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MEMORANDUM
DATE: November 30, 2020
TO: David Kriske, Assistant Community Development Director
FROM: Daniel J. Rynn, Chief Assistant Public Works Director – City Engineer
SUBJECT: Project No. Metro Bus Rapid Transit Project
Located at North Hollywood to Pasadena
Project Description:
On October 26, 2020, Metro released a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for its North Hollywood to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit Project. The Proposed Project would run from the North Hollywood Red/Orange Line Station in the City of Los Angeles through the Cities of Burbank and Glendale and into the City of Pasadena ending at Pasadena City College. Bus Rapid Transit is high capacity, frequent bus service that operates on local streets in both mixed-flow and dedicated bus lanes with fixed transit stops like a rail line. The Proposed Project would operate along a combination of local roadways and freeway sections with various c onfigurations of mixed- flow and dedicated bus lanes depending on location. Attachment 1 shows the project corridor. In Burbank, the route is proposed to operate as a dedicated bus lane along Olive Avenue and Glenoaks Boulevard.
The bus lane would be constructed by generally widening these streets by one to two feet on each side and eliminating on- street parking. Stations are proposed in public right of way on Olive Avenue at Hollywood Way, Alameda Avenue, I-5 Olive overpass / Metrolink Station, and San Fernando. A station is also proposed on Glenoaks Boulevard at Alameda Avenue. The project would be served by electric transit buses.
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ENGINEERING DIVISION
General Requirements:
The City’s arterial paving program has identified portions of Olive Ave to be repaved by 2022. Any impacts to the pavement on these segments of Olive Ave will have to be repaired per the City of Burbank Standards.
Bus pads will be required at all bus stops.
The Olive Ave bridge currently has two lanes of traffic in each direction. Creating one lane in each direction as a dedicated bus lane may cause additional traffic congestion and additional pedestrian traffic over the bridge and to the Metrolink access point. The DEIR should consider widening the bridge to create the dedicated bus lanes and/or bus turnouts. At a minimum, the sidewalk widths should be increased and the substandard safety barrier rails on both sides of the bridge should be upgraded.
For additional information or questions, please contact Anthony Roman, Civil Engineer Associate, at (818) 238-3945.
Checked by: ___Anthony Roman Date: _November 18, 2020_
WATER RECLAMATION AND SEWER
SECTION 2.9 – CONSTRUCTION:
Proposed stations/stops located near City of Burbank and/ or County of Los Angeles catch basins must include trash receptacles.
SECTION 2.10 – PERMITS AND APPROVALS:
Altering any part of the existing storm drain infrastructure requires approval and permits from the City of Burbank and/ or the County of Los Angeles.
SECTION 4.1.3 – HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY:
In addition to SWPPP and County SUSMP requirements, the City of Burbank has a Low Impact Development (LID) ordinance. Due to the proposed construction activities, revise document to include the aforementioned City LID ordinance.
SECTION 4.1.9 – UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS:
ATTACHMENT 3-13
Best Management Practices shall apply to all construction projects and shall be required from time of land clearing, demolition or commencement of construction.
Refer to BMC 9-3-407 for additional information.
Certain construction and re-construction activities on private property will need to comply with post-construction Best Management Practices (BMPs), which include Sections 8-1- 1007 and 9-3- 414.D of the BMC authorizing the City to require projects to comply with the Standard Urban Stormwater Mitigation Plan provisions and the City’s Low Impact Development (LID) ordinance. For questions on these requirements, please contact the City’s Building Division at (818) 238-5220.
The project will disturb more than 5,000 SF within the City’s transportation corridors (i.e., public streets, parkway areas, and public parking) and as such, is subject to the City’s Green Streets Policy requirements. This policy can be reviewed at the following address:
http://file.burbankca.gov/publicworks/OnlineCounter/permits/app_docs_procedur es/greenstreet/gspolicy.pdf
For additional information or questions, please contact Eden Lopez at (818) 238-3930.
Checked by: __Stephen Walker_________ Date: _November 19, 2020_
TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
General Requirements:
CONDITIONS:
An operational analysis shall be performed to show traffic congestion caused by narrowing of Olive Avenue to one lane in each direction.
The DEIR should provide a feasibility study to address the impacts and review whether the proposed station loading platforms with midblock crosswalk on the Olive bridge is feasible. Midblock crosswalk on the Olive bridge is hazardous for pedestrians and vehicles due to visibility issue on the vertical curve. A signalized crosswalk cannot be constructed on the existing Olive bridge because any types of heavy construction including station platforms, ADA ramps, signal foundations, pull boxes, and underground conduits will compromise the structural integrity of the existing bridge. Metro may need to reconstruct the bridge to maintain 4 travel lanes with bus turnouts or dedicated bus lanes, sidewalk widening, and new pedestrian signals.
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An operational analysis shall be performed to show traffic congestion caused by narrowing of Olive Avenue to one lane in each direction.
The DEIR also fails to identify the feasibility of street widening with respect to existing overhead and under ground utilities, drainage, sidewalk width, sidewalk furniture, landscape, etc.
The DEIR should provide a feasibility study to address the impacts and review whether the proposed station loading platforms with midblock crosswalk on the Olive bridge is feasible. Midblock crosswalk on the Olive bridge is hazardous for pedestrians and vehicles due to visibility issue on the vertical curve. A signalized crosswalk cannot be constructed on the existing Olive bridge because any types of heavy construction including station platforms, ADA ramps, signal foundations, pull boxes, and underground conduits will compromise the structural integrity of the existing bridge. Metro may need to reconstruct the bridge to maintain 4 travel lanes with bus turnouts or dedicated bus lanes, sidewalk widening, and new pedestrian signals.
Making a left turn from the far-most right turn lane also violates California Vehicle Code Section 22100(b) and may cause other drivers to unintentionally copy the same movement, thereby introducing a new hazardous condition for pedestrians and road users.
The proposed project allows right-turning vehicles to merge with the curb-running bus lane approaching each intersection and allows right turns be made from the bus lane. Existing right turn lanes with protected right turn signal indication cannot be merged with the curb- running bus lane due to the complexity of the signal operation at these locations. Removing the protected right turn indication will compromise vehicular safety at these locations. The DEIR failed to analyze the impact of traffic circulation should these protected right turn lanes be removed. The DEIR fails to analyze a potential transportation impact caused by hazardous geometric design feature by proposing to integrate the bus stations into the sidewalk area and using a curb extension to facilitate access and pedestrian circulation. The DEIR does not disclose traffic congestion as a result of the dedicated bus lanes in combination with narrowing of the roadway at bus stations via curb extension.
The DEIR showed cross sections but fails to identify locations where existing lane width is substandard and fails to analyze the potentially hazardous condition as a result of addition of dedicated bus lanes in the already congested and substandard travel lanes. City of Burbank requires minimum 10.5 feet travel lane and 12 feet curb lane where there is transit service. The DEIR should analyze how the geometric configuration of BRT elements, such as dedicated lanes, curb extensions, and bus stations may create hazardous geometric design features, ATTACHMENT 3-15
particularly where the alignment is required to make left or right turns, enter, exit, and cross freeway ramps, bicycle facilities, and pedestrian crossings at intersections. Should curb parking be modified to provide a dedicated bus lane or queue jump, the project DEIR should analyze how these elements may reduce travel lanes below 10.5 feet, curb lanes below 12 feet.
For additional information or questions, please contact Vikki Davtian, Principal Engineer – Traffic, at (818) 238-3922.
Checked by: Vikki Davtian Date: _November 30, 2020
FIELD SERVICES
General Comments:
Utilities and Service Systems:
The proposed project would utilize electric -powered vehicles, which may require recharging using electrical networks. The project should analyze the potential to create electrical system impacts associated with powering required transit vehicle charging stations located in the City of Burbank.
The proposed project would potentially conflict with, or require the relocation/reconstruction of, storm water drainage facilities in roadways along the project’s alignment. The Project DEIR should analyze the project’s impact of City and County storm water facilities within the project alignment.
The unique nature of a BRT project, whereby a regional transit agency constructs capital improvements and operates transit vehicles on public infrastructure owned by another agency, could result in additional impacts to City of Burbank public service systems. In particular, the project DEIR should identify impacts to roadway maintenance of local streets including the increased maintenance needed for pavement, signage, striping, station maintenance, lighting, and other roadway infrastructure used by the project and owned and maintained by the City. Also, the DEIR should analyze right -of-way impacts to land adjacent to streets along the alignment, including any land acquisition required for stations or roadway widening. Also, the City seeks clarification on whether public easements necessary for the project will be required within City right of way.
Transportation:
Refer to attached letter.
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For additional information or questions, please contact Public Works Field Services at (818) 238-3800.
Checked by: John Molinar ______ Date: _November 23, 2020_
ATTACHMENT 3-17