City Reconfigures W. Channel Checkpoint with Some Impacts on Traffic and Parking
On Friday, May 23, Caltrans, the State transportation agency that operates Pacific Coast Highway (aka PCH/Highway 1), removed its security checkpoint from PCH and reopened the highway to the general public. The goal as described by Governor Gavin Newsom is to provide greater access to the Palisades and especially Malibu, which has been largely cut off from the south since the fire.
As a result, at the complicated five-way intersection of PCH with Entrada, West Channel, and Chautauqua, there now remains a single checkpoint instead of two. The checkpoint, which continues to be located on West Channel, a city street, is now operated exclusively by LAPD (police) and LADOT (transportation). Previously the post had been manned primarily by the California National Guard, which was withdrawn on Friday when PCH opened. At the same time, Mayor Karen Bass announced her decision to keep Palisades checkpoints in place as a security measure for Palisades properties.
When the checkpoints were first imposed in February, the Canyon experienced severe traffic backups and dangerous blockages on narrow Canyon streets. These backups had serious impacts on Canyon School, where students and teachers had difficulty reaching class on time. Also affected were Canyon businesses, which were struggling to reopen after the fire, and found that chaotic and unpredictable traffic conditions were keeping some customers away.
In advance of last week’s PCH reopening, The Canyon Alliance had expressed concern to City officials about potential traffic impacts from any remaining checkpoints, and asked for advance traffic planning with the community. This did not occur and the public was left unsure until the last minute as to whether any checkpoints or permitting procedure would remain at all. One day prior to the PCH reopening, the Mayor’s office announced that existing City checkpoints would remain in place, new ones would be imposed, and the permit restrictions would continue.
With little advance warning, the new configuration caused significant traffic backups into the Canyon on Friday morning and afternoon, but traffic has since subsided over the holiday weekend. Beachgoers appear to have aimed mainly at the beaches and parking areas south of Entrada, as lots and beaches further north remain closed or impacted by the fire, and this seems to have limited the normal crush of holiday weekend drivers using the Canyon to access beaches and PCH.
The initial location of the West Channel checkpoint in front of Caffe Delfini threatened to impact that restaurant’s valet operation on an important holiday weekend. Fortunately Commander Jonathan Tom, a long-time LAPD presence in the Palisades and now managing much of the post-fire LAPD operation, was able to reconfigure the checkpoint to allow Delfini to operate normally over the weekend.
However, the new configuration has also removed five critical parking spaces on the north of West Channel, near Canyon Square, in an area that is extremely short of parking, The Canyon Alliance is working with the Canyon Business Association, business owners, LAPD and LADOT to restore these spaces. Other community requests have included restoring left turns onto West Channel from Chautauqua and from PCH, and to improve the temporary traffic signage on West Channel to reduce confusion among drivers. These proposals are being forwarded by the Alliance to LAPD and LADOT.
View of reconfigured City checkpoint on West Channel in front of Caffe Delfini