CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Presentation of the Draft Mobility Element during the Public Comment Period 1) Motion accepting the presentation of the Draft Mobility Element.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Report Only
Approved for October 21, 2025 Calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Following presentations to City Council last year, the comprehensive update to the Mobility (previously named Circulation) Element has been completed. The Draft Element was released for public comment on September 3, 2025.
Staff will provide an overview of the Draft Element during this presentation. This serves as an additional opportunity for both the Council and the public to become better informed and to offer feedback during the Public Comment Period.
The City is also issuing a 30-day notice ahead of the close of the comment period for both the Draft Land Use and Mobility Elements. Comments on both Elements are due by November 21, 2025.
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the presentation on the Draft Mobility Element and provide any relevant comments.
ANALYSIS
The Mobility Element, last comprehensively updated in 1998, is one of three elements being updated or developed as part of a multi-year update to Glendale’s General Plan (“Project”). This Project, led by the City’s consultant, De Novo Planning Group (Amanda Tropiano, Principal, Project Manager), also includes the recalibration of the City’s transportation model to comply with Senate Bill (SB) 743 as well as the development of a Transportation Impact Mitigation Fee. SB 743 replaces the traditional Level of Service (LOS) congestion metric (movement of vehicles along streets and through intersections rated as A, B, C, D , E and F) with Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) (impact of the distance 2 6
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2 vehicles travel) for environmental review per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); this new VMT metric is intended to promote sustainable transportation, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and encourage infill development.
The Transportation Impact Mitigation Fee is a charge imposed on new developments to offset the additional demand they place on the transportation system. This undertaking is intended to update these Glendale’s General Plan Elements to align with state requirements, and reinforce the City’s commitment to sustainability, multi-modal mobility, and responsible growth management.
Following General Plan Elements’ status updates to City Council on January 30th and July 30th of last year, the Draft Land Use Element proposed amendments to the Land Use Element Map, and the new Environmental Justice Element were completed and released for public comment on June 30, 2025. Staff presented the Draft Land Use and Environmental Justice Elements to City Council on July 15, 2025. In response to strong public interest and requests for greater engagement, the City conducted extensive additional outreach on the Draft Land Use Element and extended its comment period indefinitely. The comment period was also extended to coincide with review of the Draft Mobility Element, which was to be released shortly thereafter, thereby allowing the public to consider and provide feedback on both Elements together. The comment period for the Draft Environmental Justice Element closed on July 29, 2025.
The Draft Mobility Element was released for public comment on September 3, 2025, and is attached to this staff report as Exhibit 1. The Draft Mobility Element, as well as the Draft Land Use and Environmental Justice Elements, are available online on the City’s General Plan website and at GlendalePlan.com.
DRAFT MOBILITY ELEMENT
The Draft Mobility Element reflects a coordinated, interdepartmental effort to guide the future of Glendale’s multi-modal transportation system. Led by the Community Development Department, this Element was developed in close collaboration with the Public Works, Police, Fire, and Community Services & Parks Departments to ensure alignment across City policies, plans, and priorities.
The Element is proposed to be renamed from the Circulation Element to the Mobility Element to better encompass the various modes of travel through Glendale and includes the following objectives:
• Streamline policy direction to address “complete streets”, walking and bicycling, transit, carpooling, traffic demand, environmental health and air quality, parking, and goods movement
• Prepare new “complete streets” layered network maps (identifying pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and auto streets)
• Identify necessary network improvements
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2 • Identify long-term roadway vehicular classifications • Identify routes for emergency evacuation and goods movement • Comply with the requirements of the California Government Code • Integrate graphics, tables, and maps to create a user-friendly document The updated Mobility Element ensures that Glendale’s transportation system is planned and managed to support broader City objectives around safety, sustainability, equity, and efficiency. It also aligns with ongoing land use and housing planning efforts and complies with relevant state mandates, including SB 743 and AB 98.
Additionally, the Draft Mobility Element builds on the City’s transportation planning efforts such as the existing Bicycle Transportation Plan, the Citywide Pedestrian Plan, and the upcoming Roadway Design Policy. It also provides for coordination with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), which serves as the coordinating agency for transportation funding for Los Angeles County and strives to help plan a better street environment for all types of users, as reflected in the LA Metro Complete Streets Policy.
Goals, Policies, Actions, and Structure of the Glendale Mobility Element The updated Element is organized into seven thematic sections, each featuring clearly defined goals, supported by policies and implementation actions that translate strategic objectives into tangible steps. Together, they provide a comprehensive and integrated framework for improving mobility citywide while advancing long-term community goals.
This framework is intended to guide decision-making regarding the City’s multimodal transportation system, covering roadways, public transit, parking, goods movement, and various travel modes – cars, bicycles, pedestrians, rail, and emerging options such as micromobility.
Below is a summary of the goals, policies, and actions developed in the Draft Mobility Element (Exhibit 1):
Goal M-1 Complete Streets (Pages M-5 - M-13, Map Figure M-1) Objective: A network of aesthetically pleasing complete streets that is sustainable, safe, and accessible for all users.
Policies: Promote complete street design standards, prioritize safety, discourage cut-through traffic, and integrate multimodal improvements. Actions: Create a citywide network of multimodal streets, implement new roadway design standards that support complete streets, and update the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program.
This section reframes Glendale’s mobility network to focus on people throughput rather than vehicle capacity, aligning with sustainability and Vision Zero goals. 4 6
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2 Goal M-2 Active Transportation: Walking and Bicycling (Pages M-13 - M-14, Map Figures M-2 & M-3)
Objective: A safe and comfortable walking, bicycling, and rolling environment that provides access to community destinations for users of all ages and abilities. Policies: Expand bikeways, improve sidewalks, coordinate with regional partners, and enhance ADA compliance.
Actions: Implement Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan improvements, require new developments to provide walking/biking connections, and prioritize filling ADA network gaps.
This section promotes walking and cycling as safe, convenient and everyday modes of travel that support and complement land use and housing growth.
Goal M-3 Public Transit, Ridesharing, and Carpooling (pages M-15 - M-16, Map Figure M-4)
Objective: Maximized use of existing and future investments in public transit, ridesharing, and other alternative travel modes with increased ridership and decreased private automobile use.
Policies: Prioritize transit service and amenities in high demand areas, encourage transit-oriented development (TOD), and expand ridesharing and microtransit.
Actions: Partner with Metro and Beeline to implement transit-priority treatments, improve first/last mile connections, and develop mobility hubs such as the Larry Zarian Transportation Center and planned BRT stations.
This section ties shared mobility and transportation options directly to Glendale’s land use strategies by supporting housing and employment near high-quality transit.
Goal M-4 Existing and Future Local and Regional Traffic Demand (Pages M-17 - M- 18, Map Figures 5a & 5b and Figures 6a & 6b)
Objective: Safe and efficient accommodation of local and regional traffic demand along the City’s street network, including optimization of existing infrastructure.
Policies: Maintain connectivity to freeways, use Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and plan for new technologies such as autonomous vehicles. Actions: Monitor traffic flows, require development projects to analyze impacts, and balance growth with sustainable mobility.
This section shows how Glendale is modernizing mobility management to comply with SB 743 while still addressing daily operational needs.
Goal M-5 Environmental Health and Air Quality (Page M-19) Objective: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet state and regional climate goals.
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2 Policies: Promote alternative fuels and EV charging, require Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, and encourage land uses that reduce the number and length of vehicular trips.
Actions: Update the City’s TDM ordinance, integrate VMT analysis into CEQA review, and expand low-emission vehicle infrastructure.
This section ensures mobility planning directly supports environmental sustainability and public health.
Goal M-6 Parking (Pages M-20 – M-21)
Objective: Effective supply and management of vehicle parking with minimized spillover to the local community.
Policies: Require adequate off-street parking, maximize efficiency of existing supply, and engage communities in decisions.
Actions: Implement additional residential parking permits for areas impacted by adjacent commercial uses, explore carshare parking, review minimum parking requirements, and create a citywide parking management strategy.
This section shifts Glendale’s approach from expanding parking supply to actively managing parking demand.
Goal M-7 Goods Movement (Page M-22)
Objective: Local and regional goods movement facilities that minimize effects on other modes and the local community character.
Policies: Restrict truck traffic on local residential streets, encourage use of freeways, and monitor evolving freight technologies.
Actions: Maintain a designated truck route network, update it as land use changes, and plan for increased e-commerce curbside demands.
This section directly responds to AB 98 (2024 Statewide legislation for logistics facilities - warehouses, which requires local governments to update their General Plan Circulation Elements to include designated truck routes, updated by SB 415 on October 3, 2025), ensuring truck routes avoid sensitive populations and residential areas.
Street Classifications – Mobility Element
One of the key updates in the Draft Mobility Element is the introduction of multimodal priority street framework designed to create a connected network for vehicles, transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Implementation of this framework includes new roadway classifications and a new Multimodal Street Classifications map (see Action M-1a on pages M-6 - M-9, Table M-1 Street Classification Summary on pages M-10 - M-11, and Map Figure M-1 Multimodal Street Classifications). Below is a summary of the City’s multimodal network street classifications and sub-classifications. The summaries clearly identify the parameters for each street classification and key features to be assessed when applying the City’s upcoming Roadway Design Policy (Policy M-1h):
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2 Major Mobility Thoroughfares
These serve as the backbone of Glendale’s multimodal transportation network, accommodating the largest volumes of people, vehicles, and goods, and linking freeways, highways, activity centers, and collector streets. They generally feature four to six travel lanes, daily vehicle volume capacities up to 36,800 (four lanes) or 55,300 (six lanes) and speeds up to 40 mph with acceptable operational volumes of 32,000 (four lanes) and 48,350 (six lanes). Possible facilities on Major Mobility Thoroughfares include on-street parking, bike facilities, bus stops, and buffered sidewalks. Sub- Classifications are:
Bicycle Priority Thoroughfares: Reallocate lanes/parking for buffered or separated bike lanes; speeds limited to 30 mph.
Transit Priority Thoroughfares: Provide bus-only lanes and transit priority treatments; speeds up to 35 mph.
Bicycle and Transit Priority Thoroughfares: Balance high-quality bike and transit facilities with reallocated curb space.
Collector Streets
These connect neighborhoods to local destinations and higher-capacity thoroughfares.
They generally feature two lanes, daily volume capacities up to 12,200 without center turn lane, or 18,300 with center turn lane, and 30 mph speeds with acceptable operational volumes of 10,675 (without center turn lane) or 16,000 (with center left-turn lane). Facilities include bike routes, sidewalks, and bus stops. Collector streets can be adapted through traffic calming or priority sub-classifications:
Bicycle Priority Collectors: Bike boulevards or dedicated lanes with narrowed travel lanes; speeds reduced to 25 mph.
Transit Priority Collectors: Allocate curb lanes for enhanced bus stops and transit priority treatments.
Local Streets
Comprising the largest share of Glendale’s network, these residential streets support very short trips and connect directly to housing. They typically have two lanes, daily volume capacities up to 2,500, and maximum speeds of 25 mph with acceptable operational volumes of 2,185 vehicles per day. Facilities may include on-street parking, bike routes with sharrows, and sidewalks. Traffic calming is emphasized to discourage cut-through traffic.
Signature Streets
An overlay classification applied to select corridors with distinctive retail, dining, or community character. These streets receive unique design treatments, pedestrian- focused facilities, and branding elements consistent with their local context. 7 6
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2 Transportation and Parking Commission Review
The Draft Mobility Element was presented to the Transportation and Parking Commission (TPC) for review and comment at a special meeting on September 15, as an informational item only.
The Commission and public provided a number of comments and suggested edits (the ones starred * will be addressed in the next Mobility Element draft):
Add a table summarizing relevant applicable City policy documents and state legislation, providing an easy-to-read cross-referenced overview** Update Table M-1 Street Classification Summary:
oMajor Mobility Thoroughfares cell under Bicycle Facilities should read “Bike Facilities” and not “Bike lanes”.* Action M-1a to be updated for consistency. oComments: Identified lane widths may be too prescriptive, for example 10- 14’ center turn lanes may be too wide. Consider eliminating dimensions altogether and allow Public Works Traffic Engineering to review future street improvements to determine appropriate lane widths or add a disclaimer that lane/improvement widths are minimums if dimensions are to be kept. * Clarify Action M-1h - Add the word “proposed” before City’s Roadway Design Policy to clarify that the Roadway Design Plan (RDP) is not yet adopted.* This will be done if the RDP is not adopted by the time the next draft is circulated. Clarify Policy M-2.2 Bike Network – Clarify that the City’s current Bicycle Transportation Plan (BTP) from 2012 applies.* If and when the BTP is updated, the Mobility Element may need to be amended to reflect the newly adopted BTP policies and map.
Update Policy M-4.3 New Vehicle Technologies - Consider adding drone taxis in addition to autonomous vehicles.
Update Policy M-4.5 Emergency Vehicle Access and Action M-4c – Discuss not only emergency response routes as shown in Goal M-7 but also note evacuation scenarios and other emergency response programs in alignment with Safety Element Goal S-4 Fire Hazard and Goal S-9 Disaster Preparedness, Recovery and Emergency Response*
Update Action M-5a - Add reference for recently adopted Climate Action Adaptation Plan.*
Review the level of detail in Goal M-1 Complete Streets in comparison to the other goals; to improve consistency and clarity, staff recommends separating the street classifications into a standalone section.
Minor updates and edits aside, key takeaways from the TPC meeting also included:
Significant concern regarding the level of public outreach. Draft Mobility Element currently too technical to be easily understood by the general public (comment from public speakers).
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2 Response to Public Comment & Outreach Comments:
The extensive public outreach efforts are detailed in the next section, Stakeholders & Outreach. To date, almost 1,000 comments have been received on the three draft elements since the release of the Land Use and Environmental Justice Elements on June 30th. Most of these comments focus on the proposed Land Use Element. In comparison, relatively few written comments have been submitted on the Draft Mobility Element (see details in next section below). Since the beginning of September, the rate of comment submission has slowed, with only 70 comments received since then. Staff will continue with additional public outreach efforts planned for the future to promote the Draft Mobility Element and its review and comment period.
Response to Document’s Accessibility Comments:
The Mobility Element is a technical planning document subject to state regulations and transportation planning requirements. The next draft will incorporate visual tools, such as graphics, infographics, and/or images, to enhance accessibility, user-friendliness, and clarity for the general public, while maintaining consistency with state regulations and transportation planning requirements. Such visuals in the Final Mobility Element are intended to provide a clearer understanding of key concepts, infrastructure improvements and policy directives.
PUBLIC COMMENT SUBMITTAL
As of October 8th, staff has received a total of 16 comments regarding the Draft Mobility Element. Several of these comments address the relationship between the Mobility Element and the Land Use Element.
Concerns include:
Consistency of the Mobility Element with other plans
Impacts of increased density on traffic flow and emergency response Effects of repurposing traffic lanes for multimodal facilities Support includes:
Expanding transit service and infrastructure
Enhancing pedestrian infrastructure and safety, such as installing missing sidewalks and longer crossing intervals
Implementing strategies to reduce speeding
The public comment period is still open and comments on the Draft Land Use and Mobility Elements may be submitted through any of the following methods:
• Online: Complete the form at: https://tinyurl.com/GlendalePlanComment • Email: Send comments to [email protected] or
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2 Mail or In-Person Delivery: Address to
Long Range Planning Section / General Plan Comments
633 E. Broadway, Room 103
Glendale, CA 91206.
Community feedback gathered during the public comment period will guide staff in shaping final recommendations to the City Council.
The comment period for both Elements will be closing on November 21, 2025, thirty days after the Council meeting.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
An extensive public outreach campaign to gather public input is underway as part of the comprehensive update of the Land Use and Mobility Elements. Outreach efforts have included a mix of online engagement, community events, and targeted activities, such as scheduled meetings with individual stakeholder groups, notices on the City’s main website, email update blasts to GlendalePlan subscribers, and providing the public with the list of “Get Involved” opportunities. Ways to provide feedback, a subscriber sign-up feature, and notices for all public meetings are listed on the City’s GlendalePlan.com website.
Planning staff have actively engaged with the community by hosting booths, providing presentations and attending meetings to answer questions and collect feedback. Key activities include:
Community events: Cruise Night (7/19), National Night Out (8/5), Women’s Equality Day at the Alex Theater (9/10), Montrose Oktoberfest (10/4), Fremont Park Grand Re-opening (10/11), GPD Open House and Touch-A-Truck Event (10/18)
Meetings with HOA and POA Boards: including Rossmoyne Mountain (8/6), Verdugo Woodlands West (8/7), Northwest Glendale (8/11), Royal Canyon (8/13), Crescenta Valley (8/28), Royal Canyon/Rossmoyne Mountain (9/20), etc. Meetings with business associations: Montrose Shopping Park (four meetings – 8/7, 9/13, 9/17, 9/23), Northeast Regional Roundtable – Building Owners and Managers Association (8/4), and Glendale Association of Realtors (9/4) Additional Outreach: Attendance and flyer handouts at Montrose Harvest Market (9/7), LA Riverwalk Workday (9/13, 10/11), Walk to School Day (10/1), Coffee with a Cop Day (10/1)
Planning staff will also be hosting public outreach booth and collecting public comments at the upcoming Annual Fall Festival at Pacific Park on October 25th. 10 6
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2 The Mobility Element’s Public Review Comment Period was widely promoted via:
City press release and subsequent publication in the paper Email blasts to all GlendalePlan.com subscribers and Planning contact list (including all neighborhood associations),
Posts on CDD’s and the City’s social media platforms,
Announcements on GlendalePlan.com, the City’s main website (banner) and GTV
Distributions via PeachJar to all Glendale Unified School District subscribers (24,914 recipients, including parents, teachers and GUSD staff) At every event and meeting, as well as in each flyer and announcement, the public has been encouraged to subscribe to GlenalePlan.com to receive updates and outreach opportunities. Staff have also continued sending email blasts encouraging public comments following the initial announcement, along with notices for the October 21st Special City Council meeting presentation.
As previously noted, the official Public Comment Period for the Draft Land Use and Mobility Elements is scheduled to close November 21st, though comments may be submitted after that date as well.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Staff will return to Council in the future to discuss further impacts associated with a potential Transportation Impact Fee.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
No environmental review is required at this time.
In accordance with State and Local CEQA Guidelines, environmental review is being conducted as part of the Project; the Final Drafts of the Elements are being evaluated in a Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Draft Program EIR will be circulated for public comment in early 2026.
The Final Draft of the Mobility Element, along with the Final Program EIR and technical background reports, including the Transportation Impact Analysis, will be presented to the Planning Commission and Transportation and Parking Commission for review and recommendation to City Council, and ultimately to the Council for adoption, along with the Draft Land Use and Environmental Justice Elements later in 2026.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements. 11 6
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2 ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. City Council may comment on the Draft Mobility Element.
2. The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Bradley Calvert, AICP, Director of Community Development Prepared by:
Vilia Zemaitaitis, AICP, Deputy Director of Long Range Planning Fred Zohrehvand, Principal Planner/Mobility Division
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Mobility Element