Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a measure Friday that would allow five speed cameras to be installed on a particularly dangerous stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
This 21-mile stretch of PCH has long been known as a hot spot for accidents, including several deaths, but it was Four students of Pepperdine University died. About a year ago, fresh action was initiated to improve safety on the road.
Senate Bill 1297The bill, which Newsom signed into law Friday, builds on ongoing state and local efforts aimed at saving lives along this stretch of the PCH. Sponsored by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), the legislation enrolls Malibu in a speed camera pilot program that will allow it to install five automated cameras to detect and fine speeding drivers.
The state is required to install clear signs about the program in cities included in the pilot program and establish a public education campaign before enforcement begins.
“Today’s signing of SB 1297 is a major victory for the safety of Malibu residents and its visitors,” Allen said in a statement. “We know speed cameras can help prevent reckless speeding – a problem this beautiful stretch of highway has struggled with for years – so I’m grateful the Governor recognizes the important role this device plays in saving lives.”
Bill Awaiting the Governor’s signature since late AugustWhen lawmakers passed the measure.
In a statement, the City of Malibu said it is grateful to the state and local partners who were instrumental in securing this historic legislation.
“SB 1297 is a key component to curbing the rising number of tragedies along students, beachgoers and visitors to what Governor Newsom described earlier this year as, ‘one of the most iconic drives in California, if the world. “No,” the statement said. “But far too many people have lost their lives in this corridor.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Capt. Jennifer Situ was at the Malibu/Lost Hills station when she received news of the governor’s approval and said she has since been inundated with happy messages from the community.
“This is not the end all; You still need that enforcement side, education and engineering,” she said. “But it’s a step in the right direction.”
CITU had pushed for Malibu to be included in the state’s speed camera pilot program, which was limited to Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, Glendale, Long Beach and San Francisco when it was approved by the governor last year.
He said he was previously told that Malibu would have to wait until the pilot program ended in five years.
Getting SB 1297 approved was a “whole community approach,” he said.
“When elected officials, public safety and the community come together in one united voice, that’s when true change happens,” Situ said.
Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart told the Times that the bill requires a lot of “pre-work” to install cameras in appropriate locations along the road. As the city was hoping for Newsom’s approval, he said, “We are in the process of putting out a request for proposals.”
“This is very important to Malibu residents and Californians who use PCH, so we want to get it up and running as quickly as possible,” Stewart said.
The mayor said he hopes this latest safety measure will begin to change drivers’ behavior on the road – primarily by slowing down speeds.
“Know what the speed limit is and don’t exceed it, as speeding is directly linked to injuries or fatal accidents on the PCH,” he said.
On the evening of October 17, 2023, sisters in Pepperdine’s Alpha Phi sorority – Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams – were killed while walking on the sidewalk along PCH. A car traveling at over 100 mph crashed into parked cars and women.
According to it, between 2011 and 2023, there have been 170 deaths or serious injuries to drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians on the highway in Malibu. a times analysis,
Malibu officials have said 60 people have died on the route since 2010.
“The loss of more than 60 lives on a stretch of our iconic Pacific Coast Highway is unacceptable – it is a call to action,” Newsom said in a statement. “So we’re adding speed cameras to help prevent reckless driving in Malibu. The new cameras will build on ongoing security changes in the state that include infrastructure upgrades, increased traffic enforcement and a new public education campaign.
One of the 60 lives lost on the road was 13-year-old Emily Shane, who was killed by a speeding driver in 2010 as she walked on the sidewalk along PCH.
his father, Michelle Shen made a documentary about this incident And has been pressuring the California Department of Transportation for safety measures ever since.
On Friday, Shane and his wife, Ellen, told the Times that the passage of AB 1297 “should be viewed as a starting point.”
“The government has now decided it’s time to look at what we’ve all lived with for so long and (now) fix it,” Mitchell said.
This October marks the one-year anniversary of the deaths of four Pepperdine students whose families were Recently filed lawsuits against state and local agencies They say they are responsible for the deadly road.
“It’s not about (the families) getting anything, it’s about them making a change and not making the (students’) deaths meaningless,” Mitchell said.
These latest changes, Allen said, make the deaths of all 60 people, including her daughter, part of an effort to bring about positive change.
“We don’t want other people to have to suffer the pain, grief and loss that we and so many others have had to go through so unnecessarily,” he said.
Michelle Shen and others are continuing to advocate for more safety measures on the Pacific Coast Highway, such as an overall reduction in the road’s speed limit.
He said the PCH isn’t going to change overnight, but he sees a commitment to better safety from the city, the community and members of the PCH task force, which includes Allen, Assemblymember Jackie Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsay. Horvath.
