow down traffic? I though santa fe was an artery. Why should we slow down traffic. Quality of life, if you want traffic to be even slower than it is that is not thinking about quality of life. It takes forever to cross the City nowadays. What a waste of time.
And if you speak to cut through traffic, that ain't going away if we allow for even more densification to occur. More people, more traffic and our roads already can't handle it.
Great job City?
ReplyDeleteHow can you say that unless you balance the benefit against the costs? Impacts and money.