ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) - Neighbors are calling for action from the City of Encinitas after a pair of crashes along a stretch of Manchester Avenue.
"It's too fast," says Judy Blanchard, who lives on Manchester. "They need to do some traffic calming."
Friday, a car lost control coming around a curve near the 4200 block of Manchester Avenue and crashed into a light pole. Two days before that, a pair of cars collided near the same spot.
People who live nearby say speed on the road is a constant problem.
"People gun it. They really do," says Blanchard. "All these wannabe fast drivers, it's exciting for them to come through the curve."
Blanchard had a car crash through her front yard a few years ago. It almost knocked down her prized palm tree, Bubba.
City officials tell 10News they studied the road in 2017. They sent this statement from the City Manager's Office:
“Based on the California Vehicle Code (CVC) and California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA-MUTCD), an Engineering and Traffic Study (Speed Survey) was conducted in 2017 which showed the 85th percentile speed (the speed at or below which 85 percent of all vehicles are observed to travel under) on this roadway was 47 mph. As a result, the speed limit was set by the City at 40 mph which is the lowest speed limit legally allowed based on the results of the Speed Survey. The Sheriff’s Office has been notified to increase enforcement efforts along the corridor.”
Neighbors say that may not be enough. They say the street needs more warning signs and the city should reduce lanes from two to one near Rancho Santa Fe Road. They don't want to straighten out curves in the road, believing it will lead to more speeding.
