Guest Commentary: Time to give some aid to Eads Avenue

Recently a group of homeowners association board presidents and residents of Eads Avenue met with Steve Hadley, director of community outreach in San Diego City Council member Joe LaCava’s office (District 1). The purpose of the meeting was to examine the poor condition of Eads Avenue (as accurately depicted in a photo in the April 6 edition of the La Jolla Light) and to discuss how the avenue could be improved for the safety of the residents who park their cars on it as well as for the pedestrians crossing Eads where Silver Street intersects it.

Specifically, the members of the Eads Avenue Improvement Group (EAIG) would like to have the avenue repaired, the striping for the parking spaces repainted, traffic-calming measures employed and a crosswalk installed with pedestrian-activated caution lights.

The group was informed that repairing concrete streets is the most expensive of all road surfaces. However, within the past few years, two different sections of the concrete surface in the alley immediately parallel to Eads, known as Bishops Lane, have been repaired.

What’s needed on Eads Avenue would be similar to those repairs. Mr. Hadley suggested that the EAIG members petition the city to address the poor condition of Eads.

The advice from Mr. Hadley was very useful. For example, he suggested using the Get It Done app for requesting that the parking spaces be repainted. He also recommended contacting Brian Earley, chairman of the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board, for the other issues discussed.

Mr. Hadley followed up the meeting by submitting a request to Get It Done to have the parking spaces on Eads repainted, and he advised the EAIG members to do the same, since the more times a request is made the more likely it will be addressed.

Subsequently, Mr. Earley was contacted and agreed to put the Eads Avenue issues on the agenda for the next meeting of the Traffic & Transportation Board, which will be held at the La Jolla/Riford Library at 7555 Draper Ave. at 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 20. All concerned residents on or near Eads are urged to attend.

In addition, a petition is being circulated for signatures by individuals who reside on or near Eads. Anyone who wants to sign the petition should send an email to eads.ave2023@gmail.com.

This commentary was submitted on behalf of the Eads Avenue Improvement Group by Vaneeta D’Andrea, an HOA board member who lives on Eads Avenue. ◆