Planning Commission May Substitute ‘Protect Malibu’ For Caltrans Traffic Engineering Expertise Tonight

Tonight … plans to install bike lanes and street lights on PCH … section of PCH where more than a dozen people have been killed in the past 10 years … for before the Malibu Planning Commission.

In the past … planning commissioners have vociferously criticized traffic engineers and safety plans.  

The traffic lights on Civic Center Way.

A traffic signal for pedestrians inbound Eastern Malibu. 

Plans for various turn lanes or other 

All have been the subject of strident Planning Commission objections. … in years past.

Tonight … Caltrans engineers will present their plans for redesigning PCH from the Malibu Creek bridge west to the county line.

Tonight … there rubber meets the road. 

The question before the planning Commission is much bigger than street lights or bike lanes.

It is the very nature of PCH … is it a highway. … designed to move as many cars as fast as possible 

Or is it our city’s main street … designed to reduce pedestrian and vehcilaur deaths. 

Last Friday … there was a memorial on the side of PCH … where 62 tires painted white mark the 62 deaths within city limits in 15 years.

David Rolston is a man who lost his young daughter to PCH carnage two years ago.

This was at a place on PCH where there is no sidewalk … no safe heaven for people outside of their cars. He said … the death toll is actually much greater than 62.

ROLSTON 71628 

“This is not as legacy that you want for your community. 

“You do not want the legacy of more young women, or young men, or husbands or wives or sons, to die on Pacific Coast Highway … going thru your community.”

62 white tires … but the death toll is much higher than that.  

Michel Shane … who lost his daughter on PCH 15 years ago.

He told the mourners … Malibu has accepted an incredible death toll … right in front of us. 

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“204 people have died on this highway since 1975. 

“How many studies have been filed?

“Hope many promises have we heard?

“How many press conference have we stood at?

“I look around this community and I see something that terrifies me more than the dragon that is PCH.

“I see acceptance.”

Tonight the Malibu Planning Commission will get a traffic plan for the repaving of Pacific Coast Highway. 

This is not the same thing as the Safety Master Plan … that is still works … in fact it is overdue for more than a year.

That overall master plans includes roundabouts and major roadway changes in eastern Malibu …it is supposed to be finished sometime by the end of this year. 

And it has yet to go before the city council.

The repaving project does include painted bike lanes on PCH from Cross Creek to Trancas Creek. 

It also includes narrowing the lanes … does from the freeway-width 12 feet … to regular street widths of 10-1/2 feet. 

And it obeys the state law that requires painted bike lanes on every repaving project on state highways. 

Those roven ways to slow traffic and increase safety … says Lee Haber … the Safety Manager at Caltrans District 7 in Los Angeles. 

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“Everything we’ve chosen is to improve safety along PCH: street lighting at intersections where we’ve had crashes. 

“Those are important.

“The bike lanes: we’ve identified areas where we can get those items in.

“We’ve heard them requested from the community at various areas … and by  various methods during this repaving effort … before the master plan is started.

“So … it is our goal to get them where we can.”

So what happens if the Planning Commission turns down bike lanes … or make other changes???

The Planning Commission is expert in land use and planning laws. 

They do not have any training in traffic engineering.  

And one of them already worries publicly that adding a painted bike lane will destroy the rural character of Malibu.

What if they vote it down???

HABER: “We’ll address that Monday evening if that’s turned down.”

The question is. … are street lights and bike lanes a reasonable tradeoff to make the road safer?

The traffic professionals say absolutely.  

The planning commissioners may say otherwise. 

Michel Shane says … it’s time for change. 

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“Somebody’s going to be next next month not next year somebody in this crowd or driving past us right now is going to be an empty chair. That’s not pessimism. That’s mathematics on the road refuse to fix.

 

MRCA Board May Allow Joe Edmiston To Close Hillside Parks In Fire Weather

The MRCA plans to close its public lands to public entry during red flag events … if its controlling board approves such a plan tonight.

Joe Edmiston,… the Executive Director of the MRCA… Is asking its sister organization to approve to give him permission to close trails and beach access when strong wins raise the fire danger.

Edmiston has changed his tune in recent years… After his agency was given $30 million by the state to act as the clearing house for fire reduction projects in the Santa Monica mountains.

In years past… Edmonton had fought tooth and nail to keep the trails open even during hazardous wind events.

It’s interesting to note that Edmonton is telling his board that public access to natural lands and open space have -not- historically led to wildfires.

That is categorically wrong.

In 2007 … 53 houses in Malibu were destroyed by a fire set by two men … Brian Anderson and William Coppock.

They purchased firewood at a Malibu supermarket and took it to a cave up Corral canyon road … where they built a bonfire and then kicked the logs over a cliff.

Anderson and Coppock got one year jail sentences. 

And it appears that the 2025 Palisades Fire was also caused by an arsonist on a trail.

The resolution that goes before the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy tonight. Would give the exeutive director the power to close trails in high winds. 

But it requires him to reopen the land as soon as possible after the winds subside.

SCE Gets At Least $24 Billion In Future Ratepayer Money For Fire Damages

The company that owns Southern California Edison just got free and clear for the billions of dollars worth of damage … and death … in Altadena this year.

And if you think your SCE power bill is high now … just wait. 

There is a paragraph hidden in the new laws signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last month. 

That paragraph that could allow Southern California Edison to shift billions of dollars of fire damage costs to its customers.

The governor stood behind a lectern that his stage managers had posted a sign that said “Cutting Utility Bills.”

The governor said the new laws would reduce the burden on ratepayers.

Surprise. 

Newsom’s underlings said the costs will have to be just and reasonable … and that will be policed by the California Public Utilities Commission …

That’s the same CPUC that has approved rate hike after rate hike … and that slashed solar energy credits. 

California ratepayers have already spent 21 billion dollars into a special account to reimburse for-profit power companies if there is a giant fire. 

But the total damages from there Altadena Fire could top 45 billion. 

And that’s not counting the 57 billion dollar Palisades Fire that hit Malibu. 

SCE could be on the hook for that too … because it contributed to the fire and the L A DWP may be immune from damages … because it’s owned by a city. 

Malibu gets its power from a non-Edison source … but the rate increase will be added to the grid distribution pieces.

That fee … 24 dollars … will show up on your next SCE bill.

SCE is owned by Edison International … a company that made 1.5 billion dollars last year. 

ICE Raids Santa Monica Carwash Friday, 2-4 Men Seized

Federal ICE agents raided a car wash on Pico Boulevard Friday … looking for people who looked like illegal immigrants.

City officials issued public statements disavowing the action … and raced to connect affected families with city resources.

This went down at about  10 a.m. Friday at the Santa Monica Car Wash on Pico Boulevard.

Between 2 to 4 people were taken into custody.

The Santa Monica Daily Press reports that city workers were making sure detained individuals and their families receive available services and resources.

The Santa Monica Police Department issued a statement … making sure people know that they are not aiding ICE in the dragnets. 

LA Declares Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Park As Health Hazard

The wreckage of 170 mobile homes on Pacific Coast Highway … still standing … has been declared to be a public health hazard by the City of Los Angeles … six months after the deadline for the owner to clear the mess.

Pacific Palisades Bowl .. one of the only moderate income housing locations on PCH … sits as a monument to confusion and greed. 

Rain water from the huge wreck pile continues to drain into the Santa Monica Bay.

Residents appeared before the city of LA public works commission to demand a cleanup.

The owner … a limited liability corporation … claims it did not know of the rule that not clean up the fire wreckage. 

Their lawyer … Danielle Mayer … claimed last week that they had just discovered notice to clean up … despite the fact that it had been posted at the front gate for weeks. 

Mayer said the property was fenced off and no risk to the public.

That lawyer was pretty much laughed out of the city hearing last week in LA.