From: Astrid Fleischer
To: City Clerk
Subject: Special City Council Meeting - Receive report on the FY 2025-2026 City Council Annual Workplan - 4th Quarter Objectives Update.
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026 10:11:28 PM
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Re: GOAL 3: Safely and efficiently move people throughout the city in a timely manner Item E: Explore a plan/policy limiting designated bike and ped routes on lower speed limit streets (less than 25 mph)
I am concerned about the proposal to explore a policy limiting designated bike and pedestrian routes to streets with speed limits below 25 mph.
Limiting bike and pedestrian routes to streets under 25 mph is counterproductive because it does not create a safe or continuous network. People need to be able to travel safely from Point A to Point B, and throughout Encinitas, many important connections require crossing or traveling along streets with speed limits above 25 mph. A policy that excludes these streets would create gaps in the network and make biking and walking less practical and, in some cases, less safe.
This is especially concerning for students traveling to and from school. Many of the streets that provide access to schools have speed limits higher than 25 mph. If this policy results in planned bike lanes or pedestrian routes being removed from these streets, it would eliminate infrastructure in precisely the locations where students need safe transportation options the most.
Removing planned bike and pedestrian routes from higher-speed streets does not make those routes safer—it simply leaves people, including children and teenagers, to navigate higher-speed roads without the infrastructure designed to protect them. That is not a meaningful safety improvement.
If the City's goal is to "safely and efficiently move people throughout the city in a timely manner," the policy should focus on creating a connected, safe, and usable network rather than excluding routes based solely on the posted speed limit. Higher-speed streets are often exactly where protected bike and pedestrian infrastructure is most necessary.
Sincerely,
Astrid Fleischer