Purpose

Caltrans is requesting that the City of Burbank enter into a new Freeway Agreement for State Route 134 (Ventura Freeway).  This updated agreement reflects the changes in access to the facility with the construction of the new westbound ramps at Hollywood Way.  The new agreement also includes a reference to the previously executed Cooperative Agreement between the City and Caltrans pertaining to the new ramp construction.  State law requires that the City Council hold a public hearing prior to entering into a Freeway Agreement.

Background

Caltrans requires that all local agencies traversed by a freeway enter into a Freeway Agreement with the State of California defining the freeway and it�s relation to the local street network.  In 1957, the City of Burbank and the State of California Department of Public Works, Division of Highways (now Caltrans) entered into a Freeway Agreement for portions of the Ventura Freeway that lie within the city limits.  The agreement discusses and maps the freeway and its connections to local streets via ramps, overpasses, and underpasses.  The agreement also describes the road segments that were to be relocated or closed as a result of the freeway construction.  Finally, the agreement also states which agency would be responsible for right of way and construction costs related to freeway construction and specifies that the State of California was to be responsible for providing connections to local streets and construction of relocated streets.

The original 1957 Freeway Agreement was ratified by Burbank City Council through resolution and was later amended by two additional resolutions in 1959 and 1960.  These subsequent resolutions did not change the language of the agreement but did specify geometry changes related to the then-proposed freeway and affected local streets.  These were reflected in updates to the original 1957 map attached to the Freeway Agreement.  This agreement and the amended map reflect the current state of the Ventura Freeway as it passes through the City.

Updated Agreement

The primary component of the SR 134 / Hollywood Way ramp project will be the addition of an additional westbound onramp to the freeway adjacent to the recently reconstructed offramp.  Because this ramp adds a new connection between the Burbank street network and the freeway, the Freeway Agreement with Caltrans for SR 134 needs to be updated to reflect this new access.  Caltrans has drafted a proposed Freeway Agreement to supercede the existing 1957 Agreement.  This new agreement and accompanying map notes the new, relocated offramp and adjacent onramp.  It also notes additional city streets that are modified as a result of the new ramps.  In this case the only additional change to the local street network is the termination of a small alley connecting to Avon Street directly adjacent to the relocated offramp.

The new Freeway Agreement proposes no other significant alterations to the language contained in the original 1957 Agreement except to make reference to Cooperative Agreement No. 07-4526 between Caltrans and the City of Burbank.  The original Freeway Agreement states that Caltrans is responsible for all right of way and construction costs required to construct the freeway and relocated city streets.  The new Freeway Agreement reaffirms this responsibility but notes those portions of the new ramps that will be the responsibility of the City.  These costs, previously stated in the Cooperative Agreement, are reiterated in the new Freeway Agreement and include the relocated offramp construction costs (which has already been completed) and right of way necessary for the new onramp, which consists of City property to be ceded to Caltrans at the commencement of onramp construction.

Summary and Analysis

The revised Freeway Agreement for SR 134 is necessary to commence with Caltrans onramp construction for the new westbound ramp at Hollywood Way.  The new agreement adds to the original agreement the new ramp access and minor changes to the local street network resulting from the 134 Ramp Project.  It makes no substantial changes to the language of the original 1957 Freeway Agreement except to note ramp construction and right of way costs that the City is responsible for and has already agreed to through the previously executed Cooperative Agreement.  Other than this change, it does not alter the rights or responsibilities contained in the original Freeway Agreement.

Fiscal Impact

There is no additional fiscal impact to the City of Burbank for entering into the revised Freeway Agreement.  The costs of construction to be borne by the City of Burbank are those already outlined in the executed Cooperative Agreement with Caltrans.

Recommendation

Staff recommends that Council adopt the proposed resolution authorizing staff to enter into the revised Freeway Agreement with Caltrans for State Route 134.

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