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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE : GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: City of Glendale Open Street Event May 31st, 2025
1. Motion authorizing the City Manager to execute Funding Agreements to receive grant funding for “Glendale Ave Open Street Event” from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro).
2. Motion authorizing the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Community Art Resources (CARS) for the implementation and management of the Glendale Ave Open Street Event on May 31st, 2025.
COUNCIL ACTION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Glendale is embarking on an exciting initiative with the implementation of Glendale Ave Open Street Event, an Open Street event set to transform Glendale Ave into a vibrant pedestrian and bicycle-friendly corridor for a single day. Spanning a continuous 2.37-mile path from Doran Street to the regional Larry Zarian Transportation Center. This event aims to promote active transportation, community engagement, and economic vitality. By temporarily closing off the street to motorized vehicles and inviting pedestrians and bicyclists to explore the area, Glendale Ave Open Street Event seeks to showcase the benefits of walking and biking.
Out of 30 applicants for the LA Metro's Open Streets Grant Program, the City of Glendale was selected as one of four funded cities, which is a testament to the city's commitment to promoting active transportation and community engagement.
Item Type: Consent Calendar
Approved forSeptember 03, 2024 calendar
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RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council authorize the execution of a Funding Agreement with LA Metro and a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with CARS for the City of Glendale’s Glendale Ave Open Street Event. This event will provide residents and visitors a preview of Glendale’s future as a walkable, bike-friendly destination, while showcasing the city's rich culture, identity, and business potent
ANALYSIS
The Glendale Community Deployment/Mobility Division has successfully applied for and been awarded $400,000 from LA Metro's Open Streets Grant Program Cycle 5 of 2024- 2025. This program, established in 2013, aims to facilitate temporary street closures along designated routes, encouraging pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized modes of transportation to explore areas and engage with community, access businesses, and enjoy the health benefits of an active transportation lifestyle. The Open Streets program has previously funded successful projects like 2017 CicLAvia in Glendale, Beach Streets in Long Beach, and 626 Golden Streets in San Gabriel Valley, all sharing similar goals. These initiatives have proven highly successful in engaging local communities, increasing access, and providing exposure to neighborhoods and businesses along the proposed routes.
What makes the City of Glendale’s selection so special is that we are one of only four Cities that have been chosen to be funded out of 30 applicants. This resulted in Glendale receiving a grant for $400,000 that will allow us to demonstrate the City’s potential connectivity and Active Transportation capabilities through our proposed Glendale Ave Open Street Event. This event will be held on May 31st, 2025, to take advantage of the City’s welcoming climate for that time of year.
Total Project Budget
City Costs $118,750
Production Expenses $27,500
Community Engagement & Outreach $23,250
Event Reporting & Metrics $6,263
Production Costs: Day of Event $173,750
Community Arts Resources $199,750
Project Budget $549,263
Metro Grant Award $400,000
Local Match $149,263
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Event Location
Glendale Ave Open Street Event will take place on Glendale Avenue with the northern most portion on Doran Street and its southern terminus on Gardena Avenue and Cerritos Avenue. This will connect iconic areas such as Glendale’s City Hall in the northern portion to its’ regional transportation center located at the southern end of the proposed path, creating a continuous 2.37-mile path. While the path will be closed off to all motorized vehicles, there will be a few partial crossings that will allow portions of traffic to move along crucial intersections. (Exhibit 1 illustrates the proposed route).
Open Streets Events presents a great opportunity to highlight the rich culture, identity, and business prowess of the City of Glendale. It will offer a glimpse into the city's future with the development of LA Metro's BRT and high-speed rail, along with the ongoing implementation of the Bicycle Transportation and Vision Zero Plans.
Vendor Selection Process
The selection of Community Arts Resources (CARS) for the upcoming Open Streets Event in Glendale was based on the CARS’s expertise. There are currently only two vendors specializing in open street events, including CicLAvia, and upon reaching out to them, CicLAvia conveyed that their route schedule for 2024/2025 was already full.
Therefore, staff proposed to collaborate with CARS, which offered the necessary expertise and capacity to undertake the project.
The selection process involved a thorough evaluation of various factors, ensuring that the chosen organization aligned with the project's objectives and possessed the required capabilities. Several key factors contributed to the decision to select CARS:
•Proven Expertise and Leadership: CARS has established itself as an innovator and leader in public space activation and open streets events throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding region. With a portfolio of successful projects, including CicLAvia, Re: Imagine Garden Grove, and COAST, CARS has demonstrated its ability to conceptualize, organize, and execute large-scale community events effectively.
•Vision and Mission Alignment: The concept of open streets aligns closely with CARS' mission and passion since its inception. CARS has been at the forefront of developing open streets events in Southern California and beyond, with a deep understanding of the social, cultural, and environmental benefits that such events bring to communities.
•Experience and Leadership in Open Streets Movement: CARS' team has played a pivotal role in the development of the nation's largest open streets 4 {{section.number}}b
program. They have been instrumental in advocating for open streets initiatives, collaborating with government agencies and community organizations to secure funding and support for such projects.
•Track Record of Success: With a history of producing 24 full-scale open streets events, CARS has demonstrated its capacity to deliver high-quality, impactful events that engage communities and promote active transportation. Their track record of success speaks to their ability to execute projects of similar scope and scale.
•Unique Qualifications and Experience: CARS' extensive experience in producing outdoor programming, community celebrations, and cultural events, as highlighted by their involvement in founding Grand Performances, studying Broadway Theater palaces, and producing opening celebrations for various cultural institutions, sets them apart as uniquely qualified for the project.
Given CARS' unparalleled qualifications and contributions to the open streets’ movement, staff recommends CARS for the 2024 Open Streets Event, recognizing the organization's expertise and commitment to advancing the project's goals.
Vendor Team Experience on Related Projects
The consultant team possesses extensive experience in conceptualizing, organizing, and executing large-scale community events focused on promoting urban mobility, cultural diversity, and community engagement. Their track record includes successful collaborations with various municipalities and organizations, as demonstrated by their involvement in the following projects:
1. CICLAVIA
•Duration: 2009-2016
•Scope: Directed and administered CicLAvia, a series of events inspired by Bogotá's ciclovía, which temporarily closes Los Angeles streets to pedestrians and bicyclists, fostering community interaction and exploration of the city. •Key Responsibilities:
oDirected the inaugural CicLAvia event in 2010, collaborating closely with stakeholders including the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, Department of Transportation, Police Department, and Bureau of Street Services. oProduced and incubated the first 17 CicLAvia events, engaging over 1.2 million participants and opening more than 100 miles of streets to public. oEstablished CicLAvia as an integral part of Los Angeles' cultural landscape, guiding its transformation into an independent nonprofit organization based on the model developed by CARS.
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2. LA PHIL 100: Celebrate LA
•Date: September 30th, 2018
•Scope: Collaborated with CicLAvia to launch the Los Angeles Philharmonic's centennial year with a day-long celebration connecting the Walt Disney Concert Hall to the Hollywood Bowl through a special edition of CicLAvia. •Key Responsibilities:
oPartnered with local innovators to orchestrate a massive extravaganza of music and performance, featuring 1,800 artists across six community music festivals, site-specific installations, and roving performances.
oCoordinated logistics for the culminating free concert at the Hollywood Bowl, attended by Gustavo Dudamel, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and special guests, making it the largest day-of music event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympics.
3. COAST: SANTA MONICA’S OPEN STREETS EVENT
•Date: Inaugural event in 2016, ongoing annually
•Scope: Produced the City of Santa Monica’s Open Streets Event, transforming two miles of city streets into a car-free park for a day, promoting sustainable transportation and community engagement.
•Key Responsibilities:
oCollaborated with Santa Monica's Cultural Affairs Division, Office of Sustainability and the Environment, and Transportation Planning Division to curate live music, performances, art installations, workshops, and other activities for the event.
oFacilitated the integration of COAST as Santa Monica's signature event, drawing over 50,000 participants annually to experience car-free streets and fostering a sense of community and sustainability.
Through their diverse portfolio of projects, the consultant team has demonstrated their expertise in orchestrating impactful, community-centered events that promote active transportation, cultural vibrancy, and civic engagement across the Los Angeles region.
CARS has agreed to a fee of $549,263 for the city’s desire scope of work (Exhibit 2), outcomes, and event schedule.
Project Team
Upon City Council’s approval to execute a contract with CARS, a project team will be formed with representatives from Management Services, Community Development, Public Works, Police, Fire, and Community Services & Parks, to ensure that all related aspects of safety and the event are considered. Robust community outreach will be 6 {{section.number}}b
conducted to ensure that the event is meeting the needs of the community. A stakeholder working group will also be created, including users of the facilities and those who may be impacted by the project, such as hospitals, schools, car dealers, and Forest Lawn.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The scope of work will include extensive community and stakeholder outreach to inform and accommodate business owners and residents in and around the event route area.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Glendale Ave Open Street Event will cost $549,263, which is included in the Community Development FY 2024-25 budget. No new appropriation is being requested at this time. The funding is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$400,000 43110-2160-1010-0020
PL: CDD01299AG
Grant Fund
$118,750 41100-1010-various departments General Fund Staff Time $30,513 43110-2510-CDD-0020
PL: G65005
AQMD Funds
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. §15304) Class 4 exemption applies to minor alterations to land involving, for example, but not limited to, the (e) Minor temporary use of land having negligible or no permanent effects on the environment, including for example, carnivals, sales of Christmas trees, etc.; or, (h) The creation of bicycle lanes on existing rights-of-way. Further, CEQA does not apply to projects where the lead agency determines "with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment." CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15061(b)(3)).
Here, the Glendale Ave Open Street Event is a single day event held on Saturday, May 31, 2025, involving the temporary closure of a continuous 2.37-mile stretch of Glendale Avenue to motorized traffic and allowing temporary use of the area by pedestrians and bicycles only for part of a that day. The closure of Glendale Avenue will stretch from Doran Street to the regional Larry Zarian Transportation Center in south Glendale. The short duration temporary use of Glendale Avenue for this purpose will not have a significant impact on the environment for several reasons; the change is of temporary, and short duration; will not occur on a typical school or work commuter day, and motorized traffic will be able to use parallel streets for circulation.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
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The names and business addresses of the members of the board of directors, the chairperson, CEO, COO, CFO, Subcontractors and any person or entity with more than 10% interest in the company proposed for contract in this Agenda Item Report are attached in Exhibit 4, in accordance with the City Campaign Finance Ordinance No. 5744.
ALTERNATIVES
Alternative 1: Approve the motions to authorize the execution of the Funding Agreement for City of Glendale Open Street event and Professional Service Agreement with Community Arts Resources (CARS) for City of Glendale Open Street event.
Alternative 2: The City Council may consider any other alternative proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Prepared by:
Fred Zohrehvand, Principal Mobility Planner
Arezoo Kamali, Associate Planner
Ismael Carbajal Perez, Associate Planner
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Service Area Map
Exhibit 2: Scope of Work
Exhibit 3: Funding Agreement
Exhibit 4: Campaign Finance Disclosures