Encinitas to add four-way stop signs on Saxony Road near YMCA

A disliked, rubber roadway bumper system that aims to protect cyclists on Saxony Road near the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA will be torn out and replaced by a four-way stop sign, the Encinitas City Council unanimously decided Wednesday.

This will likely be the first step toward a significant overhaul of the heavily trafficked roadway between Leucadia and Encinitas boulevards, council members indicated. More 4-way stop signs might even be possible.

“This is kind of a start of this conversation,” Councilmember Jim O’Hara said as he promised that additional changes will come to the roadway.

Among other things, he said, the YMCA is anticipating doing a parking lot project that would add a new entrance route along Saxony Road, and this could create some opportunities for additional roadway improvements.

Mayor Bruce Ehlers, who lives in the Olivenhain area, said he believes he is responsible for at least four of the stop signs added to Rancho Santa Fe Drive over the years and believes those stop signs have encouraged out-of-the-area commuters to stop using that roadway and stick to Interstate 5, where he said they belong. The addition of more stop signs to Saxony Road also could reduce cut-through traffic, he said.

Between Encinitas and Leucadia boulevards, Saxony Road currently has one four-way stop and two spots with flashing crosswalk beacons activated by pedestrians. The roadway’s bike lanes are a confusing mix — there’s an area with “sharrow...