Letter to the Editor:
(Editor’s note: the following was sent to the Burbank City Council)
Dear Councilmembers,
I’m writing as a deeply concerned resident of Burbank regarding Metro’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that would cut through our city—dedicated lanes from Glendale down Glen Oaks to Olive, this will drastically alter traffic flow with dedicated bus lanes and signal system control.
At the recent community meeting, Metro presented the project as a done deal, with no meaningful opportunity for residents to question the scope, impact, or logic behind the plan. Their projected ridership of 10,000 daily users and claim of thousands of eliminated car trips seem speculative at best—and completely disconnected from the reality on our streets.
Currently, RITZ already serves the key transit destinations with direct access to the Pasadena freeway express buses, and 100’s of daily connections to NoHo Metro. Olive Avenue is already heavily utilized by hundreds of buses daily, and Burbank, in general, is no stranger to transportation infrastructure—between the Airport, train stations, and two freeways, we are more than doing our share.
The most concerning part of Metro’s plan lies in the fine print: granting them control over our traffic signals for BRT priority. This isn’t just a transit tweak—it’s a fundamental shift in local autonomy and traffic dynamics. Tearing up Glen Oaks and Olive for dedicated lanes will disrupt residents, small businesses, and emergency access—all for a redundant system that duplicates existing service.
As elected officials charged with protecting the quality of life in Burbank, you now hold the last line of defense. Your permitting authority gives you the power to say no. I urge you to exercise it. Decline the permits, and force a reconsideration of this unnecessary and disruptive project.
Let’s champion smart transit, not blind expansion.
Kevin Muldoon
Burbank
