School Traffic Safety Plans Announced

• School Board Tackles Local Campus Congestion Issues

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

A permanent traffic relief measure appears to finally be in the works for gridlocked Morning View Drive in the Malibu Park area.
At its Jan. 15 meeting, the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District Board voted to amend its contract with HMC Architects, the firm overseeing Malibu High School’s Measure BB improvements, “to provide architectural services to add a right turn lane at the entry to Malibu High School,” according to the meeting agenda.
The cost of the contract, not to exceed $68,256 has been budgeted from the project building fund.
“After discussions with the design professionals, the CEQA consultant, City of Malibu representatives, and input from the public meetings held to discuss parking and traffic at Malibu High School, a recommendation was made to increase the width of the street to include a right turn lane into the school site in order reduce the traffic gridlock during drop-off and pick-up on Morning View Drive,” the recommendation stated.
The proposed right turn lane will extend from Merritt Drive to the first driveway next to the school parking lot at the MHS site.
The board was also asked to approve contract amendments with HMC Architects to provide services for safety and security at Cabrillo and Webster elementary schools.
According to the plan, the main entry at Cabrillo will be reconfigured, to “improve supervision, safety and security and allow expanded use of the front yard.”
Safety issues that were identified as “critical needs” at Webster will also be addressed. These include reconfiguring the cafetorium entrance “to effectively control entry.”
The plan also calls for improving the existent parking lot off of Civic Center Way, in an effort to improve parking, drop-off and pick-up conditions, on Winter Canyon Road, which the recommendations refer to as “congested and lacking a pedestrian route to school entry.”
On Dec. 11, 2008, architectural services were approved for safety projects at all district schools receiving Measure BB improvements, except for Cabrillo and Webster.
According to district staff, the district “performed a comprehensive survey in order to identify the most critical safety and security needs districtwide.”