A year-long parking study concerning Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu was presented to the public last Tuesday night in a joint special meeting of the Public Safety Commission and the Public Works Commission. None of the results are especially encouraging, considering that in the four year period examined, ending in 2015, 13 percent of all reported accidents on PCH were parking related, not to mention the dearth of parking spots and one of the reports recommendations that 675 parking spots be eliminated, all in the name of safety.
The report also brings into sharp relief one of the major tensions in Malibu — between serving the wants and needs of residents while providing services to the millions of visitors who pass through every year.
The two-inch-thick report that can be viewed on the city’s website has a detailed inventory of available parking, but also takes into account that some of the available free parking puts pedestrians and drivers at risk, especially as people run across busy PCH to get to their destinations of either the beach or landside trail heads.
With two recent pedestrian deaths near El Matador State Beach, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Jim Royal called the area a “priority,” adding, “It’s a big problem. It’s out of control.” Nearby residents say there’s not enough signage in the area and that speeders are the main culprits.
Lifelong resident Annie Ellis spoke during the public comment section of the meeting, telling commissioners people routinely drive 80 miles per hour on that stretch of PCH. Andy Cohen, who also lives in the area, pleaded to eliminate inland parking near El Matador, telling the nine-member panel, “It would do a big service to not have people run across the street.”
Other parking safety hotspots singled out in the report include the areas near Paradise Cove, Winding Way and the Malibu RV Park. While the report recommends eliminating many inland parking spots, that didn’t sit well with Public Works Commissioner Scott Dittrich.
“We know the city is visitor serving,” Dittrich said. “We need to look at gaining more spaces.”
The issue of free parking was a concern with Public Works Commission Vice Chair Paul Grisanti.
“I think the time for that to continue is over,” he said. “I don’t think you can find another beach town with it.” At an earlier parking study meeting in November, the study’s author, Rock Miller of the engineering firm Stantec, had stated that the California Coastal Commission is generally not in favor of adding parking meters along PCH.
In an attempt to calm traffic in some areas of busy PCH, the report suggests narrowing driving lanes in specific areas on the north end from 13-feet wide to 11 feet. The suggestion caused some contention among some of the commissioners who didn’t agree with the recommendation or either wanted more study.
“I’m surprised with the number of people concerned with the lane width recommendation,” Miller said. “Caltrans has made it clear they want convincing information before they’ll proceed in that direction. We felt that all of our studies suggested it would be a safer street if the lanes were narrowed, but they haven’t received enough information — not analyzed it themselves closely enough that at this time they can say they agree.”
Regarding the report’s analysis of employees taking up prime parking, spots Miller responded, “We really didn’t get into details of who is parking on PCH.
“I don’t know that it would have changed the safety picture if employees or customers were the ones parking on the street. We have not gone into specific recommendations regarding private property,” he continued. “The focus of this study was always, ‘What is the pattern of parking on the street and are there aspects of the pattern of parking on the street that would suggest changes should be made?’
“Where we knew there was a shortage of parking for either the beach or businesses — we were very reluctant to make any recommendations to reduce the parking supply unless there was a very strong or overwhelming safety reason to do so,” Miller went on. “There were other places where nobody ever parks and, every once in a while, a person parks and then their car gets crashed into. We did recommend there be less parking in those areas if there is going to be any adjustment in the future it would probably be in those areas.”
One resident voiced concern about the proliferation of RVs parked near Topanga, but Commission Chair Carol Randall pointed out that area is not in the study’s purview since it only covers the 21-mile stretch of PCH within city limits.
Public comments will be received until April 7 and can be addressed to Eshavelson@malibucity.org or by calling Malibu City Hall at 310.456.2489 ext 254.