Encinitas staff outline HSIP alternatives and an adaptive-signal pilot requiring rare Caltrans MOU

City staff told the Mobility and Traffic Safety Commission that two HSIP (Highway Safety Improvement Program) grant alternatives are being developed for a pedestrian crossing near Cardiff State Beach and for an Encinitas Boulevard corridor crossing. Staff said they will share 10% design alternatives with Solana Beach before returning to City Council for a final direction on which alternative to pursue.

On the corridor signal side, the traffic division described a pilot to deploy adaptive signal timing on seven signals. The city has purchased most required hardware and is drafting a consultant scope of work, but three key signals along the corridor (including those adjacent to the freeway) are Caltrans-controlled. "The hard part is getting an MOU with Caltrans to allow a city consultant to have authority over their controllers," staff said. If the MOU is signed and funding is confirmed, staff said a consultant can run adaptive timing and a third-party before/after study will measure outcomes.

Staff noted an example where adaptive timing yielded roughly a 50% off-peak improvement in flow and around 15% during peak periods in a separate jurisdiction, but cautioned that congestion and capacity limits constrain what the software can deliver during heavily congested peak hours. Commissioners asked about geographic scope and staff said the pilot would run from the corridor origin to Balore (Encinitas Boulevard segment) and be used as a proof of concept before potential expansion.

The commission directed staff to continue negotiations with Caltrans and to return with the MOU and pilot readiness details once legal and funding milestones are met.