By Michel Shane
Malibu, a California beach town with just 10,000 residents, ranks among the top 25 cities in the United States for per capita road fatalities. This fact is not just shocking but outrageous.
The tolerance of such carnage on its roads by a town with such resources in a nation as wealthy as America is a scandal that demands immediate action. The people of Malibu have every right to be enraged. Yet, for too long, the community has expected others to effect the necessary change. However, change will only come when the people of Malibu take ownership of demanding and creating that change. The dangerous conditions on our roads are not someone else’s problem. They are our problem. We must demand and make the change we want to see and do it now.
The other glaring fact is that Malibu needs to control its destination. The city must answer to so many government bodies that it is notable that anything gets done. This lack of control over its destiny is a scandal, hindering the city’s ability to implement necessary safety measures and improvements.
How can a society that prides itself on its values of life and safety allow such a tragedy to continue? The roads of Malibu are a ticking time bomb. While Caltrans is developing a master plan, the question remains: How many lives will be lost before these improvements are implemented? Tourist traffic creates congestion, and the roads become even more treacherous at night due to speeding and reckless driving. Speed cameras are a positive step, but how many lives will be lost before they are installed and operational?
The consequences of inaction are devastating. In recent years, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers have been killed in crashes along PCH. The outrage in Malibu is not just about the past but also the present and future. It concerns the fundamental failure of the government to protect its most basic obligation: the safety of its citizens. This sentiment highlights the sense of urgency required to address this crisis. It emphasizes the need for immediate, tangible action to prevent further loss of life.
The Biden Administration’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, spearheaded by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, backed by $800 million in funding, offers a chance for redemption. If implemented effectively, this strategy could significantly improve road safety in cities like Malibu by providing the necessary funding and support for crucial safety programs and infrastructure improvements. For this initiative to establish credibility, it must begin by acknowledging the scandal of road fatalities in cities like Malibu and prioritizing their transformation. This involves funding and providing technical assistance and support to help smaller towns like Malibu implement effective safety programs.
Solutions exist to make Malibu’s roads safer. Increased enforcement and public awareness campaigns can combat reckless driving. Educating our young to create change is the key. These data-driven approaches can identify hotspots and guide interventions. The community of Malibu must demand that these solutions be implemented with the utmost urgency, and all need to participate.
However, more than policies and funding, what is needed is a fundamental shift in how road safety is approached. It requires recognizing that every life lost is a preventable tragedy, a tragedy that we, as a community, can and must prevent. It requires outrage at the status quo and a commitment to change. It requires making the safety of roads like those in Malibu a non-negotiable priority. It requires the community to organize, advocate, and demand action from its leaders. All the people of Malibu must demand action. It is time for the government at all levels to heed their call and take immediate responsibility for the safety of its citizens. It is time for the community to realize that change will only come when they demand it.
Buttigieg’s strategy and the funding behind it offer a chance to create the safe and just transportation system that every community deserves. But for this effort to have any meaning, it must start by addressing the specific scandals of road safety in Malibu, such as the high per capita road fatalities and the delayed implementation of safety measures. The lives lost on Malibu’s roads are a tragic reminder of the stakes. It is time to turn outrage into action. When will the people of Malibu turn the complaints into action and finally demand the change they deserve? The time for action is now.
With that in mind, I realize that by writing this column every other week, I am no different than those who complain or write on social media. That must change how I create and do not.
Last week, I decided to take action. I complained we were all siloed working individuals, and this, to me, was my calling. Not that anyone has asked me, but I have always seen an issue and dived in. I am going to organize all the different silos so that we have one voice; there is strength in the passion that everyone displays, and not being a government organization, we can move in between the spaces to create a public/private nonprofit. Using our nonprofit, The Emily Shane Foundation, as the private and aligning with a public nonprofit whether it be the city or a school wethen open a whole source of funding where we can look at issues and see what, accelerate our educational mission and bring on people that have the same passion and make the changes.
Stay tuned for concrete ideas. The lives of all of us who travel PCH depend on it. Each one of us has a role to play in this collective effort. If we work together, we can make the change. Our actions, no matter how small, can significantly improve road safety in Malibu.
You can reach me at 21milesinmalibu.com