Katessa Galvan, right, crosses at Bay Avenue and Hill Street in Capitola on Tuesday. Galvan said she crosses here daily and has nearly been hit by a car many times. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/Catchlight Local)

CAPITOLA >> Capitola leaders voted unanimously on Sept. 25 to restore lanes removed last year from the intersection at Bay Avenue and Hill Street in Capitola, one of the city’s most dangerous intersections. 

The intersection underwent a temporary redesign last year, alongside a longer-term project to add safety improvements across Bay Avenue. City staff said they plan to return with an update on the long-term plan at an October city council meeting, which is set to include a traffic circle at the Bay Avenue and Hill Street intersection.

The redesign installed in summer of 2024 removed lanes from parts of Bay Avenue approaching the intersection, and reduced the length of the crosswalk for pedestrians. It has since faced heavy pushback from residents who pointed to increased congestion. 

“I personally believe this is the worst mistake ever made” by the city council, said former city council member Edward Bottorff, who served eight years. 

But resident Dorothy Anton, who has advocated for safety improvements along Bay Ave., said it was unclear how much congestion was due to the new design and how much was because of nearby road closures, including on Capitola Ave. over Highway 1. The overpass is set to re-open by the end of 2025.

“What is clear to those of us who negotiate that intersection on foot and by bike is that we feel much less vulnerable navigating the crossing and much more visible to drivers,” Anton said. 

Though the city council during the Sept. 25 meeting voted to remove most of the intersection changes, some new lighting and lane striping will remain. Council members rejected a proposed new sidewalk at the nearby intersection of Bay Avenue and Center Street, in part because it would require taking money from the long-term safety plan for Bay Avenue.

The council also voted to use a community grant program to pay for brightly-colored flags next to the Bay Avenue stop signs at the Hill Street intersection, which pedestrians can use when crossing to alert cars.

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