Recent accidents spur residents to ask for measures to be taken to improve safety on PCH. A horrendous accident last week, leaving one dead and another victim severely injured, as well as numerous other injury accidents on Pacific Coast Highway, has left residents alarmed about the recent increase of traffic collisions on the highway.
Although a current sheriff’s report stated that accidents in Malibu have dropped from last year, there has been a sudden rise in accidents along PCH during the past few weeks.
“I’m not sure what’s causing the problems,” said Sgt. Kevin Mauch, of the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s Station, with dry humor, “but it’s generally not the pole.”
In 1999, Rep. Brad Sherman proposed that $650,00 from the 1998 federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century be used to fund safety improvements along PCH. The proverbial “last straw” that prompted the proposal came from the 1999 deaths of 16-year-old Sabrina Csato, who was killed by a drunk driver, and Pepperdine students Kimberly Ellis and Jeannine Gregory, all of whom died on PCH. The City of Malibu and Caltrans worked together to initiate several projects.
Although some of the improvements have been completed, such as “rumble strips” along the median that help keep drivers awake, a raised median line from Zuma Beach to Morning View Drive (more of a barrier than rumble strips), a study of left-turn and U-turn movement along the highway and a signal upgrade at Malibu Canyon, some of the projects seem to be taking forever to finish.
Laurie Newman, senior deputy in charge of transportation matters for California state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, who was instrumental in getting the funding, said there are still details to be negotiated between Caltrans and Malibu that has considerably slowed down completion of improvements.
“The government moves slowly,” Newman said with some irony.
A delay in one improvement, a “smart crosswalk” in front of Colony House Liquor at 22523 PCH, one of three planned along the highway, had Colony co-owner George Alti clearly incensed. “How long will it take?” he asked angrily. “A lot of accidents happen here. I see blind people and old people crossing the street all the time. I’ve gone out and helped people cross the street here.” There was a four-car crash last week in front of Colony House Liquor. Alti said that every day he hears at least four or five cars brake hard for pedestrians. “They put white paint on the road but it doesn’t do any good.”
Smart crosswalks include overhead cautionary lights and ground level imbedded lighting that will illuminate the walk area when a pedestrian crosses the highway. The other two will be installed just east of Carbon Canyon and in the Point Dume area.
“The crosswalks will be in place by end of the year,” assured Newman.
After several postponements, the Traffic Information Emergency Radio Station that will update drivers about PCH and canyon road conditions, as well as weather and other potential effects on traffic, is in place and will be completed “any day now,” said Newman. According to Mauch, the repeater just needs to be installed which will broadcast the updates as far as the Ventura Freeway in Calabasas.
Still in the works are the eastbound Paradise Cove right-turn deceleration lane (like an on-ramp), a Malibu Canyon/PCH video detection system to monitor signal operations, which is installed but not yet operational, and a speed advisory board that displays the speeds motorists are traveling as they pass by.
The remaining money will be used to implement the left-turn and U-turn study recommendations, and to fund other safety-related improvements that Caltrans and the City of Malibu agree should be implemented in the future.