With each balsam wreath placed, a volunteer announces that service member’s name to keep their memory alive

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times 

The Malibu Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution participated in National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 16. The event was held at the Los Angeles National Cemetery and according to participants, several hundred attendees from the Greater Los Angeles area attended.

“The program was beautiful and the event honors and remembers our veterans through the laying of remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes,” said Malibu DAR member Jennifer Meltzer. “The Malibu Chapter donated a sizable monetary amount for the purchase of the fresh pine wreaths.”

According to the National Wreaths Across America website, there were more than 4,200 locations participating across the country, including Arlington Cemetery. With each balsam wreath placed, a volunteer announces that service member’s name out loud so as to keep their memory alive. Wreaths Across America welcomes volunteers and sponsors throughout the year ahead as members plan the event next year. 

Please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. For more information about the Daughters of the American Revolution Malibu Chapter, visit https://malibu.californiadar.org. 

State officials tour the PCH to identify necessary changes as city launches its PCH safety webpage

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times

Local, county, and state agencies continue to strongly focus on improving safety on the Pacific Coast Highway, a herculean effort that is now top of mind for the community and policymakers due to the Oct. 17 deaths of four Pepperdine students caused by a 22-year-old driver from Malibu who allegedly drove at an extremely high speed, lost control of his BMW, and careened into at least three cars on a segment of Pacific Coast Highway in East Malibu that locals call “Dead Man’s Curve.” The parked cars the driver hit slammed into the four victims, and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

It was yet another senseless tragedy on the imperiled PCH, which serves as Malibu’s main street.

In response to the public’s outcry and demands, the City of Malibu declared a local emergency on Nov. 13. Since then, the city has created a dynamic webpage to keep residents informed about the efforts to address PCH dangers. For more information about the city’s efforts to improve safety on PCH in Malibu, visit www.MalibuCity.org/PCHSafety.

On Dec. 19, California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin and other state and county officials were joined by Malibu Mayor Steve Uhring and Mayor Pro Tem Doug Stewart and other city employees who are tasked with trying to improve the PCH. The entourage toured PCH in Malibu to conduct a comprehensive assessment of safety conditions on the highway. The state delegation held a meeting with local and state elected officials, fostering inter-agency collaboration to address safety issues.

During the visit, officials from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) provided a guided tour, emphasizing key areas of focus and potential improvements. The tour included a somber walk of the crash site where the four Pepperdine students were killed.

“We’re thankful for the productive tour with Secretary Omishakin and State leaders and appreciate that we’re getting something done to make PCH safe and avoid future tragedies,” said Uhring on the state’s attention to the residents and community of Malibu.

The tour was described by a city press release as “a call to action to do everything that can be done to prevent future tragedies. The collaborative effort between local and state government officials is to avoid future fatalities, minimize injuries, and make PCH safe. Discussions included infrastructure enhancements, increased law enforcement presence, and educational initiatives to promote responsible driving.”

Stewart commented on the efforts of civic officials.

“We are receiving excellent cooperation from Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office as well as from Senator Ben Allen’s and Assemblymember Jaqui Irwin’s offices,” he said. “They have reached out to California Highway Patrol and Caltrans, and we are receiving additional support including the Caltrans Director issuing emergency orders for immediate actions on issues raised by the city and the sheriff.”

Stewart added, “We have scheduled a Council Review on Jan. 22 to conduct an assessment of the progress of all action items underway addressing PCH safety issues and to determine if anything else should be added to the to-do list.”

According to the city’s press release, further steps include the city, California Highway Patrol (CHP) and LA County working together to expand future patrols, designating PCH as a safety corridor as soon as possible, and moving legislation forward to deploy speed cameras on PCH as soon as feasible.

The press release added, “In a significant move to address immediate concerns, $4.25 million have been allocated under a Caltrans “Director’s Order” for infrastructure improvements along PCH. This funding will support projects to enhance safety and prevent further tragedies.”

CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee also announced a proactive measure to increase traffic enforcement in Malibu. Starting Jan. 1, a three-officer CHP task force will be deployed to enforce traffic regulations, in an effort to provide a heightened level of safety for residents and visitors alike.

A set of maps and more detailed information regarding projects to be completed under the Caltrans Director’s Order is available at tinyurl.com/CaltransDOList2023. The projects include installing more speed feedback signals along PCH, enhancing striping on the highway’s curves, installing pavement speed limit markings and curve warning signals, helping to fund four CHP units to perform speed enforcement along PCH during construction operations, updating the capital improvements and preventative maintenance projects, improving the Las Flores and PCH intersection in several ways in an area that is notorious for experiencing terrible collisions, and installing a pedestrian signal system at PCH and Carbon Canyon Road.

The PCH task force is a coalition of law enforcement, traffic engineers, Caltrans, and local and state elected officials who work collaboratively to find solutions to make PCH safer for all users driving between the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica to County Line, according to the task force website.

The task force first met on Nov. 14 at City Hall. Sen. Bill Allen chaired the meeting. Readers can watch the meeting at www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn8C9npxBFc.

Another task force meeting was held on Dec. 13.

“I am pleased that Caltrans and the City of Malibu have already begun critical work on several short-term improvements to slow traffic and improve visibility on PCH, as outlined during the task force meeting earlier this week,” Allen stated on Dec. 16. “Coupled with increased enforcement from CHP, this is an important first step toward creating a safer roadway for residents and tourists. Through continued discussions with state and local leaders, we are also working toward long term solutions to transform this street from a dangerous highway to a safe boulevard. My hope is that we will have identified funding and a project timeline by our next meeting in early 2024.”

On Dec. 13, the city launched a new “dynamic webpage dedicated to keeping the community informed about ongoing efforts to improve safety conditions on PCH within Malibu city limits,” as stated in the press release, which added the webpage “is intended to serve as a central hub for updates, resources, and key information related to PCH safety projects and milestones.” 

Readers can find the website at malibucity.org/pchsafety.

The Malibu Times will continue to keep readers informed about the various efforts by state, county, and local agencies to address the imminent dangers on PCH.

Rob DeBoux gave an update on the pedestrian crosswalk and left turn at Corral Canyon 

Public Works Director Rob DeBoux provided a comprehensive update on the 2015 PCH safety study and a list of priority projects at the latest Public Works Commission meeting on Dec. 13. 

To start off the meeting, DeBoux gave the commission an update on the projects that have begun operation such as the Traffic Signal Synchronization Project.

This project is the city’s most recent measure to date to improve safety and mobility on PCH. As of Dec. 4, street work is underway on Topanga Canyon and Big Rock Drive.

“I brought an update to City Council in April 2022 and I wanted to get some feedback from council, making sure we’re still sticking to priorities and projects related to the 2015 (safety study) so I can identity those projects to future Metro funding and that was brought back in April 2022 and City Council approved,” DeBoux said. “Since that time, I’ve been using that direction from council to move forward on those, and with that, we identified several projects that we are starting in the process of design phase with metro and Caltrans.” 

By installing communication lines between the existing traffic signals on PCH from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to John Tyler Drive, it will synchronize the signals to existing traffic conditions. It will allow signals to be controlled remotely by the Caltrans Traffic Management Center to lower traffic speeds and reduce congestion. 

“The synchronization project will actually be able to control traffic and get speeders,” DeBoux said. “If you do speed you’re going to hit a lot of red lights, and in terms it’ll slow people down.” 

DeBoux said they are looking to add red light enforcement cameras to some of the intersections.

“If someone is speeding through the area and runs a red light, the Red Light enforcement cameras will be able to take a picture and send tickets to those people that actually run a red light,” DeBoux said. 

DeBoux also said the city is implementing radar cameras that will detect vehicles that are going over the speed limit.

“If someone is speeding, that will trigger the traffic signal to turn red,” DeBoux said. “So if someone in between sections of signals the sensors pick up the speed as going over the certain limit, they will trigger the red signals, forcing drivers to stop at that signal.” 

“Something’s that’s very innovative, I think it’s going to be a huge improvement to this area,” DeBoux said. “I think it’s going to be something that’s really cutting edge, I don’t think other agencies or cities are actually doing something like this.” 

The study recommended 130 safety projects. These projects were listed in priority order based upon the analysis conducted in the study. DeBoux provided an update on the progress the city has made on the safety recommendations.

According to the report, since the completion of the 2015 PCH Safety Study, the city has completed seven of the 130 recommendations. The city has two major projects in the construction phase: the PCH Signal Synchronization Project and PCH Median Improvements – John Tyler Drive to Puerco Canyon Road. The city has five projects in the design phase: PCH Intersection Improvements – Trancas Canyon Road, PCH Pedestrian Undercrossing at Malibu Seafood, PCH Median Improvements at Paradise Cove and Zuma Beach, PCH at Las Flores and Rambla Pacifico Intersection Improvements, and PCH Crosswalk Improvements at Big Rock Drive and 20326 PCH.

The city also has four projects that are planned to be implemented in Fiscal Years 2025-28 or if funding and resources become available sooner. Once funding has been identified, staff will proceed with the design and construction of these projects.

“After the meeting, we were talking about the 130, and I think it was really productive; we got a great understanding of who is doing what, and they made it clear that they are looking forward to evaluating and seeing how they can make those improvements to all those projects,” DeBoux said.

Earlier this month, the California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin and other state officials visited Malibu to conduct an assessment of safety conditions on the highway. 

According to the city’s website: “The tour was a call to action to do everything that can be done to prevent future tragedies. The collaborative effort between local and state government officials is to avoid future fatalities, minimize injuries, and make PCH safe. Discussions included infrastructure enhancements, increased law enforcement presence, and educational initiatives to promote responsible driving. Next steps also include the city, California Highway Patrol (CHP) and LA County working together to expand future patrols, designating PCH as a Safety Corridor as soon as possible, and moving legislation forward to deploy speed cameras on PCH as soon as feasible.”

“The new equipment will capture real-time traffic data and send it to the traffic signal controllers, which will use state-of-the art software to adjust the traffic signal timing to actual traffic volume. Vehicles going the speed over the speed limit will encounter red lights, while those going the speed limit will encounter green lights,” the website continues.

At the tour, DeBoux said Caltrans will be making improvements on Corral Canyon. 

“I was just shocked by a number of things, the lack of signage, not clear traffic limit signs, the elimination of the left turns lanes, but the one that really hit me was that crosswalk — it’s in a weird spot, it’s really dangerous and so going out there with their Caltrans safety director he noticed it the right way, and he is working with the contractor to make some improvements out there,” DeBoux said. “They could potentially put in a left turn pocket, but they were going to look at it and see if the design could be safe out there, so I’m encouraged that they will make an effort to make improvements at Corral.”

The commission also addressed the potential addition of a pedestrian refuge area near Moonshadows. DeBoux said they will be going through that process with Caltrans and ask the Public Works Commission for input.

“We’ll see where that goes,” he said.

The next Public Works Commission meeting was scheduled for Dec. 27 but was canceled and rescheduled for Jan. 24.

The People Concern’s Initiative Seeks Community Support to Permanently House Malibu’s Most Vulnerable Residents

Staff Report 

A remarkable reduction in Malibu’s homeless population is gaining momentum, all thanks to The People Concern’s “Malibu Match” program. This initiative is dedicated to permanently housing local residents who are currently living on the streets, beaches, and hillsides of Malibu.

Malibu residents, foundations, and businesses are strongly encouraged to contribute to the Malibu Match campaign to maintain this positive trend. Every dollar donated will be generously matched, up to a total of $250,000. (Please refer below for information on how to make a donation.)

Since its inception in September 2022, until October 2023, the Malibu Match program has successfully assisted 34 individuals experiencing homelessness in Malibu to transition into permanent supportive housing or reunite with their families. Furthermore, an additional seven individuals have been approved to move into a new permanent supportive housing site, which will be opening soon.

The People Concern, a prominent nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing homelessness, is well on its way to achieving its two-year target of permanently housing 54 people who are experiencing homelessness in Malibu. However, continued assistance is crucial.

To help reach this two-year goal, Malibu residents Burt and Joan Ross are fervently supporting The People Concern through the Malibu Match campaign. This initiative effectively doubles the impact of community contributions towards providing permanent housing for Malibu’s most vulnerable residents, thanks to a matching donation of up to $250,000.

Up to this point, the generous contributions of Malibu residents, foundations, and businesses have surpassed $130,000, marking the halfway point towards the Malibu Match campaign’s goal.

Since late 2016, The People’s Concern has remained steadfast in its commitment to house Malibu’s most vulnerable residents, resulting in a reduction of Malibu’s homeless population by over 54 percent since 2017. The Malibu Match campaign is designed to complement The People Concern’s ongoing efforts, expediting the process of securing permanent housing for program participants.

John Maceri, CEO of The People Concern, expressed his gratitude: “With the support of hundreds of dedicated Malibu residents, and in partnership with the City of Malibu, we have successfully made a real impact by bringing more of our unhoused neighbors indoors, for good. The Malibu Match campaign is an innovative effort that unites residents and community leaders to address homelessness and provide permanent housing for those in need.”

The funds from the Malibu Match program have played a pivotal role in eliminating barriers to permanent housing. This support includes covering expenses such as security deposits, time-limited subsidies, rental application fees, transitional support, furnishing to create a home-like environment, and even initial groceries for individuals newly placed in housing.

The recipients of this assistance encompass a diverse range of individuals, including senior citizens and those who had been unhoused in Malibu for many years, some even for over a decade. Additionally, the program has aided students in getting back on their feet, providing them with a stable roof over their heads as they pursue their studies and build their futures.

The People Concern, one of Los Angeles County’s largest social service agencies, firmly believes that everyone deserves housing, health, and safety. Through their comprehensive system of care, which includes outreach, interim and permanent supportive housing, mental and medical health care, substance use services, domestic violence support, life skills, and wellness programs, The People Concern offers evidence-based solutions to homelessness and domestic violence. They guide participants with compassion and profound respect, empowering them to overcome life’s challenges and become their best selves, connected to and contributing to their communities.

Malibu residents, foundations, and businesses are warmly encouraged to participate in The People Concern’s Malibu Match program, thereby assisting their homeless neighbors in securing permanent housing. Donations are tax deductible and will be exclusively used to facilitate the permanent housing of Malibu’s unsheltered neighbors, with the added benefit of being matched to double the impact.

Donations can be made conveniently online at Malibumatching.funraise.org. Alternatively, checks made out to “The People Concern” with “Malibu Match” in the memo section can be mailed to The People Concern at 2116 Arlington Ave., Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90018.

For further information or inquiries, please reach out to Josh Hertz, Director of Development at The People Concern, at (323) 363-4901 or via email at jhertz@thepeopleconcern.org.