“Green left-turn arrows at the Malibu Bluffs/PCH intersection”
Several years back, I suggested the installation of “left- turn green arrow lights” at two different intersections in Malibu, to improve traffic flow: 1. Webb Way and PCH (for traffic on Webb Way, facing north); and 2. Malibu Canyon and PCH (for traffic on Malibu Canyon, also facing north).
I am very pleased that the Malibu Green Photon Arrow League has recently installed left- turn, green arrow traffic signal lights at the former intersection … in this case, for northbound facing traffic on Webb Way at the intersection of PCH and Webb Way.
I now appeal to the Green Photon Arrow Heads to, once again, do their magic and improve the traffic flow for the latter intersection.
At the present time, cars leaving Malibu Bluffs Park along Malibu Canyon see only a conventional green light when it is their turn to proceed … be it straight ahead (continuing north along Malibu Canyon), a right turn (heading east on PCH), or a left turn (heading west on PCH).
Unbeknownst to these drivers is the fact that the opposing, southbound traffic, facing Bluffs Park sees a red light throughout this phase of the signal cycle. Hence, the northbound traffic will necessarily hesitate to proceed in any direction, not knowing that the opposing traffic is stopped. After all, at most intersections, traffic typically flows in opposite directions during a green light. This conundrum is precisely analogous to that of the Webb Way/PCH intersection.
A solution is simply to add left- turn green arrow lights to the existing conventional green lights in the signal clusters, which are to be seen by the drivers leaving the park. Hence, in addition to the conventional green lights, the northbound traffic will now also see left- turn green arrow lights (and right- turn arrows, for that matter).
Drivers leaving the park can now safely proceed to make a left and right turns, as well as proceed north on PCH, without hesitation, since the presence of the arrows will imply that the cross traffic (i.e., southbound facing traffic) is stopped during this phase of the traffic- signal cycle.
So, Green Photon Arrow Leaguers … It’s time, once again, to withdraw a few green photon arrows from the quivers of the traffic- controller czars.
David Pepper