Tamarack and Valley Crosswalk Improvements

At a glance

The City of Carlsbad is committed to making roads safe for everyone including walkers, bikers and drivers. To improve safety, help slow down traffic and increase the visibility of people crossing the street along Tamarack, the city installed crosswalk improvements at the intersection of Tamarack Avenue and Valley Street, next to Valley Middle School and down the street from Magnolia Elementary School.

Improvements include:

Replacing the existing rectangular rapid flashing beacon system on Tamarack Avenue at Valley Street with a new kind of pedestrian signal that will stop road traffic when a pedestrian presses the button.
Installing curb extensions on the west side of the intersection to encourage slower turning speeds, increase the visibility of pedestrians and shorten the pedestrian crossing distance across Tamarack Avenue.

Pedestrian signal evaluation

When the new signal was installed, some residents expressed concerns about its size, impacts on views and neighborhood character, and safety.

After hearing these concerns, the city’s Traffic & Mobility Commission asked city staff to evaluate the signal’s effectiveness from a traffic safety perspective and return in six months with the results of that evaluation.

City traffic engineers presented the findings of this analysis at the Traffic & Mobility Commission meeting on April 3, 2023.

How was the signal evaluated?
City traffic engineers considered the following input when evaluating the signal’s performance:

Feedback from residents, area schools and the crossing guard who works at the intersection
Collision data from before and after the signal was activated
Speed data from before and after signal activation
How well large trucks can turn around curb extensions, including the city’s longest fire truck
How many drivers stopped at the signal over a four-day observation period

Findings

Tamarack and Valley evaluation

View the staff report with more details.

What is a pedestrian hybrid signal?

The city installed a traffic signal known as a pedestrian hybrid beacon at Tamarack Avenue at Valley Street. These signals are designed to give pedestrians a safe way to cross a busy street when a traditional traffic light isn’t appropriate for the location.

Statistics showing effectiveness:

74% – Percentage of pedestrian fatalities that occur at non-intersection locations, with vehicle speeds the major factor
95% – Percentage of drivers who yield to hybrid signals, even on major streets with multiple lanes and higher speeds
55% – Reduction in pedestrian crashes after installation of a hybrid signal
29% – Reduction in total crashes after installation of a hybrid signal
15% – Reduction in serious injury and fatal crashes after installation of a hybrid signal

Source: Department of Transportation fact sheet and Safety Effectiveness of the HAWK Pedestrian Crossing Treatment (DOT, 2009).

These signals typically have:

Two red lights over a single yellow light
High-visibility crosswalk markings
A stop bar about 50 feet from the cross walk
Eight-inch solid lane lines between the travel lanes
Signs that can be illuminated and read “CROSSWALK”

How does it work?

The new signal stops road traffic when a pedestrian presses the button. It operates differently than a regular traffic signal or the flashing light beacon that was at the Tamarack and Valley intersection before.

Once the signal is activated by the pedestrian button, drivers will see a series of lights that direct a driver to slow down and then stop. Pedestrians will follow similar operations that they would see at a regular traffic signal to cross the street.

Why this design?

This intersection is used by students and their families going to and from three schools in the neighborhood. This brings higher volumes of traffic – walking, biking and cars – twice a day, Monday through Friday. At other times, traffic patterns are more similar to nearby streets.

A hybrid signal offers more traffic control for the busy times without interfering with the regular flow of traffic during non-peak times. This is because the lights only come on when a pedestrian is waiting to cross.