As a longtime resident, I’ve seen (as we all have) increased traffic on PCH and therefore, more danger. I am a father of three boys. My oldest is sixteen and a half and is about to get his driver’s license. I have been working with him in the car on the road trying to teach him the “do’s” and “don’ts” of driving on Pacific Coast Highway and the area around it.
There are two big problem spots where I feel compelled to do something about. They are extremely dangerous and we are constantly hearing the sirens of the ambulances rush to these areas to, unfortunately, a horrible accident.
First, there is the left hand turn off Portshead to try to go north on PCH. There is no stoplight and it is almost impossible to time correctly when rush hour comes about. Cars are speeding south on PCH and have a slight blind turn and, as you probably know, it is a no-win situation. Training my son there, I insist that he makes a right because of the imminent danger. This shouldn’t be happening and there should be a light there. At the very least, the brush should be cut down on the ocean side of the highway and the dirt taken down so it is not a blind spot for speeders going southbound. That would help enormously and I would be happy to do it with my many friends who I’ve talked about this with that all agree with me.
The other spot, for almost the exact same reason, is the left hand turn when trying to go north off of Westward, by Zuma Beach, another horror show situation. Maybe a stoplight would slow things down and increase some traffic but I believe it’s negligent to not make these spots safer for our community even with a time cost. We must take action now.
Vincent Van Patten