Malibu planning commission approves 15‑month pilot to install two roundabouts on PCH

The Malibu Planning Commission on Dec. 16 approved a 15‑month pilot to install two temporary roundabouts, lane reductions and related safety features on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) between Broad Beach Road and La Piedra Beach Road.

The commission voted 3–2 to adopt Coastal Development Permit 25‑041 as amended, with Commissioners Leonard and Peake and Chair Riddick voting yes and Vice Chair Mazza and Commissioner Camans (Kamens) voting no. The permit authorizes temporary, quick‑build improvements including single‑lane roundabouts at El Matador Beach Road and Encinal Canyon Road, raised medians, new crosswalks with RRFB beacons, reallocated on‑street parking (no net loss), and eight temporary light fixtures conditioned to limit trespass onto adjoining properties.

City public‑works project manager Nadia Fahum told commissioners that funding for the quick‑build pilot was provided with a $2,000,000 allocation secured by LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and that the pilot is intended to test a low‑cost, removable design before any permanent changes. "Quick build is...easy to construct as well as easy to remove," Fahum said, adding staff will collect data and perform a post‑pilot analysis before any permanent decision is made.

Why it matters: City staff and Caltrans framed the pilot as a safety countermeasure responding to documented excessive speeds and serious collisions on parts of PCH, and as a way to gather real‑world performance and evacuation data. Caltrans and county representatives emphasized roundabouts’ demonstrated reductions in fatal and severe collisions in other settings and said the modular pilot allows a rapid evaluation without committing to a permanent configuration.

What was approved: The permit includes a 90‑day construction window for installation, a planned pilot duration of 15 months with a possible 3‑month extension to allow Caltrans and public works to complete post‑installation assessments, and conditions limiting construction timing, lighting design, and requiring mitigation for environmental buffers where applicable. The approval added explicit language that, if the city or Caltrans seeks to retain the improvements permanently, authorization will require a subsequent coastal development permit (or amendment) returned to the commission or City Council for review. The applicant must also submit a public report to the commission at the conclusion of the pilot period with crash, speed and operational data.

Public reaction: The hearing drew extensive public comment. Supporters — including residents, safety advocates, and a county transportation deputy — said the pilot gives the city data to decide whether roundabouts reduce speeds and save lives. Opponents, especially residents near Encinal Canyon and El Matador, warned the lane reductions could impede evacuations during wildfires, questioned whether the specific intersections had sufficient crash history to justify the measure, and urged more targeted studies before construction.

Safety and emergency operations: Commissioners pressed the applicant about evacuation scenarios, peak‑season traffic and how emergency access would be managed. Staff and Caltrans said the pilot uses mountable splitter islands and that emergency vehicles could cross islands if needed; they also described cooperative evacuation procedures with the sheriff, CHP and fire agencies, including the option to operate specific lanes for one‑way egress in an emergency. Staff provided the commission with corridor collision data for 2021–2024 and said the single‑lane roundabout capacity is compatible with the corridor’s average daily traffic.

Next steps: Construction may begin following Caltrans encroachment permitting and the city’s standard permitting steps. Per the approval, the temporary improvements must be removed at the end of the authorized period unless a new permit is approved; the applicant will provide a public post‑pilot report and the city intends to publish findings of the pilot so the public can review measured crash, speed and evacuation performance.

The commission also added conditions limiting construction during peak summer weekends and clarifying allowed reflective materials for safety signage and striping. The meeting record shows the commission will review or receive the pilot’s findings publicly once the post‑pilot analysis is complete.