Circulation Element Background

In Spring 2021, the City began a project to update its Mobility (Circulation) Element and create a framework to implement Senate Bill 743 (SB 743), a new state law governing transportation analysis.

The Circulation Element is a section of the City’s General Plan that identifies a multimodal transportation network to serve the community’s needs. The last comprehensive update to the Circulation Element was in 1989, when the population was lower and transportation options were very different. Since then, Encinitas has grown to nearly 65,000 residents and transportation options continue to expand.

The Circulation Element identifies:

• A safe, efficient, and adequate circulation system that responds to the transportation and infrastructure needs of all modes and users, including drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, transit users, and rail users.

• The location of existing and future transportation needs in the City.

• Long-term goals and policies for community mobility over the next 30 years.

• Strategies to reduce vehicle speed, increase driver attention, and protect vulnerable users on local streets, and to reduce overall vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) and urban sprawl.

As part of the Circulation Element Update, the City seeks to consolidate the policies from its various strategic, community and neighborhood plans—such the Climate Action Plan, Active Transportation Plan, Rail Corridor Vision Study, and others—into one cohesive, citywide framework.

Community Outreach

Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Public Scoping Meeting - September 19, 2022

The EIR scoping meeting was held on September 19, 2022 in the City Hall Poinsettia Room. The purpose of the public scoping period was to solicit input and comments from public agencies and the general public regarding the environmental content to be analyzed within the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Circulation Element Update. 

• Public Notice
  
• Comments Received
  
• Memo - Revised Street Classification Network Map

Workshop #2 - July 21, 2022

The second community workshop for the Circulation Element Update was held on July 21, 2022 at the Community Center. This workshop provided an opportunity for community members to learn more about the project and provide feedback on draft goals and policies and the draft citywide mobility network and road classifications. Below are links to the workshop slideshow presentation, comment card, online survey, maps/diagrams, and draft goals and policies:

• Slideshow Presentation
• Video Recording
• Street Network
• Street Typology
• Multimodal Maps
• Draft Goals and Policies
• Policy Comparison

Workshop #1 - August 10, 2021

The first community workshop for the Circulation Element Update was held virtually on August 10, 2021. This workshop provided an opportunity for community members to learn about the project and provide feedback to inform the development of transportation goals and policies and a citywide mobility network. Below are links to the workshop slideshow presentation, video recording, comments, and questions with responses.

• Slideshow Presentation
• Presentación de Diapositivas (Español)
• Video Recording
• Comments
• Questions and Responses

City staff also conducted community outreach at the Leucadia Farmer's Market on August 15, 2021, and at EcoFest Encinitas on September 26, 2021.

Public Hearings

Staff presented an introduction on the Circulation Element Update to the Mobility & Traffic Safety Commission on June 14, 2021, to the Planning Commission on July 15, 2021, and to the City Council on November 10, 2021.

Staff presented project status updates to the Mobility & Traffic Safety Commission on June 13, 2022, and October 9, 2023. 

The City Council adopted the VMT Analysis Guidelines on November 8, 2023.  

Staff presented the draft Circulation Element and Environmental Impact Report to the Environmental Commission on September 12, 2024, to the Mobility & Traffic Safety Commission on October 14, 2024, and to the Planning Commission on November 21, 2024. 

More information from each hearing can be found on the Meeting Agendas and Webcasts page.

Additional Resources

County of San Diego Active Transportation Plan
The County of San Diego completed an update to the Bicycle Transportation Plan, Pedestrian Area Plans through the creation of an Active Transportation Plan (ATP), approved by the Board of Supervisors in October 2018. The ATP supports efforts to promote active transportation options through pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the unincorporated county.

State of California’s Toward an Active California State Bicycle + Pedestrian Plan
Caltrans published the state’s bicycle and pedestrian plan in 2017. The plan aims to achieve the following goals: safety, mobility, preservation, and equity. The statewide plan calls for the development of District-Level Active Transportation Plans to identify bicycle and pedestrian asset needs on, across, or parallel to the State Highway System (SHS), with a focus on “closing gaps and building complete, comfortable networks that consider the context” (Chapter 5, M1.1).

iCommute SANDAG
iCommute encourages use of transportation alternatives to help reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. Commuters and employers can find resources at iCommute.

San Diego Bicycle Coalition
The San Diego Bicycle Coalition promotes bicycling as a form of transportation and recreation.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
PBIC is a national leader in pedestrian and bicycle research and resources.

National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
NACTO’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life.