green light
The current dispute over the trial closure of Civic Center Way calls attention once again to Malibu’s most troublesome traffic problem, speeding. Numerous attempts to control speeding on PCH and adjacent roads have been largely fruitless as we all too frequently find out every time there’s another fatality resulting in a catastrophic closure of PCH. But there is a solution: Photo-radar.
For years, Malibu residents have been inconvenienced by the various strategies intended to combat speeding, most notably the addition of unneeded stoplights on Pacific Coast Highway that have done little but augment congestion. Increased patrols by Sheriff’s and CHP officers have also been ineffective. This “after the fact” punishment is a great revenue-generator, but ultimately does nothing to discourage people from breaking the law in the first place.
Recognizing that certain punishment, rather than possible punishment, was a more effective deterrent, many cities long ago began installing “Red Light Cameras” at intersections. And studies have shown that they are working. “Photo-Radar” operates on the same principle, and while it’s not as prevalent in Southern California as the Red Light Camera, its use elsewhere in the United States and Canada has proven its value.
I would strongly urge the city council to consider working to install photo-radar arrays throughout Malibu wherever speeding is a problem. It would make our community safer, insure that people drive cautiously through school zones and allow our law enforcement officers to focus their energies on the more pressing issues of public safety and crime prevention.
Wade Major