Public Works Commission receives safety study report on the canyon and its surrounding communities
During peak traffic hours, Malibu Canyon residents can agree that making a left turn to PCH can be a little difficult. To focus on residents who live on Malibu Knolls, Harbor Vista Drive, and Malibu Crest Drive, the city developed recommendations to improve traffic safety along Malibu Canyon Road and within the Malibu Knolls community during its Wednesday, Sept. 25, meeting.
On May 1, 2023, the city released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for consultant services for the Malibu Canyon Road Traffic study to analyze existing and future traffic conditions. On May 31, 2023, the city was qualified to provide traffic engineering services to develop the Malibu Canyon Road Traffic Safety Study.
The study included an initial traffic signal on streets such as Harbor Vista and Crest Drive.
Senior Civil Engineer Jorge Rubalcava presented the study at the Public Works Commission meeting last week and said this is still a draft report.
“Again, these are not final; we are finalizing these options,” Rubalcava said. “We’re hoping to wrap these up by the end of the year (2024), so we can incorporate them into our Capital Improvement Project Program.”
Public Works Director Rob Deboux said putting a roundabout in one of the intersections on Malibu Canyon would create gaps on Malibu Canyon so Harbor Vista and Malibu Crest residents have an opportunity to get out.
Some of the proposed improvements include the installation of roundabouts at Civic Center Way, Pepperdine entrance, and HRL Laboratories main access off Malibu Canyon Road.
“Getting your input and your comments on this makes it helpful and helps us go in certain directions,” Deboux said.”Once this is finalized and we have a good direction of what we can do, it’s a matter of incorporating these projects in our CIP (Capital Improvement Project Program.”
For public comment, a Trancas Canyon resident who provided her first name, Azita, asked the commission and city if they would consider installing a pedestrian walkway along Trancas Canyon Road, ideally between the bus stop at PCH and the Trancas Canyon Dog Park.
“Every single day I thank God that I survived yet another day, and that I was not hit by someone driving up or driving down the hill!” Azita said. “There is a pedestrian walkway between PCH that stops at the height of the Trancas County Market. North of that, the pedestrians are left to God’s mercy!”
Azita said that unfortunately sometimes drivers are occupied with their phones and don’t even have their eyes on the road driving downhill.
“I have had drivers pass me by within a distance of less than a foot!” Azita said.
Azita said the situation gets worse when cars are parked on the side of Trancas field side of the road, because pedestrians have to walk around the parked vehicles, and both the driver’s and pedestrian’s sight is obstructed by parked vehicles.
“Some of us try to avoid getting hit by walking on the dirt portion rather than on the asphalt part of the road,” she said.”A walkway on just one side of the road would be an immense relief for us walking folks.”
She also hopes dog owners feel the same way about walking their furry friends up the asphalt.
“Not only is the dirt part not flat, it has quite a slope, which is hurtful to the knees. Dog owners tell me it has debris that hurts the animals paws,” she said.
The next Public Works Commission meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23.