After an over six-hour Council meeting to discuss the future of Metro’s proposed BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) project, which would travel from North Hollywood to Pasadena, council members voted to keep their original stance of keeping Olive between Buena Vista and Lake as mixed flow.
Before the meeting, a protest organized by Vision Burbank in support of the mixed flow solution was met with opposition from others who wanted to see a dedicated bus lane, with members of Burbank’s Transportation Commission leading the other side.
When this was first proposed for Burbank, the Council voted in April 2020 to support the project. However, they told Metro they did not want either a dedicated curb-running lane or a side-running dedicated lane for the buses because of the traffic congestion it would cause and the impact on local businesses and the surrounding neighborhood.
On Tuesday night, the Council restated their support for that letter. They also reiterated that Metro would be subject to the construction permitting procedures before they could start any modifications. They also rejected making payments to Metro for street improvements on Olive that the City would have made anyway due to use and deterioration over the years of usage.
While doubling down on their commitment to the mixed-flow option (buses would just run with the existing traffic), the Council also discussed the lack of communication between Burbank’s elected officials and the Metro Board of Directors. The Council voted to form a subcommittee. After several members volunteered, a drawing was held that appointed Councilmembers Tamala Takahashi and Zuzette Mullins to work directly with Metro’s Board.
There are still several items that the City would like to see worked out. Metro has told the City they were not going to make the improvements the City wanted to the Olive overpass that would have included a possible stop on the bridge to link the Metrolink Station with the bus route.
The council would like input on other aspects of the route and the proposed stations.
One thing Metro has agreed to is to conduct a much more extensive outreach program, holding more community meetings and reaching out to the local businesses affected as they continue to develop the final design for the project.
Metro’s North Hollywood to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor Project would construct an 18-mile project BRT between the North Hollywood Red Line / Orange Line Station and the Gold Line in Pasadena, passing through the cities of Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, and Los Angeles.
After adjustments have been made, Burbank’s council will take up the subject again later this year.
Thank you for the coverage of this very important issue facing Burbank. As they say, we won the battle but the war isn’t over to save Olive Ave. Having been on the front line of this for several years it was interesting to see 2 currently serving Burbank Transportation Commissioners not only show up to a counter rally and seemly coordinated Union reps to join them. There are a lot of things making their way to the city council and I highly recommend following the boards and commissions. Your voice matters! Your vote matters!
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