It is my understanding that on August 23, the City of Malibu held a city council meeting and at this meeting the City approved plans to redevelop Cross Creek Road. The plan calls for the removal of the center turning lane which spans the entire length of Cross Creek Road. I am concerned that the above plan may negatively impact commerce within the entire Malibu Civic Center area for the following reasons.
Elimination of the center lane will limit the availability of customer parking. Currently, a large number of vendors use the center lane as parking when delivering goods to many of the business establishments located within the Malibu Civic Center area. In the event the center lane is eliminated, many delivery trucks will be inclined to use the off street parking as a delivery drop-off point. This is likely to limit customer accessibility to parking and, in turn, limit accessibility to the area’s surrounding business establishments.
Elimination of the center lane will most likely increase traffic congestion along Cross Creek Road.
Currently, shoppers and patrons who visit the Malibu Civic Center area use the center lane to turn into the surrounding commercial areas. Elimination of the center lane will make it virtually impossible for passing traffic to drive around those cars which are turning into these commercial areas. The likely consequences of this will be further congestion and risk to both pedestrians and vehicles at an already busy road.
I believe it would be much more effective for the City to accomplish its goals of enhancing the business environment and reducing traffic in the Malibu Civic Center area by implementing other less intrusive traffic control mechanisms such as speed bumps and stop lights.
Michael Koss