To the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date ctr2~l2.L. CA v cc ✓
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September 24, 2026
Council Memorandum
To:
From:
Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Via:
Re:
Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager ~ _.,)
Multi-modal Level of Service Update (o"'fstricts -All}
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 202604 7
This memorandum provides an update on possible alternatives t o the development of citywide multi-modal level of service (MM LOS) standards.
Background
The city's Growth M anagement Plan (GMP) and General Plan Mobility Element both support sustainable growth. For mobility, this includes requirements for our infrastructure to meet performance standards intended to keep pace with population growth and balance the needs of all users of the transportation system, including motorists, pedestrians, bicycles, children, persons with disabilities, seniors, movers of commercial goods and users of public transportation. The city currently evaluat es transportation infrastructure performance using vehicular level of service (LOS) and multi-mo dal level of service (MMLOS) st andards for vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles and transit modes.
Determining vehicular LOS is a firmly est ablished practice with a nationally accepted methodology. Quantifying MMLOS is a more recent development, and the methodology has continued to evolve. The city has developed several versions of tools to evaluat e MM LOS; however, applying these tools citywide has presented practical challenges, and the results may not consistent ly reflect the user experience for walking, biking and transit at the citywide or local scales.
The City Council received t he fiscal year 2024-25 Growth Management Program Monitoring Report on March 10, 2026 (agenda item no. 12). As part of that report and presentation, st aff provided an overview of the MM LOS standards for vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles and transit modes and t he challenges in developing and implementing such guidelines in the city.
Discussion
To benchmark and learn from other cities in the region, staff reached out with an informal regional survey on how other cities address MM LOS standards. Staff have found no other city in San Diego County using a quantitative MMLOS standard. The agencies reviewed generally use qualitative criteria for pedestrian, bicycle and transit modes, such as identifying gaps in facilit ies, while continuing to use quantitative vehicular level of service criteria.
Public Works Branch
Transportation Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2730 t
Council Memo -Multi-modal Level of Service Update (Districts -All) September 24, 2026
The city's Growth Management Plan and General Plan Mobility Element include policies that direct the development of an MM LOS citywide standard. During the March 10, 2026, Council Meeting, staff informed the City Council that they would return in September 2026 with a series of alternative options to MM LOS standards for City Council consideration and direction.
However, due to information received during the regional survey as well other high priorities, such as emergency declarations for storm drain system failures and slope stabilization issues of the bluffs on Carlsbad Boulevard, staff are still developing options and will return to the City Council when there is a proposal to present.
Next Steps
Staff plan to return to the City Council with the aforementioned options for consideration and direction when a proposal is ready to present.
cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Jeff Murphy, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Zach Korach, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Tim Lyons, Assistant City Attorney
Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer
Mike Strong, Community Development Director
Amy Ventetuolo, Communication & Engagement Director
Eric Lardy, Assistant Director of Community Development John Kim, City Traffic Engineer
Scott Nightingale, City Planner
Jason Geldert, Engineering Manager
Mariel Paras, Principal Engineer
Chris Romano, Principal Planner