Metro’s NoHo to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit Corridor (BRT) will bring real positive change to Burbank.
Despite claims of potential negative impacts, the BRT is, in fact, a safe, efficient and environmentally positive transit option that will also serve as a catalyst to improving Burbank’s transit infrastructure.
As a Burbank resident who drives, bikes and walks in our city, I know our streets can be very dangerous. The BRT will make our streets safer by creating a new bicycle lane along Olive Avenue, a street that currently offers no bicycle protections. The BRT lanes will also be open to emergency response vehicles, potentially improving response times. Additionally, these lanes will direct left turns to signalized intersections, decreasing possible spillover traffic from entering residential neighborhoods.
The BRT will also make rebuilding the Olive Avenue Bridge possible. Built in 1958, this bridge is seismically deficient, unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists, and offers a poor connection to the Metro station. While Burbank has identified this bridge as needing an upgrade, funding has not been available. The BRT changes the dynamics of the situation, positioning the bridge as an important regional transit hub, which will attract state and federal funding.
The City Council will discuss the BRT at its March 26 meeting. Please join me in supporting BRT for Burbank.
Eddy Polon
Burbank Transportation Commissioner
Burbank
First published in the March 9 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
