City Says Sheriff’s Office Refused To Direct Traffic, Caltrans Refused To Set Out Temporary Stop Signs
Written by 991KBU on November 7, 2019
L A County and Caltrans refused requests from the City of Malibu to handle dangerous blacked out traffic lights … when the power was turned off by Southern California Edison during Santa Anas last week.
And the city is firing back against criticism of the way it handled the recent power outages .
The city has issued a statement … pointing out that only Caltrans can put stops signs on PCH.
And the city says that only the sheriff can order deputies to get out of their cars and direct traffic at blacked out traffic lights.
Malibu city manager Reva Feldman said that the procedure has been one call to the Malibu sheriff’s liaison.
And that would result in deputies being assigned to head to the blacked out traffic signals … get out of their cars and direct traffic.
No such order was issued during the last blackout … despite repeated city requests.
And Caltrans officials refused city requests to place temporary stop signs at the blacked out signals at Point Dume … and Paradise Cove.
For more than a day … cars were seen zipping thru the blacked out traffic signals.
City staff says they are not allowed under law to place stop signs on a state highway.
Malibu Mayor Karen Farrer is quoted as calling the intentional power shutoff part of “SCE’s misguided Public Safety Power Shutoff plan.”
And the city’s statement points out … accurately … that the City of Malibu was the only city in California to submit an official letter of opposition to the CPUC decision to allow public safety power shutoffs.
