The City of Carlsbad is currently working on a project in the area around Carlsbad Boulevard and Tamarack Avenue to adapt the streets, bike lanes, sidewalks and bus stops to better meet the needs of the people who regularly use these areas so that everybody has a great experience when they come to this part of Carlsbad’s coastline.

This project plans to make many changes including widening and improving the sidewalks and bike lanes, creating more areas for free parking and moving the bus stop to a more accessible location. They are also looking to improve traffic conditions throughout the Carlsbad Boulevard and Tamarack intersection, establishing a better connection with the Coastal Rail Trail segments throughout Carlsbad and improving the overall aesthetic quality and feel of the area.

Construction for this project will not start for a while since the city is still at the beginning stage of planning. The purpose of this project is to promote a greater sense of community as well as a greater sense of involvement.

“The city completed a community visioning process about five years ago and that identified nine core values important to our residents,” City Communications Manager Kristina Ray said. “Since that time, we have been directing more attention to projects that are in line with those values. This project supports several of the values, including small town beach community feel, sustainability, more access to biking, walking and public transit.”

In general, the city hopes to improve the safety and access along our coastline. There are also additional projects underway to achieve this.

“The city is working on some improvements to the area around Terramar,” Ray said. “We’ve been working with the neighborhood and other community members since last year to create and refine options that will improve safety and access. We are getting ready to release the updated designs, based on the most recent feedback. Another project in the works is improving the seven beach entrances and stairs north of Oak Avenue on Ocean Street. We hope to add benches, lighting, and replace the rusted railings.”

“I think that the Tamarack project will be good for the community,” Senior Tiffany Phan said. “It’s a great way to lessen the amount of traffic as well as promote outdoor activities such as walking and running.”

The Tamarack and Carlsbad Boulevard area is one of the most heavily used parts of Carlsbad’s coastline. Based on everyone’s admiration and love for this part, the city hopes to only improve the area.

“The beach is a big part of why people love living in Carlsbad. We know people want to maintain Carlsbad’s unique coastal character,” Ray said. “We want to make sure people have lots of opportunities to give input and how we accomplish our goals will be a collaborative effort with the community.”