Caltrans, the San Diego Association of Governments, and the Nature Collective joined local elected officials and community members Saturday to unveil the $9 million San Elijo Activity Hub Park & Ride in the city of Encinitas.
The park and ride is part of the $987 million Build NCC project that includes $195 million from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017; around $141 million in TransNet funding — the voter-approved half-cent sales tax administered by SANDAG; and $543 million in federal funds.
“The new San Elijo Activity Hub Park & Ride is a valuable addition to our community. This facility will reduce congestion by promoting ridesharing and active transportation use, increase coastal access throughout the North Coast Corridor, and provide parking for hiking the San Elijo lagoon, including Annie’s Canyon,” said SANDAG Second Vice Chair and Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner.
“Through transportation enhancements like these, we’re building a more connected and equitable region that will better serve individuals of all ages and abilities.”
The San Elijo Activity Hub Park & Ride provides a centralized location where residents and visitors can park their vehicles and access the new carpool lanes on Interstate 5 and nearby paths and trails in and around the San Elijo Lagoon. It includes 177 parking spaces, bike racks, infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations, an interactive lagoon display, information on how to access the San Elijo Lagoon, and dedicated space for the upcoming “Fields of the Future” community gardens, to be managed by Nature Collective. The new facility promotes ridesharing and active transportation use, helping to reduce congestion and increase coastal access within the North Coast Corridor.
“This versatile facility stands apart from a traditional Park & Ride by providing a direct connection to the highway for carpooling, trail access, and meeting the multimodal needs of the community by providing parking spaces for cars and bikes for lagoon visitors, in line with our goals of building a quicker, more equitable, and cleaner transportation system” said Caltrans District 11 Director Gustavo Dallarda.
There is currently no Park & Ride lot available for 6 miles between Birmingham Drive and Sorrento Valley on I-5, which can cause overcrowded parking in neighborhoods adjacent to the freeway.
“The Build NCC project has created new recreational opportunities for cyclists, pedestrians, and hikers here in the city of Encinitas,” said Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz. “Expanded trails and new bike lanes improve active transportation access at the south end of our City, and we’re pleased to host a mobility hub that will support a future community garden, more parking for San Elijo Lagoon visitors, and a Park and Ride facility that supports carpooling.”
For more information on projects within the North Coast Corridor (NCC) Program, please visit BuildNCC.com.
For more information about California transportation projects funded by SB 1 and other programs, visit RebuildingCA.ca.gov.
