Caltrans And City Try, But Fail Miserably On PCH Signal Errors
Written by 991KBU on April 2, 2018
At 6:45 this morning … traffic was already backed up on PCH at Webb Way and at Cross Creek Road.
That … despite “Spring Break Light” traffic conditions everywhere else in L-A County.
The 101 freeway’s 45 minute trips were 12 minutes today.
There were no delays on PCH heading into Santa Monica.
But the Malibu Civic Center was a traffic jam … eastbound delays through the traffic signals.
We have never seen it like that before … and we’ve been doing daily traffic reports here at KBUU for three years.
Delays have been developing for the past three days at three signals on P C H in the Civic Center:
Malibu Canyon Road … Webb Way and Cross Creek Road … on PCH.
On Saturday … the city of Malibu sent Caltrans engineers and county sheriff’s deputies out to check Pacific Coast Highway traffic signal timing.
The deputies and Caltrans engineers measured the green interval …. and report it is the normal 2 minutes long.
But that’s not the problem.
The problem … is that the red signal on P C H is also 2 minutes long .… at least at Webb Way.
That’s way longer than normal.
We took video of the signal cycle early on Easter Sunday morning … when then traffic was very light.
The signals are now on timers … and P C H gets a red light for 2 minutes each cycle to allow cross traffic … pedestrian traffic … and left turn traffic…. even if none is there.
The signal computers and sensors have been disconnected … to allow the road to be widened by the commercial property developers at the Civic Center.
They have Caltrans and city permission to do this …
It’s not clear when the sensors will be reconnected.
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And the city and Caltrans have been sending out messages all weekend … warning of lane closures today and tomorrow at the Malibu Beach Inn traffic light project near the pier.
Only one problem.
It appears that the lane closures there … are not happening there after all.
Despite the flood of city Nixles.
Emails were circulating over the weekend …. from the project’s overseers … at the Malibu Beach Inn …. that they do not plan to close lanes again today and tomorrow.
Although they have a permit to do so.
Again … the people in charge on the road project are -NOT- the city … and -NOT- Caltrans.
It’s the hotel that is scheduling work on the road.
This morning …. no delays whatsoever on westbound PCH at the signal project … contrary to the Caltrans and city warnings.
And eastbound … traffic was free-flowing … or nearly so … after the last mis-timed signal … at Cross Creek.
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Last Friday … the city got it flat wrong on its official notice about the traffic signal problems that day.
They put out an official advisory that the signals were out at Las Flores Road.
We had a traffic reporter right there within 8 minutes. … the signals were just fine … and there was no repair crew.
The problem was that the signals west of there … at the lagoon…. were mistimed … and the backup started at Las Flores and extended west four miles.
The city never corrected that mistake .… and never cancelled the traffic alert.
Between that and the incorrect traffic warnings about today’s non-existent lane closure at malibu Beach Inn … the city and Caltrans information errors indicate a problem that extends beyond mistimed traffic signals.
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Spring Break is over in a week at Malibu public schools … and the construction effort at Malibu High School means a new traffic pattern for pick up and drop off.
The school principal is warning that construction is moving forward with the next phase.
Fences in front of the high school have been moved closer towards Morning View Drive in front of the school.
The driveway to enter the drop off/pick up zone is being switched … closer towards PCH … the same as the entrance for the new parking lot.
Parents will enter the first driveway and then turn left to make a loop.
The green curb is still available for drop off/pick up.
School starts next Monday.
