STAFF REPORT
DATE: October 29, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director VIA: David Kriske, Assistant Community Development Director, Transportation BY: Marcos Fuentes, Senior Transportation Planner
SUBJECT: Update on the First Six Months of the Downtown Burbank San Fernando Boulevard Reconfiguration, Phase 1
RECOMMENDATION
Note and file.
BACKGROUND
In 2020, City Council (Council) adopted the Citywide Complete Our Streets Plan, which identified specific projects for implementation. Projects were classified as either long-term or short-term as determined by stakeholders’ input and data analysis of certain criteria, including priority eligibility areas, number of collisions, cost, and ability to be implemented quickly. The D owntown Burbank San Fernando Boulevard Reconfiguration Project - Phase 1 (Project) is one of the short-term priority projects located in the City’s Downtown, between Olive Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard. (Attachment 1).
In January 2023, Council directed staff to reconfigure the three- block stretch of San Fernando Blvd, conduct data analysis and public outreach to measure the performance of the reconfiguration, and provide Council with a performance assessment six months after the Project's installation. The main goal of the Project is to enhance vehicular and pedestrian safety in Downtown Burbank, which has the highest amount of pedestrian and vehicular activity in the City
1. Further, data collected for the Complete Our Streets Plan revealed that over 80% of pedestrian-vehicle collisions are due to the fault of the motorist,
1 City of Burbank, Citywide Complete Our Streets Plan (2020), Figure 2-29, Page 30
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
2 and those collisions predominately occur when vehicles are making turning movements2.
Underscoring the risk that pedestrians face in such a high activity urban area became the impetus of the Project.
The Project consists of reconfiguring San Fernando Blvd between Olive Ave and Magnolia B lvd from a two -lane, two- way street into a one- lane, one- way street in the northbound direction. Included in this reconfiguration is a re-orientation of angled parking spaces on the west side of the street, implementation of painted curb extensions at intersections, narrowing of travel lanes with roadway striping and paint, temporary reconfiguration of traffic signals to support the one-way operation, and implementation of additional loading zone and short -term parking spaces on San Fernando B lvd. The Project preserves the in- street outdoor dining parklets installed as COVID -19 pandemic measures and added temporary potted plant landscaping to enhance new pedestrian spaces.
This Project is being implemented as a 12- month pilot with the objective of testing the benefits and success of the roadway reconfiguration achieved using “quick -build” materials, meant to be low in cost, eas y to install, and eas y to remove. This allows the City to test the Project, measure its effects, and modify the improvements in response to observations. It also supports other City planning documents and efforts, like the Burbank2035 General Plan’s Mobility Element, which strives to ensure that “Burbank’s complete streets will meet all mobility needs and improve community health”. The Project would also support the upcoming Downtown Burbank Transit Oriented District Specific Plan’s key objectives of creating a pedestrian friendly environment, enhancing multimodal access connections between the Downtown’s major public transit stations and the rest of the City , and ensur ing enough parking availability and accessibility for all modes of transport to the City’s Downtown commercial attractions and amenities. Additionally, with the proposed North Hollywood to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit System planned stop at Olive Ave and San Fernando Blvd expected to open for service in 2027, this Project will further improve the appeal and connectivity between Downtown Burbank and the larger region.
DISCUSSION
Project Installation
The Project was implemented during the first week of March 2024, initiating the 12-month pilot period. The Project’s installation involved strategic temporary street closures that enabled necessary roadwork to put the Project in place and simultaneously retained pedestrian and loading access to affected Downtown businesses. Additionally, community stakehold ers were notified of the Project’s installation via the City’s social
2 City of Burbank, Citywide Complete Our Streets Plan (2020), Figure 2-30, Page 30 3 media platforms, fliers distributed by Downtown Ambassadors, and message boards placed at key locations throughout Downtown.
Painted curb extensions were installed at all major intersections and midblock crossings to shorten pedestrian crossing distances and improve the line of sight between vehicles and pedestrians , thereby addressing crosswalk yield compliance issues. Contrasting yellow paint was used throughout the Project at curb extensions to match the branding color palette used by the Downtown Property Improvement District (PBID) and provide a cohesive aesthetic and sense of identity. Plastic bollards were installed to separate the space between pedestrians and vehicles along with new planters. Pavement markers were added to indicate the presence of a new class III bikeway, or shared lane, to promote bicycling in the northbound direction and improve bicyclist connectivity to the City’s bicycle network. The Project added four on-street parking spaces, retained all pre-existing ADA parking, and installed two new flexible parking areas to accommodate commercial and passenger loading demand. Additional loading zone curb parking spaces off San Fernando Blvd on Magnolia Blvd , Palm Ave, and Orange Grove Ave were added with consistent time restrictions for loading zones and short -term parking to better accommodate commercial activities and food-delivery driver demand.
Safety Countermeasures
For the Project to achieve its goal of improving safety for all roadway users, it must successfully i mplement proven pedestrian safety countermeasures outlined in the Caltrans' Local Roadway Safety Manual (2024). This Project implemented the following safety countermeasures:
• Changed San Fernando Blvd from two -way to one -way, which is expected to reduce all collisions by 35%;
• Added delineators, reflectors, and object markers, with a crash reduction factor (CRF) of 15%;
• Installed curb extensions at crosswalks, expected to reduce pedestrian and bicycle collisions by 35%; and
• Modified traffic signals to give pedestrians a head start (Leading Pedestrian Interval; LPI), reducing pedestrian and bicycle collisions by 60%.
Measuring Success
Success of the Project is being measured using identified key metrics to assess conditions before and after installation directly related to the purpose of the Project, as listed in the Complete Our Streets Plan , to enhance vehicular and pedestrian safety.
Secondary benefits of the pilot design include encouraging more walking and bike activity Downtown and providing commercial loading areas to reduce double parking. To help 4 understand whether the Project is succeeding in achieving its stated goal, t he analyses focus on the following before and after implementation elements:
• Pedestrian and bicycle activity based on counts collected at study intersections; • Safety analysis inclusive of auto speeds, yield compliance at midblock crosswalks, and the number and severity of collisions along the Project corridor; • Commercial loading activity based on 24 hours of video data on the corridor; and • Traffic distribution, Level of Service (LOS), and queueing analysis.
While auto LOS is also being analyzed to understand the impact of the Project on auto travel behavior and delay , it is not a performance metric for evaluating Project success as the metric does not directly relate to the Project goals of safety, increased multimodal activity, and loading activity control. This measure does, however, assess whether the reconfiguration has pushed traffic demand to other nearby streets.
The pre- installation data analysis of the metrics listed above was carried out in 2022 (Attachment 2), in which commercial loading activity was also observed during a 24-hour period before and after the Project to capture curb utilization and illegal parking. This confirmed the timeframes when most commercial loading takes place, the severity of vehicles parking along red curbs and mid- block crosswalks. Additionally, Downtown businesses were surveyed on their perceptions of the proposed Project and general on- street parking needs. Results from the loading analysis and survey established that retaining on-street parking and vehicular access to the Project area was a top priority for businesses, and informed time restriction used in the new flex parking spaces, which followed similar time restrictions already in place throughout Downtown to provide commercial loading between 5AM – 12PM, 10-minute parking between 12PM - 9PM, and no parking 3AM – 5AM.
Post-Installation Analysis Results
Post-installation data was collected in May 2024 for the same metrics analyzed prior to implementation (Attachment 3). Starting with crosswalk yield compliance in the Project area, results showed that before the Project was built, vehicles were yielding to pedestrians at a rate of as low as 51%. After Project implementation, yield compliance improved by more than 20% between Orange Grove Ave and Olive Ave (63% to 85%) and Magnolia Blvd and Palm Ave (63% to 86%), and by more than 30% between Palm Ave and Orange Grove Ave (51% to 83%).
Auto speeds remained largely consistent before and after implementation, with 85% of vehicles traveling at or below 21 mph. Specific segments showed minor changes in speed, with slight variations of 1 mph up or down across the corridor, but all segments were well below the 25 mph speed limit.
5 The two new flex parking areas between Magnolia Blvd and Palm Ave, and between Palm Ave and Orange Grove Ave, have proven beneficial for commercial loading and short - term parking, with increased use of the designated spaces. Commercial loading also remained consistent before and after the Project’s installation, signaling that there were no adverse impacts to businesses’ loading needs. However, a significant amount of loading still occurs in red curb zones and through double parking. Staff will evaluate whether extending the flex -zone loading hours beyond 12PM and designating a food delivery waiting area in a nearby City garage, will reduce illegal parking. T he potential establishment of better parking management and paid parking in Downtown would also better manage parking demands and improve adherence to regulations.
Vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle volume counts on San Fernando Blvd revealed several positive outcomes post-implementation. Despite a reduction in vehicle volumes across all segments, pedestrian volumes remained high, even surpassing auto volumes in key areas. Notably, pedestrian activity increased slightly between Magnoli a Blvd and Palm Ave, indicating the corridor’s enhanced walkability. Bicycle volumes also showed consistency, with minor fluctuations, demonstrating ongoing use of the corridor by cyclists. Auto volumes on San Fernando Blvd decreased as expected due to the removal of one travel lane, but increased slightly on Third St, First St, and side streets, suggesting that overall access to Downtown was not changed but did shift slightly to other streets.
Nonetheless, LOS measurements at intersections around the Project showed no appreciable increase in vehicle delay due to the reconfiguration. Finally, vehicle queues were measured on San Fernando Blvd and surrounding street intersections. These measurements showed longer queuing times than before the reconfiguration at four specific intersections: San Fernando Blvd and Orange Grove Ave (eastbound left), San Fernando Blvd and Magnolia Blvd (northbound left), 1
st Street and Orange Grove Avenue
(southbound left), and 1 st St and Olive Ave (northbound left). Anecdotally, staff has observed periods of higher vehicle queues along San Fernando Blvd as traffic enters the reconfigured street to find parking. This queuing is not necessarily due to the reconfiguration to one-way operation but could be exacerbated by the narrower lanes that prevent cars from passing others waiting to park. It should be noted that this behavior occurred prior to the reconfiguration and would likely be relieved if appropriate parking management were implemented.
A post-installation survey was also distributed to Downtown businesses in July 2024 (Attachment 4). The survey results show ed overall positive feedback on the Reconfiguration Project with a majority (54%) agreeing that the one- way configuration has benefited the area, and 41% of respondents believing it helps attract more customers.
Additionally, 72% feel the current level of safety along San Fernando Blvd is appropriate, and 69% are either supportive or neutral about making the changes permanent. Finally , 62% of those surveyed expressed either satisfaction or neutrality about the changes, with a minority (38%) supporting dissatisfaction.
6 Coordination meetings between Community Development, Public Works, Fire, and Police Departments were held throughout the Project’s design and installation process to ensure emergency vehicle access is maintained. The Fire Department has indicated that responding to calls in the area prior to the reconfiguration was already challenging but the narrower street, coupled with private vehicles continuing to park illegally in No Stopping areas, have made traversing this segment of San Fernando Blvd even more challenging.
The Police Department noted that the continued presence of illegally parked vehicles and loading activities in No Stopping areas on San Fernando Blvd require more enforcement resources to maintain a clear path of travel and reinforce behavior. Additional parking enforcement resources would likely improve but may not entirely eliminate this issue.
At present, staff is working on developing a Parking Management Strategy for Downtown overlapping the Project Area, which aims to address concerns about parking availability, congestion, and inefficient use of curb space. The Parking Management Strategy will be presented to the City Council in late 2024 and would align with the broader goals of the Burbank2035 General Plan to improve transportation and land use in one of the most commercially active parts of the City . Currently, limited parking tools and regulations contribute to issues such as low turnover and high demand in Downtown Burbank, particularly on San Fernando Boulevard. Should the City Council desire to implement this strategy, it would consist of a comprehensive parking management system, covering 145 high-demand on-street parking spaces, and employing fees to ensure 80% occupancy , encourage turnover and reduce congestion. The Parking Management Strategy would include mobile payment options, kiosks, and enhanced enforcement, with potential excess revenue reinvested into parking infrastructure. These objectives would be complimentary to the Project as they would expand parking enforcement resources needed to provide more efficient curb management and decrease illegal parking along red curbs and the two new short -term parking areas, along with maintaining overall circulation and safety in Downtown.
Next Steps
Staff plans to collect more data at the nine-month point focusing on changes to commercial loading activity, and a deeper review of the number of visitors observed in Downtown before and after the Project’s installation. Comparison of the metrics described above will also be made to determine the Project’s overall performance. Outreach efforts and Project updates are planned in the form of a community meeting, a pop- up event at the Cultural Market, and an update to the Transportation Commission. Additionally, staff will continue monitoring traffic operations in the corridor and explore ways to improve circulation without compromising pedestrian safety gains through signal timing adjustments and continued parking enforcement to decrease road obstructions, including analyzing the feasibility and options for improving pedestrian crossing at San Fernando Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue.
7 City Staff views the San Fernando Reconfiguration Project and proposed paid parking management for Downtown Burbank to be complementary projects. They are critical projects that seek to improve safety and circulation (the Reconfiguration project), and improve access and availability (paid parking management) to Downtown Burbank.
Upon the pilot’s completion, a 12- month update will be provided to Council focusing on the Project’s assessment, community input, and formal recommendation to either move the Project to a second phase, restore the roadway to its original conditions, or consider other alternatives.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Outreach for this Project began with the development of the Complete Our Streets Plan throughout 2019 and 2020, and through surveys administered to the Downtown PBID as part of COVID-19 outdoor dining and a temporary closure of the Project area. Other public outreach events in 2022 and 2023 included pop- up events at the Cultural Market and Farmers Market, and presentations to the Downtown PBID Board and the Transportation Commission. On October 3, 2024, staff provided a six -month update to the Downtown PBID Board to gather further feedback and insight on the Project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Implementation of the first phase of the Downtown Burbank San Fernando Boulevard Reconfiguration Project as directed by Council was previously determined to be exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to 14 CCR § 15301(c), as the action involved maintenance or alteration of existing streets that did not result in any expansion of the use, and the action add ed safety or health protection devices in conjunction with existing facilities. Further, this six -month update to Council has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of CEQA 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to operating the pilot phase of this Project.
CONCLUSION
The Downtown San Fernando Boulevard Reconfiguration Project has brought significant positive changes to Downtown Burbank, aligning with the City's broader goals of improving safety and enhancing the pedestrian experience. By converting the corridor to a one-way northbound street, the Project has successfully increased pedestrian safety, as demonstrated by an over 20% improvement in vehicle yield compliance at midblock crosswalks. Key safety features, such as curb extensions and bollards, have further enhanced pedestrian visibility and security, while preserving on- street parking and providing designated commercial loading zones has helped maintain business access 8 and operations. Feedback from businesses and the community has largely been positive, with 54% of respondents indicating that the reconfiguration has been beneficial to the area, and 41% reporting that it has helped attract customers, underscoring the Project 's role in supporting Downtown’s economic vitality.
Additionally, the Project has strengthened Downtown’s pedestrian-oriented environment, with an observed increase in foot traffic in certain segments of the corridor and consistent bicycle activity. The introduction of flexible parking areas has also provided necessary loading accommodations without adversely impacting parking availability. With 72% of survey respondents indicating that the current safety level is appropriate and 69% expressing support or neutrality toward making the changes permanent, the Project has demonstrated both practical benefits and community stakeholder approval. As the pilot phase progresses, continued data collection and community outreach will be essential in assessing the Project’s long-term viability and ensuring it aligns with the City’s goals of enhancing multimodal access and maintaining Downtown Burbank’s appeal as a commercial and recreational destination.
However, issues such as illegal parking in red zones and ongoing double parking indicate a need for stronger enforcement, which may be alleviated with additional parking enforcement resources and signage. Fire and Police Departments have also highlighted concerns regarding emergency access due to the narrower roadway and congestion .
Therefore, ongoing coordination will be crucial to address these operational hurdles.
Furthermore, while auto volumes have shifted to adjacent streets without causing major delays, localized queuing remains a concern, particularly around intersections. As the pilot phase continues into its second half, further data collection and public engagement will guide decisions on the Project’s future, ensuring that lessons learned are incorporated into a potential Phase 2, which would balance making permanent safety improvements to the corridor combined with practical considerations for all roadway users.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Complete Our Streets Plan Downtown San Fernando Boulevard Reconfiguration Project (Phase 1)
Attachment 2 – Memorandum – Summary of Existing Conditions Data Collection Attachment 3 – Memorandum – Summary of Post-Implementation Level of Service, Delay, and Queue Results
Attachment 4 – PBID Post Installation Survey and Results Attachment 5 – Complete Our Streets Plan Downtown San Fernando Boulevard Reconfiguration Project (Phase 2)