San Diego DOCTOR Delivers SMACKDOWN to City Council

Encinitas, once celebrated for its charming and eclectic vibe, is undergoing a transformation that many locals argue is doing more harm than good. Among those raising the alarm is Dr. Nick Capetanakis, a long-time resident and physician, whose powerful testimony at a recent City Council meeting shed light on the unintended—and dangerous—consequences of the city’s redesign.

One of my fellow Healthy Americans, Andy, has been tirelessly educating neighbors about these sweeping changes. She recently shared this news with me and I’ll break it down and explain why it’s a concern for all of us.

Here’s the email I received from Andy:

Here’s one many flyers that she has been distributing to locals:

Dr. Nick Capetanakis, a 15-year resident of Encinitas and physician at Scripps Encinitas, has delivered over 4,000 babies during his career. Yet, his ability to respond to medical emergencies has been jeopardized by the redesign of Santa Fe Drive—a critical access road he relies on for emergency hospital trips and daily commutes.

Click here to listen to his powerful three-minute testimony to the City Council.

Dr. Nick didn’t hold back:

"I almost missed a medical emergency today because of what you've done to Santa Fe Drive. You've eliminated the center lane—ambulances have no way to get through during school hours. You’ve prioritized pickleball courts and parking over safety. A medical disaster is inevitable, and when it happens, it’ll be on this council."

He went on to outline just how messy things have gotten since the redesign:

• Traffic nightmares: Without a center lane, Santa Fe has turned into a bottleneck, delaying ambulances and commuters.

• Unsafe for Students: Even his own teens are afraid to cross the street near the high school.

• Desperate measures: Dr. Nick bought a moped just to weave through traffic fast enough to respond to emergencies—a frustrating "solution" he never imagined needing.

And that wasn’t the end of it. He called out the council for ghosting residents:
"Why don’t you respond to us, the taxpayers? Do I have to read about your solutions in the paper? The silence is unacceptable."

Dr. Nick’s story highlights a broader problem: how so-called “urban planning” and environmental initiatives are quietly making life harder for everyday people. Across the country, roads are being narrowed, bike lanes are being added (yet mostly unused), and center lanes are vanishing—all under the banner of sustainability. But the reality? Longer delays, more danger, and fewer options for people who can’t just hop on a bike.

This isn’t progress—it’s a step back. It’s the elderly, the disabled, and parents with young kids who are paying the price while planners pat themselves on the back.

Dr. Nick’s testimony is a wake-up call for accountability and common sense.

Here’s the bottom line: they want to restrict our movement.

That’s my takeaway.

The goal seems to be making travel such a hassle—so burdensome, frustrating, and downright dangerous—that you just give up. “I’ll stay home,” you think. “I’m not even going to bother with that street.” It’s like they’re creating a self-contained society where you restrict yourself, and they don’t even have to enforce it because the system does it for them.

I’ve seen this play out before. Back in my 20s, I lived in Los Angeles for about six months—couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Sure, there are nice places and great people, but the traffic? It was unbearable. Even then, I noticed they could’ve easily added left-turn arrows at intersections to make driving more efficient, but they didn’t. Why? In my view, it was intentional—to make driving so inconvenient that you’d opt for public transportation instead. Buses had their own lanes, could make turns more easily, and moved faster than cars. The system was clearly set up to favor buses over personal vehicles.

Fast forward to today, and it’s the same playbook, just with more bells and whistles. Lanes are being removed for parking, buses, or bike-only spaces. I see empty bike lanes all the time—like in San Clemente, where I have photos and videos of these so-called "improvements." Bright green paint splashed across the streets, supposedly to highlight bike lanes, but honestly, it’s an eyesore. A simple white line would suffice; we’re not fifth graders here.

It all comes down to federal and state grants—money funneled to cities to fund these changes. But what’s the real cost? Our mobility, our time, and our freedom.

What’s happening in your town? Have you seen similar changes that are causing chaos?

Email us your stories and photos at support@thehealthyamerican.org.