City of Malibu celebrates completion of PCH signal project following years of deadly crashes

The city of Malibu is celebrating the completion of its new Pacific Coast Highway Signal Synchronization Project, which it calls its most significant investment in traffic safety and mobility to date.

The program comes after several tragedies along PCH and demands from neighbors for safety improvements. It comes about two and a half years after four Pepperdine University students were killed by a speeding driver who lost control and hit several parked cars while the young women were on the side of the road. 

"This innovative system leverages cutting-edge technology and collaborative traffic safety planning to fulfill the City's commitment to making PCH safer," said Malibu Mayor Marianne Riggins. "The Signal Synchronization Project is about protecting the lives of the thousands of residents, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists who use our Main Street every day."

The PCH Signal Synchronization Project puts state-of-the-art equipment in place to link 12 traffic signals between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and John Tyler Drive. It is a $19.1 million project paid out of Los Angeles County's Measure R and Measure M funds. 

Malibu officials said this allows Caltrans' Traffic Management Center to remotely adjust signal timing in real time. They said it will help improve traffic flow on the highly congested PCH. 

The system is also designed to minimize delays, regulate speeds and improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. 

This project has been seven years in the making, after residents and other elected officials have called for a stronger emphasis on public safety.