Complaints Prompt Carlsbad to Remove Traffic Circles City

In a decisive and community-driven move, the City of Carlsbad has announced it will remove two longstanding traffic circles on Kelly Drive, replacing them with all-way stop signs—a clear response to growing safety concerns from residents, parents, and school volunteers.

A Pilot Project That Didn’t Pan Out

Installed in 2013 as a pilot project, the two traffic circles—located on either side of Kelly Elementary School at Park Drive and Hillside Drive—were meant to calm traffic in the area. These installations were modest in design: small ceramic bumps formed a circular center, allowing vehicles to drive around (or even over) them.

The goal was noble: reduce speeds, encourage careful navigation, and make the neighborhood safer for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike.

But for many in the community, the results fell short.

The Problem: Speeding, Confusion, and Risk to Children

To residents like Sheila O’Neill, a volunteer crossing guard at Kelly Elementary, the traffic circles caused more harm than good. “It is a mess, truly a mess,” she told city officials. “The roundabout nudges cars closer to the crosswalk and kids crossing the street … all-way stops would be great.”

O’Neill wasn’t alone. Parents, neighbors, and former city officials voiced frustration with the continued use of the circles. Concerns included:

• Increased speeding, as cars often swerved around the circles instead of slowing down

• Poor driver awareness near school crosswalks

• General confusion over right-of-way rules in these untraditional intersections

Former Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission member Steve Linke called the project “a well-intentioned experiment” that had run its course.

The City Council Responds

On Tuesday, the Carlsbad City Council voted unanimously to remove the traffic circles, citing overwhelming resident feedback and the need to prioritize safety—especially for children walking or biking to school.

Rather than invest in redesigned roundabouts (an alternative presented to the council), members opted for a more immediate and cost-effective solution:

• Remove the traffic circles

• Resurface the roadways with slurry seal

• Install all-way stop signs at the intersections

• Study future options, including new bike lanes, improved crosswalks, and ADA-compliant curb ramps

Councilmember Keven Shin summed it up succinctly: “It’s a good opportunity to step back, catch our breath and listen to what our residents are saying. I feel like an all-way stop would create a lot of safety for the kids.”

A Pattern of Pushback

This isn’t the first time Carlsbad has stepped back from planned traffic circle and roundabout projects:

• Earlier this year, the city paused plans for a roundabout at Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, following similar community resistance.

• A previously approved roundabout at Cannon Road and Carlsbad Boulevard is also now under reconsideration.

These changes signal a shift in how the city is implementing its “complete streets” program—an initiative aimed at balancing the needs of drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians through better infrastructure.

Roundabouts Still Have a Role

Despite this retreat, Carlsbad hasn’t given up entirely on circular intersections. In fact, the city secured $4 million in federal funding to install five new traffic circles in the Barrio neighborhood starting in 2026. The Barrio community has largely welcomed these changes, hoping they’ll curb traffic and improve safety in the densely populated downtown district.

Final Thoughts: Safety Over Theory

The removal of the Kelly Drive traffic circles represents more than just a design change. It’s a sign of local government adapting to real-world experience—and most importantly, listening to its residents. While traffic circles and roundabouts remain useful tools in many city planning contexts, they’re not one-size-fits-all solutions.

For Carlsbad, the lesson is clear: safety, simplicity, and community voice must come first.