Malibu speed safety camera rollout delayed until January

MALIBU, Calif. - Pacific Coast Highway has long been a speeding hotspot, and while the city of Malibu is actively working to crack down on reckless driving, the effort is taking longer than initially planned.

Six speed enforcement cameras have been installed along PCH spanning from Tuna Canyon to Decker Road.

Preliminary data shows there were about 100,000 speeding violations during a single one-week testing period in September.

Timeline:

The timeline for the full rollout was pushed back due to infrastructure adjustments.

"Some last-minute installation changes to the infrastructure of the cameras," said Luis Flores, public safety manager for the city of Malibu. "Some poles had to be slightly adjusted, we want to make sure we run a program that runs effectively."

Starting in November, drivers will be alerted to the new system during a 60-day warning period.

"There is a warning flash as you approach the camera system so you know enforcement is taking place," Flores said. "As you approach the actual camera itself, it'll flash if detected that you have violated the speeding limit there."

Beginning in January, actual citations will be sent to anyone driving 11 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit.

The backstory:

This push for increased safety was sparked by an October 2023 crash, when a speeding driver struck and killed four Pepperdine students who were standing along PCH.

"That really prompted a lot of the legislation that supports this speed safety program," Flores said.

The suspect's trial is now set to begin in December. Meanwhile, city officials say they are eager to see how much the new cameras slow drivers down along the corridor.