California Legislature Moves to Stop Encinitas From Tearing Out State-Funded Santa Fe Bike Lanes

Encinitas may have won the battle earlier this year when legislation by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear that would have made it harder for the city to rip out pedestrian and bicycling safety improvements on Santa Fe Drive was defeated in the Assembly.

But it’s Blakespear and other safety advocates who may win the war.

Language tucked into a budget “trailer bill” approved by both houses of the Legislature and now sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk would make it extremely difficult for Encinitas to remove the protected bikeway on Santa Fe Drive in the long-term and ban a removal until 2030. 

Unlike Blakespear’s defeated Senate Bill 569, which would have established rules for removing state-funded bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure throughout California, the new language applies specifically to the Santa Fe Drive West Segment Project.

The History of the Project

The Santa Fe Drive West Segment Project was completed in 2025 after Encinitas spent roughly $4.1 million on improvements (including fixes to the stormwater system and repaving) intended to make the corridor safer for people walking and bicycling. Blakespear, a former mayor of Encinitas herself, helped secure a $3.09 million state grant for the project. It’s that money that Encinitas would have to return should the trailer bill be signed and they move forward with their plans for Santa Fe Avenue.

The original project narrowed vehicle lanes, added a physically separated bikeway, built new sidewalks, installed landscaping and traffic calming measures, and replaced conventional parallel parking with reverse angle parking.

Critics say the project has contributed to congestion and made it more difficult for emergency vehicles to get through. The current mayor, Bruce Ehlers, has also raised concerns about conflicts between drivers turning into driveways and bicyclists traveling behind the physical separation.

The city council approved a redesign in June that would remove the physical protection and restore more painted bicycle lanes and automobile parking. The estimated price tag is another $3.5 million, and it is beyond doubtful that the state would give money to remove a project it just paid to install.

Councilmember Joy Lyndes, the lone council vote against the redesign, has argued that the city should pursue an “improve, don’t remove” strategy instead.

That is also the position taken by Blakespear and bicycle advocates, who say the city should fix individual design problems without sacrificing the safety benefits of physical separation.

Sacramento Steps In

The Santa Fe fight prompted Blakespear to introduce SB 569, which would have established statewide rules governing the removal or reduction of physical separation on state-funded bikeways. Blakespear argued the legislation was needed to ensure that state funds were being used the way they were intended. After all, the legislation doesn’t require that cities keep designs that aren’t working, but that if state money is used to create the project that future changes improve the project or fix flaws in the project.

While it passed the Senate, it died in the Assembly after strong opposition by Encinitas and other cities that argued it violated their ability to regulate safety on their streets.However, Blakespear worked to get language specific to Santa Fe Blvd. into the budget legislation on Aug. 28, just three days before the Legislature approved it.

For five years after the project’s completion, Encinitas could not remove or modify the bikeway. For the following 10 years, removing any part of it would require the city to return the entire $3.09 million to the state and demonstrate that the change would provide “equal or greater safety, accessibility, and mobility for nonmotorized users.”

The Encinitas City Council is scheduled to consider ratifying a letter to the governor at their Sept. 9 meeting requesting a line-item veto of the portion of the legislation that applies to Santa Fe Drive.