But State Sen. Lena Gonzalez said it\u2019s clear something must be done about the highway that claims far too many lives: an unhoused man run over by the rear wheels of a semi-truck driving over the sidewalk<\/a>; a 47-year-old Ontario man struck<\/a> by consecutive vehicles; and Brandy Jackson, a 46-year-old woman killed in a hit-and-run in November<\/a>, among others.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Since 2020, crash data shows one-fifth of Long Beach\u2019s traffic deaths have happened on PCH, despite it accounting for less than 1% of the city\u2019s roadways, according to Gonzalez\u2019s office.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve just seen it every other week, it seems like there\u2019s an unfortunate accident or a fatality,\u201d said Gonzalez, who introduced the bill last week. It\u2019s already received support from Long Beach Councilmember Suely Saro, whose district includes a large portion of the roadway.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a responsibility to act with urgency,\u201d Saro said in a release.<\/p>\n Cameras, once installed, would automatically issue tickets to the owners of vehicles spotted exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 miles per hour. Other cities that the state authorized to experiment with speed cameras have already begun seeing success, including notable progress slowing down drivers in San Francisco<\/a>. Long Beach has been criticized for not moving swiftly enough to install its cameras<\/a> even as fatal crashes spike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Long associated with picturesque roads and spectacular scenery, PCH has earned a bedeviled reputation across the state for fast cars, sharp curves and unsafe crossings for pedestrians \u2014 many of whom risk life-threatening accidents each day just to pass.\u00a0<\/p>\n A similar bill to Gonzalez\u2019s was approved in 2024 to bring five cameras to a 21-mile stretch of PCH in Malibu, largely seen as a direct response to the deaths of four Pepperdine University students in late 2023.<\/p>\n In Long Beach, the road forgoes the coast and instead cuts across some of the city\u2019s densest neighborhoods, with up to 62,500 cars each day passing<\/a> by in close distance to nearly a dozen schools, a handful of medical clinics and several shopping centers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nearly half of drivers humming along PCH in Long Beach are driving at least 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, according to city data.<\/a><\/p>\n Gonzalez, a member of the local PTA, said she\u2019s been inundated with calls and emails from parents asking for more safety measures like flashing beacons, speed bumps and crosswalks. Caltrans, the state transportation agency, manages the road and is responsible for any such changes. A Caltrans spokesperson said Monday it currently has projects underway to improve sidewalks, protected bikeways and crosswalks throughout the eight-mile segment.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/speed-analysis-pch-436815-39q3ynta-204578-cJ7r8bje.png\")
An analysis of 2022 city data shows instances of observed speeding over the 35 mph speed limit on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.<\/p>\n