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By Paul Levikow
Photo: new parking configuration in front of Descanso Junction eliminated two-thirds of spaces and left no disabled parking access. Photos courtesy of Descanso Junction and Rett Lawrence, Mountain Views and News
November 6, 2025 (Descanso) – The California Department of Transportation removed several parking spaces in front of Descanso Junction Restaurant and nearby businesses in late October, amounting to approximately a two-thirds reduction.
The speed limit along state Route 79 was also reduced from 55 to 45 mph along that stretch of highway, which leads to Guatay, Pine Valley, Cuyamaca, Mt. Laguna, Julian and other backcountry mountain communities.
Signs were installed on the shoulders to remind motorists that parking is never allowed on the state highway shoulder, except for emergency situations and emergency vehicles.
Residents are not happy. Some say the reduction in speed limit is not enough, while the reduction in parking spaces is too much. The timing of the changes is also concerning to residents.
Caltrans says the changes were made due to a January, 2021 incident resulting in serious injuries that occurred at the Descanso Junction, when a vehicle traveling south on SR-79 struck two teenaged pedestrians.
Caltrans Review
“In a subsequent court case, the plaintiff and community members alleged parking on both sides of the roadway, and vehicles backing out from parking spaces, contributed to dangerous conditions. In addition to policy in the Highway Design Manual (HDM), the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD), and the California Vehicle Code (CVC) and the results of traffic investigation, this incident added a high level of urgency for safety and remedial measures,” Caltrans spokesman Aaron Hunter said in a statement to East County Magazine.
“Actions were required to be taken immediately to address the safety of pedestrians and both parked and moving vehicles, reduce the potential liability to the state and business owners, and meet legal requirements dictated by California law and courts.”
The accident happened in January 2021. A lawsuit was settled in November 2023. The changes were completed in October 2025.
Caltrans was required to review the speed limit, traffic/pedestrian warning signage, unauthorized perpendicular parking in front of businesses, and ongoing illegal parking on the highway shoulder. Hunter said that after thorough review, the findings from a February, 2025, Engineering and Traffic Survey resulted in an order that reduced the speed limit on SR-79 at Descanso Junction. New updated speed signs and no parking signs for the highway shoulders were ordered and installed.
Community Response
John Elliott, owner of Descanso Trading Post across the highway from Descanso Junction, had six parking spaces in front of his business. Now he has two (photo, right).
“It looks like hell,” Elliott said. “It’s supposed to be a scenic highway and it looks bad. It’s so ugly.”
Elliott is also disappointed in the way Caltrans handled the situation, accusing the state agency of deception and misleading the Descanso community.
“Someone needs to be fired at Caltrans,” Elliott said, saying Caltrans’ failure to work with the community was unacceptable. “It was wrong. It was not done properly.”
“I wish Caltrans would have been up front with us to begin with,” he said. “That is what bothers me the most.”
Elliott is a 35-year resident of Descanso, has been a member of the planning group for 30 years and has owned the Descanso Trading Post since 1991. He said in all that time, they have been asking for a reduced speed limit.
“I’m disappointed in our state government. If they would have come to us initially and said ‘hey two girls got hit and how can we make it safer’ it would have been a team effort,” Elliott said.
Descanso Junction Impact
Tammy Cooker has owned the Descanso Junction restaurant with her husband, Brett since 2003. They had to cancel their annual Halloween party because Caltrans was doing the work at the time, painting stripes in front of their business. She asked that they put off the work for a couple of days so they wouldn’t have to cancel the party. It would have been their final Junction Outback event of the season.
“It’s affecting business because people can’t figure out how to park. It’s confusing,” Cooker said. “There are several other ways they could have handled this.”
Cooker and Elliott are also concerned that Caltrans left behind no handicapped parking spaces and they are afraid they could be sued for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. They requested the speed limit be posted at 35 mph, have a crosswalk painted on the highway and a traffic signal or stop sign installed.
“There are several tools in the toolbox that Caltrans could have used that they chose not to use,” Cooker said.
Community Notification
Hunter said Caltrans met with business owners and community members and they did not follow the original plan to eliminate all parking spaces.
“After meetings with businesses, the Descanso community, and elected offices, Caltrans staff developed a solution to preserve some public parking, reduce potential impacts to the local businesses, and meet all policy requirements,” Hunter said. “Caltrans proposed a parallel parking configuration that accommodates eight spaces that will create more visibility and meet the clear recovery zone requirements.
“Caltrans staff worked to develop a solution that could preserve public parking, reduce potential impacts to the local businesses, and meet all policy requirements. The existing 40 feet from the centerline includes a 12-foot lane, and the required 20 ft of clear recovery zone, including an 8-foot shoulder. Ultimately a parallel parking configuration was found to fit and meet the clear recovery zone requirements.”
A 35-mph speed limit would eliminate the need for a clear recovery zone, according to Elliott.
Additional Changes Possible
“Caltrans is proceeding with the community’s request to evaluate a potential 3-way stop at the intersection of Riverside Drive and SR 79. Caltrans is also in communication with state and local officials. Caltrans is committed to continue communicating and working with partners and the community on longer-term suggestions or improvements. However, the 3-way stop evaluation and other long-term options such as relinquishing the highway or working with our state legislators do not influence the immediate need for the required traffic safety corrective actions,” Hunter said.
Image, right: angled parking in front of Descanso Trading Post before Cal Trans reduced the number of spaces.
“With the change to parallel parking, pedestrian sightlines have been increased and the chance of a vehicle backing out into the lanes and causing a collision has been reduced,” Hunter’s statement said. “This decision was communicated with the Descanso property owners and community over the past nine months at in person meetings, virtual meetings, community meetings, by phone calls, and in writing.”
Pedestrian Safety
Elliott says that despite claims by Caltrans, no consideration was made regarding pedestrian traffic in the area.
“There are no crosswalks, warning signs, sidewalks or any other pedestrian safety actions Caltrans has done to protect pedestrians. The only apparent action is to eliminate pedestrians by putting the local businesses out of business,” he said. “No businesses, no pedestrians.”
Social Media Buzz
Connie Nevarez, whose two daughters were the ones hit by a car in 2021, raised concerns on social media recently. She claims Caltrans is retaliating against her family for the lawsuit and causing retribution by her Descanso neighbors. She says her house has been vandalized and damaged, causing her “heavy anxiety.”
“It’s like Caltrans is trying to create a lynch mob,” Nevarez said. “What Caltrans is doing is creating unsafe roadway condition that will ultimately lead to another accident, injury or death.”
Her daughters’ lives have been permanently altered with lifelong disabilities, with both needing daily assistance as adults. The Caltrans changes are personal to her, she said.
“I have a responsibility to this community. The community stood up for my family against everyone. They held me together,” Nevarez said. “If it wasn’t for them, I might not still have my home. I might not still have my daughters.”
Nevarez’s attorney issued a letter to the community in October in an effort to quell some of the rumors that are spreading around Descanso. The letter contends that Caltrans claimed the modifications were due to a court order issued related to his client’s lawsuit. However, the attorney’s letter states that lawsuit “did not result in any judicial order mandating roadway redesign, parking reconfiguration, or signage installation.”
Photo, left: parallel parking along the state highway is prohibited.
Fight Continues
Many in the Descanso community vow to continue the fight. The issue is on the December agenda for the San Diego County Traffic Advisory Committee meeting. They are working with the offices of State Senator Brian Jones, Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, and County Supervisor Joel Anderson’s staff. They have also reached out to Rep. Darrell Issa regarding the lack of ADA parking.
In the meantime, Cooker said Descanso Junction is still open for business with parking in the back, “which has been incredibly helpful.”
“It’s not a dead issue yet,” Cooker said.
Descanso Junction posted a video on Facebook showing the changes. Videos of other coverage can be found on the Mountain Views and News YouTube page with Rett Lawrence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0McSmPOFtEY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5SDLqBCSPA&t=6s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5SDLqBCSPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZA-sHAIz04
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