On October 17, 2023, a tragic accident on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu, California, involving four Pepperdine University students sparked urgent discussions about road safety. This incident occurred at “Dead Man’s Curve,” a notorious stretch of PCH, highlighting the need for improvements along this critical roadway. In response, the City of Malibu is upgrading 12 signalized intersections along PCH from Topanga Canyon Road to John Tyler Drive. This project includes enhancements to communications infrastructure, ITS equipment, pedestrian facilities, signal timing, and traffic signal equipment. The new system will dynamically adjust signal timing based on actual traffic volumes to enhance safety and efficiency. To further improve safety, the city is implementing a cutting-edge “Safety Adaptive Signal System” developed by Kimley-Horn. This proprietary system builds on traditional adaptive signal timing but focuses specifically on managing vehicle speeds to enhance safety. When speeding is detected, the system disrupts signal coordination, forcing motorists to stop at red lights until safe conditions are restored. This innovative approach, part of Kimley-Horn’s Kadence Adaptive module, continuously monitors vehicle speeds in real time. If excessive speeding is detected, the system makes incremental timing adjustments to slow vehicles down. By reducing the green signal coordination, it increases the likelihood of stops, mitigating dangerous driving behavior.

After this session, participants will be better able to:
• Implement an adaptive signal system to dynamically manage traffic flows and enhance road safety in their jurisdictions.
• Leverage real-time traffic data to address speeding and unsafe driving conditions, using adaptive signal technologies that respond to both traffic volume and speed.
• Apply innovative signal timing strategies to balance the goals of efficiency and safety, ensuring safer conditions for motorists and pedestrians on busy roadways.

Contributor/Source

RobDuBoux-Public Works Director, Seth Searle-Transportation Technology Specialist, Sri Chakravarthy -Vice President

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