The La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board (T&T) took no action on the $26.5 million Torrey Pines Corridor project, which supporters say will slow down traffic and provide better access and safety for pedestrians in La Jolla. The project, which consists of four segments, involves Torrey Pines Road from La Jolla Shores Drive to Prospect Place and is intended as a way to provide traffic calming, bluff stabilization, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements and landscaping to the three-quarter-mile main access road to La Jolla. An estimated 60,000 vehicles travel the stretch of road daily. “This project should get done,” said District 1 City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner. “It will improve the entrance into La Jolla and the combination of traffic calming and beautification will be great for the area.” Lightner, who later addressed the audience at the La Jolla Recreation Center, said she didn’t expect that any decisions would come out of the meeting because the project is still in the design phase and more community input is needed. The project, which has been in the works for more than five years, calls for the installation of guard rails and fencing, larger sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, traffic markings, medians, speed monitors and new signage. The plan may also include relocating bus stops and the installation of a traffic signal. Keith Kelman, a T&T board member, said asking the board to vote on the plan would be very difficult because the issue is very complex. Kelman added that Torrey Pines Boulevard is the main artery into La Jolla and his concern is that if traffic gets backed up, it might drive away visitors. “The best solution is going to be something that allows pedestrian traffic to be safe and continues the flow of traffic into La Jolla, albeit at a slower speed,” Kelman said. “People who live along this corridor feel it’s unsafe. I think a lot of La Jollans feel it’s very safe for traffic, but because people want to get pedestrian access to it, I think it’s a major consideration for us to keep in mind.”








