Surprise—Traffic in Malibu Is Now Worse

• Intersections Are More Congested

BY BILL KOENEKER

If traffic and congestion seem worse to most motorists in Malibu, that sentiment has been verified by the latest traffic counts included in the city’s congestion management program that the Malibu City Council briefly discussed this week.
The CMP, according to city officials, addresses the impact of local growth on the regional transportation system.
“But does anybody do anything about it?” asked Councilmember John Sibert. “Are there any agencies that monitor this?”
City Manager Jim Thorsen said the report’s numbers are used to allocate funds for transportation. The MTA oversees the process and awards many of the grants.
In the report, various major intersections in Malibu are scored according to the transportation level of service or what traffic experts call LOS, using the letters A through F, with A being the best and F, the worst.
“Between 2007 and 2009, there were changes to the LOS reported, except at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway/Decker Road, which still has an A rating. Between 2007 and 2009, LOS changed at a number of locations,” the municipal staff report stated.
The PCH/Malibu Canyon Road morning commute counts increased, resulting in the LOS dropping from a C to a D. The rating of D is described as the level of service encountered in a busy shopping corridor in the middle of the weekday or a functional urban highway during commuting hours. Speeds are somewhat reduced, motorists are hemmed in by other cars and trucks, according to the CMP.
The morning counts at the intersection at PCH and Las Flores Canyon have decreased, if that is possible, resulting in an improvement from a C to a B.
LOS B is described as slightly more congested than A with some impingement of maneuverability to motorists. LOS C has more congestion than B, where the ability to pass or change lanes is not always assured. C is the target for many urban highways in many places.
The intersection at PCH/Kanan Dume Road where the am counts increased from A to B. A is described as conditions where traffic flows at or above the posted speed limit and all motorists have complete mobility between lanes.
Mayor Andy Stern said he thought somebody should be put on some of those worst intersections.
The mayor indicated that he has been a personal witness to the heavy traffic congestion that can accumulate at the Kanan Dume and PCH intersection.
Other council members were surprisingly mum about the report and had nothing to say about the traffic that everyone else in Malibu is outspoken about.