The State of California on October 27, 2026 designated Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) a Catalyst Priority Safety Corridor, reinforcing its commitment to preventing fatal and serious injury crashes and advancing the City of Malibu’s ongoing fight to make PCH safer for residents, visitors, commuters and the community.
The designation is part of California’s State Priority Safety Corridor (SPSC) initiative, which combines infrastructure improvements, targeted enforcement and public education to address dangerous driving conditions and reduce serious and fatal crashes. The 28.2-mile PCH Catalyst Corridor extends from the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica to the Ventura County line through all of the City of Malibu.
California also created State Priority Safety Corridors on Millerton Road in Fresno County; West Manchester Avenue in Los Angeles; and Interstate 880 in Alameda County.
California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin joined Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and local leaders to announce the expanded statewide initiative. The designation recognizes PCH as a catalyst for California’s broader road safety efforts, building on the coordinated work of state and local agencies following years of deadly crashes along the highway.
“The most critical safety investments are the ones that prevent tragedies and save lives,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “With Governor Newsom’s continued support, the State Priority Safety Corridor initiative directs safety measures that produce immediate, impactful results. With safety improvements that prioritize prevention, we are helping ensure our roads are safer for all users.”
The designation has particular significance for Malibu. On October 17, 2023, Pepperdine University students Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams were killed after being struck by a speeding driver while walking along PCH. The tragedy galvanized local and state leaders to accelerate safety improvements and helped inspire California's statewide Priority Safety Corridor initiative. In 2010, Emily Shane, age 13, was killed while walking along PCH, prompting her parents, Michel and Ellen Shane, to establish The Emily Shane Foundation and become longtime advocates for highway safety.
“PCH is the road every Malibu resident depends on, and this designation tells them the State is paying attention,” said Malibu City Manager Joe Irvin. “We’re grateful to Secretary Omishakin and Caltrans, and to Michel Shane and The Emily Shane Foundation for bringing this effort to the city. Malibu will keep working with the State until the improvements show up on the highway itself.”
“Our daughter Emily was killed on PCH in 2010, and four Pepperdine seniors died on the same highway in 2023, at no fault of their own. My wife and I are grateful to Secretary Omishakin for doing several site visits and engaging with the community first-hand,” said Michel Shane of the Emily Shane Foundation. “The road that taught Californians what a deadly highway costs will now show them what a safe one looks like.”
Coordinated Safety Improvements for PCH and Beyond
The State Priority Safety Corridor initiative brings together state and local agencies to coordinate infrastructure improvements, enforcement and public education, focusing resources on roadways with elevated concentrations of fatal and serious injury crashes.
The City of Malibu will continue working with CalSTA, Caltrans, CHP and other state partners to advocate for effective, sustained safety investments on PCH. The City remains committed to fighting for improvements that protect the lives of everyone who lives, works, studies and travels in Malibu.
For more information about California's State Priority Safety Corridor initiative and corridor fact sheets, visit the website.
For more information about California infrastructure investments, visit the website.