The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to consider modifications that would bring the existing communications tower at Santa Monica College Malibu Campus into compliance with city code and be able to be used by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Substation on the campus today at Malibu City Hall at 6:30 p.m. Since the tower was erected in 2022, during the construction of the SMC campus, the planning staff have been working with the county to bring the tower into compliance. For more information, see the Hearing Notice at malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/34116/21-day-PHN_Wireless-TowerFinal.

Traffic is expected to ease traveling westbound from Pacific Palisades into Malibu now that Caltrans opened a second westbound lane north of Sunset Boulevard. The right-hand lane on westbound Pacific Coast Highway at Porto Marina Way has been blocked for 10 weeks following a landslide that’s been encroaching on the highway for 70 years. Mud and rocks finally gave way after intense rain storms,completely taking out the right lane causing a choke point affecting traffic on PCH, Sunset Blvd., and even the 10 freeway. 

During the overnight hours of May 30, Caltrans crews were able to reconfigure and restripe lanes by shifting traffic to the ocean side and by using the southbound shoulder to open another lane. While two lanes will remain open in both directions during the daytime hours of 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. work will continue in the evenings and lanes will be reduced to one in each direction from 7:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. so Caltrans can add K-rail at the base of what’s known as the Tramonto Slide and to add more signage. 

Due to the instability of the slide, the northbound lane will remain closed until Caltrans, the City of Los Angeles, and private property owners devise a plan to remove the slide from its origin point above Pacific Coast Highway.

In an unanticipated turn of events Caltrans now says Topanga Canyon Blvd will reopen this Sunday, months before the state agency’s self-described schedule. The main thoroughfare linking the San Fernando Valley with Malibu has been closed from Pacific Coast Highway to Grand View since March 9 after a massive landslide blocked access. Earlier Caltrans estimated 5500 truckloads of dirt and mud would need to be cleared. Crews two weeks ago, cleared an access road to the top of the slide and this week trucks began hauling away tons of debris from the site.

The months long closure has been a disaster for area businesses, commuters, and residents worried about emergency escape routes in the event of a fire  Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency to help secure funds to clear Topanga. Before that, officials stated the slide wouldn’t be cleared until the fall. 

Apparently, when crews started clearing the slide this week they discovered they had overestimated its size. Workers so far have removed one-sixth of cubic yards of material they originally thought needed to be cleared. It was still a sizable slide, but Caltrans has been working 24/7 to remove it. When Topanga opens Sunday there may be flag men assistingdrivers making their way through and could cause some delays. The temporary detour through Tuna Canyon will remain available for commuters.

CHP, contracted by the City of Malibu, backs Sheriff’s Department’s play

By Barbara Burke 

Special to The Malibu Times

The Malibu City Council approved an 18-month contract creating the Malibu Task Force on Jan. 22. Beginning in January, the city approved a long-term contract with California Highway Patrol to add three full-time CHP officers to help the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department enforce traffic regulations on Malibu’s segment of the Pacific Coast Highway. Prior to inking that contract, CHP had not had a role in PCH traffic enforcement since 1991, near the time the city was created. The California Office of Transportation Services (Caltrans) provided $555,000 in additional funding to LASD, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Santa Monica Police Department for increased enforcement on PCH.

When one compares the number of traffic citations issued by authorities for driver’s violations of laws that govern motoring on PCH from January through April 2023, with data analytics compiling the number of citations issued for traffic violations in the same time period this year, one can discern some small improvement in the number of traffic offenses, according to data provided both by the City of Malibu, which oversees the CHP’s enforcement efforts, and LASD. 

During the first four months of this year, CHP issued 1,057 speeding citations, one of which involved a motorist speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour, another of which involved reckless driving. During that time frame, CHP issued citations to 11 motorists for unsafe turns or lane changes, four drivers were cited for following too close and 23 were cited for distracted driving. The rest of the tickets were issued by CHP for seatbelt violations, equipment violations and for violations of other traffic regulations.

“CHP’s role in traffic enforcement on the segment of PCH that runs through Malibu is to assist LASD with traffic control efforts — LASD officers are a lot more effective in battling traffic violations with the added three CHP officers and a CHP sergeant who oversees them,” said Chris Soderlund, LASD’s liaison with the City of Malibu. “CHP officers are out seven days a week, with one officer working the morning shift and two officers covering other shifts.”

Soderlund explained that when there is a traffic collision, CHP’s sole purpose is to continue enforcing traffic laws, which frees up LASD officers to respond to emergencies. He also noted that CHP provides weekly reports to Susan Duenas, Public Safety Manager for the City of Malibu.

“LASD helps with traffic offense monitoring as much as possible of course,” Soderlund said, “However, if there is a 911 call, such as a burglary incident, CHP doesn’t take those calls. Rather, they continue traffic enforcement.”  

Soderland also explained that LASD’s crime cars are deployed to stop crime or to respond to 911 calls, the agency’s traffic cars and motor deputies deal with traffic enforcement and special assignment deputies conduct targeted enforcement, such as ensuring food trucks do not improperly operate in unapproved or unsafe areas. Finally, volunteer officers assist in patrolling and traffic enforcement, he added.

“From Jan. 1 through April 30 of this year, LASD dealt with 100 total collisions, none of which were fatal collisions and 24 of which involved significant injuries,” Soderlund stated. 

Clarifying definitions used by LASD to report violations, he noted that for purposes of collecting the relevant data, accidents involving suicides are not considered as fatal collisions because they were not a function of fatalities attributable to unsafe traffic collisions. 

“When we compare the 2024 data with the data for the same period in 2023, we see that in the prior year there were 110 traffic collisions, one of which was a fatality and 45 of which involved significant injuries,” Soderlund stated. “Further, during the relevant time period in 2023, we issued 1,771 traffic citations, as compared with 1,119 citations that were issued during the relevant time period in 2024.”

Soderlund concluded, “Therefore, the data establishes that when there is a higher presence of officers monitoring traffic, people are obeying speed and other laws more.”

When asked how citizens could help fight an unsafe PCH, Soderlund noted that more volunteers are needed to help enforce traffic in busy summer months.

Photographer will be at SMC-Malibu campus on June 4 for ‘Art Talks,’ a Q-and-A session about his artwork

The Malibu Arts Commission showcased fine art photographer, video director, and third-generation Dogtown skateboarder from South Central Los Angeles Pep Williams’ photography series “On a Sunday Afternoon,” featuring stunning photos of the lowrider culture in Los Angeles. 

On Sunday, May 19, friends of Williams cruised down to the Malibu City Gallery in classic Cadillacs to support Williams for the reception showcasing his work. 

Malibu Art Commission Chair Fireball Tim Lawrence welcomed the guests and introduced Williams.

Williams’ images include the world’s most famous lowrider, Gypsy Rose, a 1964 Chevrolet Impala, as well as other well-known lowriders.

Lawrence is a well-known car enthusiast and said these specific kinds of cars are connected with family.

“My family is constantly expanding, I get to meet new people, they get to share their stories, and I get to hear where these cars came from, who the original owners were — it’s basically an art show. This is an art show and cars may show up,” Lawrence said. “I think it’s important for people to understand that there are very strong distinguishing factors with car people and those that love cars in the way that we do. It’s not about driving, it’s about stories and it’s about family and that’s what we’re trying to expand on.”

Last year, owners of low riders faced discrimination at public beaches and were denied entry at Rosie’s Dog Beach in Long Beach and White Point/Royal Palms County Beach in San Pedro. Classic car enthusiasts argue that they are not part of any organized club and should not be subjected to such restrictions.

Williams said he has always been around classic cars and wanted to support the cruise culture.

“I don’t think it’s fair,” Williams said. “I just wanted to do something to bring awareness.” 

Malibu Arts Commissioner Julia Holland described the classic cars as “pieces of rolling art.” 

“This is a culture we’re not used to seeing, it’s so diverse,” Holland said. “Our experience with cars in Malibu are crazy racing and inconsiderate, but when you look at these beautiful cars, these car owners spend so much love on their cars.” 

Last year, Williams had a series called “Behind Bars,” at Malibu City Hall, which featured photographs of inmates at California prisons. In his photographs, Williams portrays these men’s lives with dignity and humanity, even in a harsh setting and in the shadow of difficult pasts, and discovered a functioning social world and individual wisdom from men he met in prison. The series is currently on display at The Autry Museum in Los Angeles.

“It’s really wonderful to have his beautiful art, it’s just something we don’t normally see in Malibu,” Holland said.

Williams has traveled around the world photographing spreads for numerous magazines. He has also been featured in magazines in countries such as Brazil, Germany, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States. 

Williams will be at SMC-Malibu campus on Tuesday, June 4, at 6 p.m. for “Art Talks,” a question-and-answer session. The artist will discuss his work, creative process, and art experience. The event is complimentary, and reservations are not required.

To learn more about Williams’ work visit pepwilliams.com.

Tracy Park Gallery to host an event raising awareness of PCH’s perils; locals will get free T-shirts for the cause

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times

Tracy Park held up a T-shirt that emphatically demands “Give me speed cameras!” that was designed by Malibu artists Hunter Blaze Pearson and Alyssa Crosby, Park explained.

“Hunter really captured everything about all the elements of Pacific Coast Highway’s beauty as well as its perils and tragedies,” Park declared as she stood in her Malibu art gallery holding up the stunningly accurate and artistic T-shirt that captures Malibu’s main street, with all its beauty and tragedies.Park explained that the,

“Look! There’s a speed camera hidden in the palm trees, and there are the white tires from the memorial honoring victims who have died on PCH,” Park said. Pausing to somberly reflect, she added, “There’s an image that is an homage to the four Pepperdine women we recently tragically lost on PCH, and look at Alyssa’s design of the red sign warning motorists to watch out for people darting in front of traffic on PCH — it excellently depicts a family carrying a surfboard and a boogie board — that is something that is awfully dangerous that we all see daily driving on the highway.”

Free for locals — a T-shirt with a mission

Park announced that on May 30, her gallery will host a free event to raise awareness of PCH’s dangers and of the critical need for speed cameras. She stated that a benefactor — whom she only identified as Kayla — generously funded the creation and manufacturing of the T-shirts, which will be handed out to locals for free at the event. 

“All locals are cordially invited to join us for the event and to enjoy mocktails, music, and summer punches,” Park said. “We will only serve non-alcoholic beverages so as to honor the cause of being safe on PCH, as well as to show respect of those victims who have lost their lives on our main street.”

Elaborating about the free apparel for locals, Park explained, “It was Kayla’s brilliant idea to create T-shirts to empower locals to advocate for the immediate installation of speed cameras on PCH.” 

Detailing the creative design of the front of the shirts, Park said, “The front simply shows a pile of the white tires and nestled within the tires is a red stop sign that states ‘STFD’ in a brilliant design by Alyssa.” Discussing the meaning of that acronym, Park said, “IYKYK,” a reference to the abbreviation for “If you know, you know.” She then noted that “STFD” stands for “Slow The F*#k Down!” which is a phrase locals use to admonish those who speed and drive unsafely on PCH.

The artists’ creative processes

“I was honored that Tracy reached out to me with the opportunity to design this shirt,” Pearson said. “To begin, I created a color palette based on the colors you’d see on a sunny day at the beach with a bit of vintage fade to them. Then, in the design process, I compiled the major landmarks we all know on PCH and foreshortened the strip of road to fit them all in one frame.  This helps to put into perspective all the beautiful life that exists on PCH and what we are trying to protect by being tougher on speeders.”

Pearson, a Malibu High School alumnus, humbly added, “When I heard about this project, it just felt like the perfect opportunity for me to contribute my skills to something that could make my hometown a bit safer, so I was very glad to help.” 

Crosby also explained her designs on the T-shirt.

“Tracy came to me with the project, and I knew it was a great cause, especially because I have been honored to meet Emily Shane’s parents at local fundraisers to honor their 13-year-old daughter who was tragically killed on PCH,” Crosby explained. “I was so happy to participate in designing the T-shirt and the things that came to my mind when creating the designs were to emulate the stop signs that we all see in the San Diego area that warn about people crossing the freeways. My design is a nod to those signs you see closer to the border — I put a surfboard and a boogie board in the pedestrian family members’ hands because it’s what we see in Malibu — surfers and beachgoers just jaywalk and cross PCH, which is almost like a dangerous freeway, not a neighborhood street, which is so dangerous.”

Locals wishing to get free T-shirts and join in the artistic movement advocating for speed cameras and a safer PCH are welcome to attend the gathering.

Event Details

Tracy Park Gallery

23823 Malibu Road, Suite 700

May 30 from 5-8 p.m.