Coastal Rail Trail may get safety signs

With increased e-bike usage throughout the city, Solana Beach City Council members discussed at their meeting Nov. 8 adding signs on the Coastal Rail Trail to enforce rules along the path for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Solana Beach City Manager Greg Wade said the goal is “to provide some signage that would encourage courtesy, slower speeds on bicycles, both regular and e-bikes when approaching pedestrians, looking at what we can do in an effective but not overbearing signage concept.”

Some residents have complained e-bikers ride on sidewalks and within close proximity of pedestrians in ways that are unsafe.

“There have definitely been people that have put my dogs at risk by the way they approach us when they’re riding,” Solana Beach Deputy Mayor David Zito said.

According to a city staff report, signs that are 18 inches wide and 36 inches tall have been recommended for the northbound entrance of the Coastal Rail Trail at Via de la Valle, the corner of Lomas Santa Fe and Highway 101 on the northbound and southbound sides of the trail, and the entrance of the Coastal Rail Trail on Highway 101, south of Harbaugh Trails.

Smaller signs with safety reminders — 14 inches wide by 18 inches tall — have been designed to be placed along the trail in both directions.

The estimated cost and installation of the signs is $2,000, according to city staff.

The rise in e-bike usage in general has corresponded with an increase in traffic collisions on local roads, including two tragic deaths that led to emergency declarations in Carlsbad and Encinitas.

Multiple cities, including Solana Beach, have implemented diversion programs that allow riders who receive citations to take an online safety course instead of paying a fine. The program has made a difference in the number of students who wear helmets.

“There are a lot of accidents that have almost happened, and let’s make sure that we don’t have them happen at all,” Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner said.

JIM OWENS