On August 30th, the City of Malibu announced that Senate Bill 1297 (SB 1297), has successfully passed out of the California Legislature and is now headed to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for final approval.
SB 1297 was co-authored by Senator Ben Allen and AssemblyMember Jacqui Irwin shortly after the deaths of four Pepperdine Students last October by a speeding motorist.
The bill authorizes the installation of five speed camera systems along the 21-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway within the city limits of Malibu. These systems will be strategically placed in areas identified as having the highest incidence of speed-related collisions and fatalities.
Senator Ben Allen, the primary author of SB 1297, expressed his satisfaction with the bill’s progress. “The Legislature’s passage of SB 1297 brings us one step closer to making the Pacific Coast Highway safer for everyone. The introduction of speed cameras will play a crucial role in curbing reckless driving and protecting both residents and visitors. I am hopeful that Governor Newsom will recognize the importance of this legislation and sign it into law on behalf of drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians along this stretch of highway.”
AssemblyMember Jacqui Irwin, principal co-author of SB 1297, also emphasized the bill’s significance. “The approval of SB 1297 is just one more piece of the puzzle to save lives along one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in California. This legislation builds on our efforts that led to Caltrans to spend over $4 million on road safety improvements along PCH over the past year. Our work to make Malibu safer and to save lives has only just begun and I’m proud to continue working alongside Senator Allen to champion this important cause.”
However, despite all of the efforts by lawmakers to push through legislation to promote safety on PCH expeditiously, last November, City Council members Paul Grisanti, Marianne Riggans, and Doug Stewart voted NO to strengthen the Emergency Ordinance passed on 11/13/23.
This would have given the City of Malibu more control over CalTrans to expedite PCH safety strategies. The majority of immediate emergency traffic mitigation is on an already overburdened law enforcement due to a staffing crisis at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After the October 17th, 2023 crash that killed the four Pepperdine students, additional CHP patrol cars/motors were temporarily on patrol and subsequently contracted to begin service in January.
The following day, on November 14th, 2023, city, county and state officials, representatives from local law enforcement, Cal Trans and stakeholders, met at Malibu City Hall for the “Emergency PCH Task Force Meeting” to discuss the implementation of immediate emergency safety strategies in response to the October 17th crash.
Senator Ben Allen discussed the tragic deaths of the four young Pepperdine students and also spoke of the horrific crash that killed Emily Shane in 2010, while he was a member of the school board. Since Shane’s tragic death, 61 others have been killed on PCH.
On July 4th, another fatal crash on PCH took the life of Martin Okeke, 41, who was killed in a head-on collision when social media influencer Summer Wheaton crossed the median after leaving the un permitted White Party and Nobu Malibu.
More than two months later, no charges have been filed against Wheaton.
Additionally, Senator Allen explained the potential for the portion PCH that runs through Malibu, to benefit from legislation AB43 passed in 2021, allowing for the lowering of speed limits on state highways.
On October 13, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed bill AB645 into effect, a new state law allowing a pilot program in six cities, including Los Angeles, Glendale and Long Beach, to install speed cameras.
While PCH is considered one of the most dangerous stretches of highways in the country, according to Senator Allen, it was excluded from being considered for the pilot program due to political reasons. This prompted Allen and Assemblywoman Irwin to co-author SB 1297, “narrowly tailored” to PCH.
To date, the City has invested approximately $39 million in traffic safety projects on PCH, including safety measures to prevent vehicle crashes and intersection improvements. An additional $8 million has been set aside for future safety projects.
The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Signal Synchronization Project, is the most significant measure to date to improve traffic safety and mobility on PCH. The project, in development for several years, finally began construction in December 2023 and slated for completion near the end of 2024.
The project will make PCH a safer “Smart Corridor” by installing communication lines between the existing traffic signals on PCH from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to John Tyler Drive to 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 $34.6 million project is fully funded through Measure R funds administered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
While the City of Malibu awaits the Governor’s final approval on SB 1297, former mayor Steve Uhring says officials are already identifying vendors and locations for the speed cameras after the bill is signed.
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