The recently created e-mail address, reopencivicctr@aol.com, has been absolutely deluged with e-mails from Malibu citizens expressing their opposition to the partial closure of Civic Center Way. The comments received to date are 100% in agreement that the road must be reopened now. Many who have written in also question the legality of the closure and this issue is in the process of being investigated. We urge all Malibu residents who want to see Civic Center re-opened and who haven’t already done so, send in their e-mails to reopencivicctr@aol.com. These will all be forwarded to the City, in conjunction with names being gathered on petitions, to show Ken Kearsley and the council that, first and foremost, we in Malibu need this road to be re-opened. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write in to the e-mail address to voice their opinions, ideas, etc.
Greg and Linda Stark
Citizens to Re-Open Civic Center Way
NO: No easy Z solution
We are opposed to the closing of Civic Center Way to through traffic. If the stated reason for the closure is for the safety of the school children, then, using that logic, Morning View Drive should also be closed. It is a through street, with more schools and more school traffic than Civic Center Way, and the schools have entrances right on Morning View. The Civic Center area schools have entrances a block away from Civic Center Way, on Winter Canyon. Wouldn’t stricter enforcement of existing traffic laws make Civic Center Way safer without impacting traffic?
If safety of the school children is a major consideration in closing the road, consider this. How much longer will it take paramedics from Station 88 to reach the schools and how much longer will it take an ambulance to get to Santa Monica Hospital? I guess that would depend on whether traffic was backed up on Malibu Canyon and/or PCH because of the closure. If Civic Center Way isn’t reopened, instead of a pocket park, which really isn’t needed in Malibu, we would suggest using that area as a heliport which would be needed to airlift any sick or injured school children to a hospital because the increased traffic may prevent an ambulance from getting there.
If school safety isn’t the reason for the road closure, then what is? The only reason we can see to close the road is to keep “Z” traffic out of Malibu. But this ends up severely impacting Malibu residents. My wife and I are considering commuting home to Malibu, from Westwood, through the Valley because it may be faster than PCH. This would create a new traffic pattern where Malibu residents use Valley roads to commute in order to save time. (We’ll show those Valley people what it’s like). We can call it “anti Z” or “backwards Z” or, how about “S traffic” (which is like a backwards Z).
The worst is yet to come. Wait until school starts and parents and school buses (I hope someone has told SMMUSD transportation about the road closure) have to take the long way around. That sure isn’t going to help the traffic situation on Malibu Canyon or PCH, And, speaking of buses, what about people who take the MTA 434 bus? How much further do they have to walk? But that wouldn’t matter to the Malibu City Council. Most of the bus riders don’t live in Malibu, they only work or go to school here. They can’t vote in city elections
California (for better or worse) is setting a trend in recal1 elections of politicians who aren’t doing a good job. It looks as if this one issue of a road closure would be enough to recall the entire Malibu City Council. And. this being Malibu, think of all the names of potential candidates who could be on the ballot! The media would love it.
David M. Levy
Paula Gershoy