Traffic Update: Improvement in the Canyon
By Doug Suisman
Director of The Canyon Alliance
(At the invitation of state Sen. Ben Allen, Suisman has joined the multi-agency Pacific Coast Highway Task Force to advocate for solutions to Canyon traffic issues.)
After multiple days of dangerous gridlock and overflow traffic from the Palisades checkpoints, conditions appear to have considerably improved in the Canyon.
Over the last two weeks, community concerns, including dangerous backups and oversized vehicles on narrow Canyon streets, were conveyed in meetings to numerous public officials, including Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. City Councilmember Traci Park, as well as to the staff at the offices of state Sen. Ben Allen and state Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin.
It seemed clear to all the elected officials and relevant agency departments that operations at the checkpoints needed to improve with respect to traffic flow. Col. Jason Confaloni of the Cal. National Guard, which staffs the checkpoints, said in a Mar. 21 meeting that new protocols were put in place to reduce wait times. During backups, guard members have been authorized to randomize ID checks rather than inspect every car. Canyon residents and business owners have shared that they have seen considerable improvement in the last week.
The PCH Task Force includes representatives from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), which oversees PCH, and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), which is responsible for Canyon streets. Members of the California Highway Patrol and L.A. Police Department are also task force members, since enforcement is a key part of the overall safety and traffic program.
Even with improvements at the checkpoints, the Canyon will face ongoing traffic challenges in the coming months and years as reconstruction activity ramps up in the Palisades. The goal is to support the recovery of the Palisades as much as possible, while also coordinating with state and city transportation and enforcement officials to minimize the impacts of construction vehicles on the Canyon.
