Here are the options for Encinitas’ Park Dale Lane intersection

After crossing the intersection at her daughters’ elementary school for years, Encinitas mom Abby Brown became increasingly worried about the drivers who speed through the intersection. 

She and other moms started advocating for increased safety measures in the spring of 2025, first with the school district before moving her advocacy to the city. Brown said she’s glad her calls have finally gained momentum: On Wednesday, the City Council will weigh several potential options to make the Village Park Way and Park Dale Lane intersection safer. 

It comes from a March request from Deputy Mayor Jim O’Hara and Councilmember Marco San Antonio to evaluate the spot and potential solutions. A staff report said that during visits to the site, they observed drivers not complying with stop signs or approaching them at high speeds, and a lack of awareness about pedestrian activity.

The potential short-term and long-term solutions that councilmembers will consider vary in cost, but would be included in the city’s general mobility project budget, which is expected to receive a $500,000 appropriation from the general fund. 

“The council should ask this: What measures would we want in place if it were our own children crossing that intersection every day?” Brown said. “This Council has an opportunity to shape that outcome, and I hope the decision is made with kids at the center of the conversation.”

Staff said the most expensive solution — a traffic signal at the intersection — wasn’t warranted, though they noted the council makes the final decision.

Potential options

One short-term solution is to make the nearby Village Park and Gatepost Road intersection a four-way stop to reduce car speeds and increase driver awareness. That would cost as much as $15,000, according to staff. 

The city could also spend anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 to narrow the lanes to encourage lower travel speeds. The current width is as much as 14 feet, and the minimum allowed is 11. 

Pedestrian refuge islands, which sit in the median along crosswalks, could allow people crossing the street to focus on only one direction of traffic at a time, the staff report said. Those would cost anywhere between $15,000 and $120,000 depending on if the city uses flexi-posts or creates new median curbs, the document said. 

The city could install permanent speed radar feedback signs for $7,000 to $9,000. Staff said those reduce driving speeds and the number of crashes, particularly in pedestrian-heavy and school areas. 

Some cheaper options: Advance warning signs that would cost about $3,000, and landscaping and trimming for roughly $2,000 that could increase sign visibility and driver awareness.

Staff also listed coordinating with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, which contracts with the city of Encinitas, for increased enforcement during school peak hours, though their report did not include how much that would cost. 

After conducting a study, staff said that the spot did not meet the amount of traffic necessary to warrant a traffic signal. That would come with a $400,000 to $600,000 cost. 

The city recently refreshed high-visibility crosswalk markings and solar-powered warning lights at stop signs. In April, councilmembers approved reducing the speed limit by 5 mph on the stretch of Village Park Way. 

Other traffic advocacy

The elementary school intersection is not the only spot that has concerned Encinitas residents. 

A group of advocates formed Safe Streets Encinitas after 12-year-old Emery Chalekian was killed while crossing Encinitas Boulevard in April 2025. The group has attended city meetings wearing yellow shirts in her honor and advocating for traffic improvements, including red-light cameras, which the city’s Mobility & Traffic Safety Commission voted to recommend the city reinstall in February. The City Council has yet to take up the issue. 

Laura Van Dusen, a founding member of the group, said that in the past year of research and conversations with experts, the group has found three principles are critical to improving pedestrian safety: slowing vehicle speeds, shortening the distance pedestrians must cross and increasing driver compliance with traffic laws. 

She said she appreciated the council’s “thoughtful” conversation about the Park Dale intersection. “

“We encourage the City Council to carefully consider options that reduce crossing distances and improve visibility for people walking,” she said. “We are hopeful that a solution can be found that enhances safety for children while also meeting the operational needs of emergency responders.”