Quick Take
Struggles to manage traffic at a busy Capitola intersection continue, as the city council voted to restore its original layout after many members of the public said that a redesign has worsened traffic in the area.
The Capitola City Council voted to reverse a redesign of Bay Avenue near the intersection with Hill Street at its meeting Thursday, after many community members complained of worsening traffic since its implementation last summer.
The redesign aimed to make a historically dangerous intersection safer, with the push for improvements reaching a fever pitch following the death of 70-year-old Debra Towne, who was killed in a hit-and-run while walking near Bay Avenue and Crossroads Loop in November 2023. However, even before the accident, the section of road had been unsafe for a long time — something local officials were aware of.
Following the hit-and-run, the City of Capitola installed quicker, immediate fixes, including pole reflectors and flashing stop signs at the intersection of Bay Avenue and Hill Street. Then, in the summer of 2024, the city removed one lane in each direction on Bay Avenue and added pedestrian striping to allow for safer crossing.
Those changes came with drawbacks for vehicle traffic, though, as many complained that the lane reduction has caused backups stretching toward the Highway 1 ramps farther north on Bay Avenue. As a result, last November, the city voted to return to two lanes in each direction along a majority of Bay, as well as take away some of the bollards forming the separated bike lanes on the road.
Shortly after, in February, the council backtracked. It decided to keep its immediate fixes until firmer, long-term plans are in place. The road still becomes one lane of cross-traffic just before the Hill Street intersection, leading to the complaints surrounding its effects on traffic. Residents say that drivers detour through the Nob Hill Foods parking lot to save time, or recklessly merge as the lanes narrow, exacerbating safety concerns.
The city took a look at three options on Thursday. One involved making no changes, a second involved restoring the lanes previously taken away, and the third involved bringing the lanes back along with a raised crosswalk. The council eventually went with the second option to restore the previously removed lanes.
Councilmembers agreed that it was a difficult decision, as they had to weigh the options of pedestrian and driver safety. Vice Mayor Margaux Morgan said she walks the road every day, and does personally feel safer. Councilmember Melinda Orbach acknowledged the inconvenience for drivers, and said that she also drives through the area and has seen the increase in reckless driving.
“Most of the people who wrote in want to go back to option two,” she said, adding that the third option would delay the repaving of 41st Avenue, which she views as vital work. “I think this makes the most sense for me in the short term, while we move forward with our long-range plans.”
Capitola’s long-term plans for the road include the installation of roundabouts at two intersections along Bay Avenue, which city public works director Jessica Kahn said is likely to take at least 2½ years to complete.
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Check out our Carmageddon road project list here. This week, pay particular attention to:
- Roadway improvements will shut down one lane of Highway 9 between Willow Brook Drive and the northern junction of Highway 236 starting on Monday and lasting through May 20, 2026. Work hours will be between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays.
- One lane of southbound Highway 17 will be closed between Glenwood Cutoff and West Vine Hill Road from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
- Pavement, guardrail and erosion control work will shut down about 1 mile of Upper East Zayante Road on weekdays through early November between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The road will open up between noon and 12:30 p.m. each day to let traffic pass.
- Shoulder work will cause an overnight closure of one lane of northbound Highway 1 Buena Vista Drive and Rob Roy/Freedom Boulevard from Monday through Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- A full closure of the Murray Street Bridge will run until February 2026. It will be closed to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Vehicle traffic will be detoured along Soquel Avenue and Capitola Road via Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue. Bicycles will be detoured across Arana Gulch and along Broadway via Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue. Pedestrians will be detoured around the north harbor.
- The installation of the Newell Creek Pipeline on Graham Hill Road between Summit Avenue and Lockewood Lane will take place on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and could cause delays of up to five minutes.
- Utility work and tree work close down sections of Highway 9 between Arboleda Way/Highland, Ramona Drive and Sylvan Avenue from Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Storm damage repair will shut down sections of Eureka Canyon Road in Corralitos for several months. Work will take place on weekdays only from 7:30 a.m. through 5 p.m., lasting through Oct. 31.
- Roadwork on northbound and southbound Main Street between 5th Street and East Lake Avenue in Watsonville will cause intermittent closures of one lane in each direction. Sidewalks within the work zone will be closed, and pedestrians and cyclists can use the crosswalks outside the construction area.
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