The San Diego City Council is expected to vote in mid-March on a series of traffic safety improvements along Jackson Drive in San Carlos, a stretch of road well-known to East County residents who commute along the La Mesa border corridor.
The push for change follows a tragedy that stunned the community. On Oct. 20, 2025, Andrew Olsen — an 11-year-old sixth grader at Pershing Middle School — was struck by a vehicle while walking to school with his two sisters near the intersection of Jackson Drive and Lake Badin Avenue. Andrew was killed; his sisters survived with critical injuries. The driver, reportedly blinded by the morning sun, remained on the scene. No criminal charges were filed.
In February, the City Council's Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted unanimously to approve a package of safety improvements for the corridor. The proposal now heads to the full City Council, which is expected to consider it on March 16 or March 17.
The plans include reducing Jackson Drive from four travel lanes to two between Lake Shore Drive and Lake Murray Boulevard, and lowering the speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph between Cowles Mountain Boulevard and Lake Murray Boulevard. Councilmember Raul Campillo, who represents the San Carlos area as part of District 7, said traffic modeling indicates the corridor can handle the change without significant peak-hour delays. "Road diets are a proven traffic calming measure that improve safety by simplifying traffic movements, reducing conflict points, and increasing driver awareness," Campillo said.
The Jackson Drive changes are part of a broader Comprehensive Speed Management Plan backed by a $680,000 federal grant and enabled by recent California legislation, including Assembly Bills 43, 1938, and 382. The wider plan — also headed for a council vote in mid-March — would allow the city to reduce speed limits in high-risk areas without the traditionally required traffic studies, streamlining the approval process for safety projects citywide. The Olsen family has filed a lawsuit against the city alleging negligence in failing to address known hazards at the Lake Badin intersection before the fatal crash.