Motorists driving in Burbank through familiar streets may need to pay a little more attention to their surroundings as the City has installed numerous signals throughout the City to deal with traffic problems and pedestrian safety.
Activated for the first time on January 20, a new signal for the Bikeway Channel Project went into operation. According to Omar Moheize, Principal Civil Engineer for the Public Works Department in the City of Burbank, because of the amount of traffic on Alameda, a signal was needed to protect both bicyclists and pedestrians crossing the street at the bikeway.
The project was recently completed and was paid with an assortment of State and Federal funding from Prop 84, a Metro Grant that Burbank also contributed to, as well as money from both Measures B and R. The main goal of the project was to link Burbank’s bikeway to the existing bikeway that travels into Los Angeles.
Besides the signal, the 0.79-mile project included existing railroad bridge retrofitting, construction of a concrete path, boardwalk and piling, a precast modular block wall, curb ramps, installation of a traffic signal, pathway lighting, a landscape, and irrigation system, and installation of signing and striping.
Moheize realizes it might take motorists by surprise when they first encounter the new traffic lights so he has asked the contractor to put some temporary electronic message boards along Alameda calling attention to the new signal.
Going on-line February 4, 2021, the new signal at Lima and Magnolia is part of the “Midtown Commercial Corridors Improvement” Project according to Daliza Jeffrey, Burbank Traffic Engineering Assistant for the City of Burbank. 
“This project is a $3 million grant-funded project; granted by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LAMTA). The new traffic signal at Magnolia Blvd & Lima St is one of 29 intersections improvements under this project.” said in an email response.
The project also includes building new traffic signals at Burbank/Ontario, Burbank/Wyoming, and a Hollywood Way Crosswalk south of Magnolia. The project will also install flashing yellow arrows at Burbank/Maple, Burbank/Keystone, and Burbank/Reese. The City says the project will improve safety and traffic circulation by installing new poles, cameras, detection, and wiring.
