Caltrans will not change speed limits on highway.
By McKenzie Jackson / Special to The Malibu Times
The Malibu Public Safety Commission last week revealed a fledgling plan to reach out to commissions from surrounding cities in order to compare public safety information and ideas. The commission also gave updates on highway and other safety issues.
During the Aug. 4 commission meeting at Malibu City Hall, commissioners Carol Randall and Chris Frost said they have begun reaching out to nearby city governments in order to find out if they have public safety commissions and what their roles are in those cities.
Frost, the six-member commission’s vice-chair, said, “It is all about the sharing of ideas and solutions. Communication can only be good.”
The commission would like to compare notes with other cities on how to educate themselves and the community about public safety issues such as traffic, natural disasters and police and fire services.
So far, Randall and Frost said they have contacted the cities of Calabasas, Thousand Oaks, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Oxnard, Ventura, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills and West Hollywood.
Not all of the cities have a public safety commission or similar group.
Frost noted that a relationship between the public safety commissions in Malibu and Calabasas could be beneficial due to the cities’ proximity and similarities. “We have [Pacific Coast Highway] and Calabasas has a freeway,” he said. “We have a lot of the same traffic problems. There is a lot of transient traffic in both communities. I think during the times of a fire or disaster it would be good if the communities had a better flow of communication between them. If they need help, we can help them. If we need help, maybe they can help us.”
PCH safety update
Transportation engineer Jim Riley of Caltrans said the agency has begun repainting crosswalks at the north end of Pacific Coast Highway and has gotten as far as Kanan Dume Road. The crosswalk at Malibu High School will be repainted yellow. Also, signs at highway intersections are being repaired and replaced. More speed limit signs will also be added along the highway, but Caltrans will not be changing the speed limits.
Additionally, during the meeting the commission approved a recommendation of installing guardrails along the road at Las Flores Park. The item will go before the city council.
Public Works Superintendent Richard Calvin told the commission installing the guardrails could cost around $15,000.
Randall said the guardrails are needed at the city-owned park in order to protect individuals and families from any dangerous drivers who speed down Las Flores Canyon Road and could potentially lose control of their vehicle. “When you invite people to an area, which is a park in this instance, and you tell them to come and enjoy yourself here; the city of Malibu is sponsoring this,” she said. “It seems to me that we have to make sure it is safe.”
Wildfire Plan
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan is now available for public review online at www.forevergreenforestry.com/smmcwpp_pub.html. The public can email comments about the plan to santamonicamountainscwpp@gmail.com. The comment period ends on Sept. 15.
Beginning Aug. 15 a series of meetings about the plan will take place, including Aug. 18 at the Malibu City Hall and Aug. 20 at Malibu West Beach Club.
The finished plan will address what to do when a fire occurs. The document will give an environmental background of the entire ecosystem of the mountain range and surrounding communities, background of the different agencies that are putting the plan together and give suggestions about what residents can do when their community is facing a wildfire.