PCH Safety Plan: WE DID IT!! Well, almost...
I wanted to announce only good news about this campaign, but the truth is, I have good news and bad news. First, the good news! Thanks to your support, over 350 emails were sent to the City of Malibu, turning a likely defeat at the Planning Commission into a victory.
On Monday, November 4, the Malibu Planning Commission changed its tune and voted 4 to 1 in favor of the Caltrans PCH Safety Project — a $55 million once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild and make PCH safer for everyone.
Heat map of traffic crashes on PCH through Malibu.
Caltrans PCH Safety Project Recap
This plan would repave and reconstruct the western end of PCH from Cross Creek Road to the Ventura County line while adding long-overdue safety improvements like:
Lane narrowing to help reduce speeding
10 miles of new or upgraded bike lanes
6,956 linear feet of new sidewalks in high pedestrian zones, including in front of Pepperdine University
27 new dark-sky-compliant light poles
22 new or upgraded curb ramps for pedestrian access
Installation of 19 upgraded guardrails
Two realigned intersections
Three new retaining walls
A vehicle pullout for law enforcement use
Median reconstruction at various locations
Associated roadway improvements along Pacific Coast Highway within the Public Right-of-Way between the Ventura County line and Serra Road
There are additional safety improvements that can and should be made after this. They will require additional funding and much more work to secure approval from agencies like the California Coastal Commission. The items above are changes that can be easily implemented with the funds immediately available.
Now the Bad News
The one Planning Commissioner who voted against the plan, John Mazza, is also the Vice President of the Malibu Township Council. The MTC is an influential neighborhood association that opposes anything, including life-saving safety measures, that could harm the "rural character of Malibu." They have filed an appeal with the City of Malibu and are mounting a campaign to pressure City Council members to vote against the PCH Safety Plan.
What MTC Claims and Wants
According to the City of Malibu’s analysis, the Malibu Township Council claims the Planning Commission’s decision was not the least environmentally damaging alternative, was contrary to law, and violated the Public Access provisions of the LCP (Local Coastal Program—planning documents used to guide planning in coastal areas).
Among other things demanded by the MTC, they want two sidewalks removed, more light poles removed, and the bike lanes painted green. I agree with the last request, but I find it especially odd, as many of their complaints about the safety plans are that they would ruin the “rural nature of Malibu,” yet they also want to paint the bike lanes green, which definitely does not align with rural aesthetics—odd.
The City of Malibu’s analysis finds that the plans pose no significant adverse environmental effects, that nothing in the PCH Safety Plan is contrary to existing law, and that the California Coastal Commission found they don’t violate the LCP.
PCH Needs More Help for the Final Win
So, even though the City’s own analysis states that the appeal is without merit, it still has to go before the Malibu City Council for another vote, and the MTC is doing all it can to kill the project.
There is so much more that needs to be done with PCH than just this plan, but if we lose this fight, it will take years or decades to move other improvements forward for PCH.
Please send another email to the Malibu City Council. Tell them to ignore the MTC and uphold the 4–1 decision of the Malibu Planning Commission. Caltrans has agreed to continue to work with the City on the aesthetics of the improvements, but the safety elements are key to saving lives.
You can send an email easily by clicking here: https://bit.ly/PCH_Plan.
The appeal will be heard at the Malibu City Council Meeting on Monday, November 24, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Malibu City Hall. Agenda Item 5B.
If you can’t attend in person, you can join and provide public comment virtually using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88919405977.
We won't stop fighting to save lives on PCH, and hopefully, this is the last hurdle before the plans go out to bid and into construction.