Malibu safety advocate fights for repairs to aging road infrastructure
By Judy Abel · Sat May 23 2026
Meril May spreads the word on how you can help
Meril May is passionate about keeping Malibu residents and visitors safe on our roadways. For 30 years, the local realtor has spent countless hours pushing government agencies to make Pacific Coast Highway safer — one crosswalk, shoulder, and guardrail at a time. And it takes time. And persistence, which he has in droves.
May, who has served on Malibu’s Public Safety Commission and participated in the PCH Safety Task Force for years, says many of the highway’s dangers are obvious. What frustrates him is how long it can take to get even simple fixes completed by the various government agencies that facilitate our roadways.
“It takes continual reminders, and sometimes badgering, to get action,” May said.
His latest concern centers on the intersection of PCH and Zumirez Road near Point Dume, where a friend of his was struck by a vehicle while walking in a marked crosswalk.
According to May, the woman was seriously injured and endured months of rehabilitation after a driver turning left onto northbound PCH hit her while she legally crossed the street.
“She’s lucky she wasn’t killed or crippled,” he said.
The incident made May more aware than ever of how vulnerable pedestrians are on the highway — even inside designated crosswalks. “People need to pay attention when they're in crosswalks. I think there's the illusion that you’re protected, like there’s a force field because you're in a crosswalk, but that's not true,” he commented.
Weeks later, he says he nearly suffered the same fate himself while crossing at Zumirez. Twice, he says, drivers sped through the intersection while he was in the roadway.
“I was waving my hands at this person, and they were oblivious,” he recalled. “I don’t know whether they were looking at their phone or just not paying attention.”
May has repeatedly urged Caltrans to adjust the traffic signal timing at the intersection. Currently, he says the pedestrian crossing light turns red after only a few seconds, encouraging vehicles to accelerate before pedestrians have safely crossed.
He believes extending the red-light timing could significantly improve safety.
But crosswalk timing is only one of many issues May has focused on over the years.
He describes multiple areas along PCH where pedestrians and bicyclists are forced dangerously close to speeding traffic because of inadequate shoulders, overgrown brush, or deteriorating infrastructure.
Near Heathercliff Road, May said dirt and vegetation had narrowed the waiting area near a pedestrian button so severely that cyclists and pedestrians are forced to stand within feet of traffic traveling 50 miles per hour.
After repeated requests for improvements allegedly went unanswered, May says “somebody” eventually carved out a small standing area to make the crossing safer.
At Busch Drive and other crossings, he says similar conditions exist.
May, however, isn’t one to only lay blame. He also credits recent Caltrans brush-clearing efforts with improving safety and wildfire prevention along portions of the highway. The safety advocate praised Caltrans crews and Chrysalis workers who maintain shoulders and clear vegetation.
“When you clear the shoulder back, not only do you create more width for parking and pedestrians and cyclists, but you also create another fire break,” he said.
Still, May says many problems remain unresolved for years despite repeated complaints.
Among his biggest concerns is the long-closed Zuma underpass near Zuma Beach. He believes the closure creates dangerous traffic backups and increases the risk of collisions as drivers attempt to enter and exit congested areas near Westward Beach Road, Busch Drive, and Bonsall Drive.
“It’s a killing cattle chute,” he said bluntly.
May also spent years lobbying for stronger lane dividers in the Corral Canyon construction zone, warning officials that deteriorated channelizers separating opposing lanes created the risk of deadly head-on collisions.
After months of emails to Caltrans, local officials, state representatives, and even the governor’s office, larger and more visible channelizers were finally installed earlier this year.
“I worried every day we were going to read about a family that had died in a head-on collision,” he said.
Another major focus for May has been cyclist safety.
He recalled the 2012 death of cyclist Marisela Echeverria, a 36-year-old Los Angeles resident, triathlete, and aspiring architect who was killed on Pacific Coast Highway near Puerco Canyon after her bicycle tire became caught in a crack in the roadway, causing her to veer into the path of an MTA bus.
May argued that the dangerous pavement condition should have been repaired long before the tragedy occurred. “It could have been fixed with tar,” he solemnly said.
Echeverria was widely known in the cycling and charity-athletics community. She was a dedicated volunteer, mentor, and fundraiser.
Since then, he has aggressively reported pavement cracks, potholes, and deteriorating shoulders that pose dangers to cyclists using narrow, high-pressure tires.
May’s advocacy extends beyond PCH itself. Along Malibu Canyon Road, he pushed for additional K-rails and guardrails at dangerous curves after multiple fatal crashes. In some cases, he says, fatalities later occurred precisely where he had requested additional protections.
Despite the frustrations, May says persistence often works.
“Eight out of 10 things eventually get done,” he said. “But it takes a lot of effort.”
He hopes more Malibu residents will begin reporting hazards themselves instead of assuming someone else will handle the problem.
“The city has limited authority over PCH,” he explained. “People need to contact Caltrans and ask the city to coordinate with them.”
May says ordinary residents can play a major role simply by documenting dangerous conditions and reporting them consistently.
“If you see something hazardous, report it,” he said. “That’s how things start getting fixed.”
For residents who want to report dangerous road conditions or safety concerns:
• Caltrans District 7 (213) 897-1200
• City of Malibu Public Works Department (310) 456-2489 ext. 391
• Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s Office (818) 880-9416 or main office (213) 974-3333