The La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board unanimously approved speed lumps for East Roseland Drive on Tuesday, Aug. 18, clearing a years-long hurdle on a street the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department classified as an emergency route in a very high fire severity zone.

The board also gave conditional support to traffic-calming measures on Prestwick Drive, Dunaway Drive and Calle del Oro, but told residents they must first gather a petition showing 75% support from affected neighbors before a formal vote, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The East Roseland recommendation will be forwarded to the La Jolla Community Planning Association's consent agenda, then to the city of San Diego for consideration. The Prestwick/Dunaway/Calle del Oro proposal must clear the petition threshold first, then follow the same path.

East Roseland Drive: 28 signatures, one unanimous vote

Resident Riad Mardoum presented the East Roseland proposal, asking the board to endorse speed lumps and a 15 mph speed limit on the street, which drivers use as a shortcut to bypass traffic on Torrey Pines Road. Mardoum said 28 neighbors in the affected area signed onto the petition.

Speed lumps differ from traditional speed humps. They are divided into three sections with one foot of space between each, sized to accommodate firetruck axle widths so emergency vehicles can pass without going over them. Smaller vehicles must ride over the lumps on at least one side.

That fire-access design proved critical. The Fire-Rescue Department determined in 2017, and reaffirmed in a more recent review, that traditional traffic-calming devices would adversely affect response times on East Roseland. Joaquin Quintero, field representative for City Council President Joe LaCava, reported those findings at the board's May 2026 meeting.

T&T Chairman Erik Gantzel had called the street "a tough nut to crack" at that May meeting. Board member Patrick Ryan said Aug. 18 that East Roseland is a good place for speed lumps but expressed uncertainty about whether increased speeding enforcement is feasible.

The motion to support speed lumps passed unanimously.

Prestwick, Dunaway and Calle del Oro: petition first

Resident Laura Eaton, who has spoken at multiple T&T meetings, asked the board to recommend three measures to the city: speed lumps at the 8500 block of Prestwick Drive, two speed display signs on Calle del Oro and stop signs on Dunaway Drive.

"The fact is we have documented our problem — and it's severe and scary — and the city has done nothing so far," Eaton said. "What we're asking as a group is … a letter of support from (the La Jolla Traffic and Transportation Board), advising the city to take our recommendations."

Eaton said the area is home to many senior citizens and a few families with young children. Prestwick Drive is part of a roughly 1.6-mile curvy residential road running parallel to Torrey Pines Road that becomes Dunaway Drive at its northern end and Calle del Oro at its southern end. A May 2025 speed study found 157 vehicles exceeded 51 mph over eight days, with the 85th percentile speed at 37–38 mph on a road posted at 30 mph.

Ryan moved to support the proposal on the condition that a petition be conducted and sent to the board. "You would need 75% of the neighbors' agreement," he said. "Because you might love (these measures), but the community is not necessarily represented in this room."

The board voted to support speed lumps on Prestwick and speed display signs on Calle del Oro. The Dunaway Drive stop-sign request remains in progress and was not voted on.

Residents interested in the petition process can attend the next T&T board meeting. The board typically meets on the third Tuesday of each month.