Council Agenda - City of Burbank

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Agenda Item - 2

 

DATE: September 21, 2004
TO: Mary J. Alvord, City Manager
FROM:

Susan M. Georgino, Community Development Director

By Greg Herrmann, Assistant Community Development Director�Transportation
SUBJECT:

SHUTTLE CONNECTION TO METRO RED LINE STATION

Purpose:         

 

On August 10, 2004, the Council directed staff to proceed with the first step of a �two step� process to determine Council support for having staff explore the feasibility of implementing a transit service between the Media District and the Metro Red Line.  This report describes the existing transit services in this area, conveys Burbank Transportation Management Organization support for a shuttle connection, and reports on the Transit Services Task Force�s discussion of this potential service.  Staff requests direction on whether to proceed with a study of how this connecting service could be implemented.      

 

Existing Transit Services

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority�s (MTA) Metro Red Line is a transit subway that operates between Downtown Los Angeles and North Hollywood.  Trains operate every 10 minutes (�headway�) during peak commute periods, and up to 20 minutes apart during off-peak periods.  In the San Fernando Valley, the Universal City station is located on the west side of Lankershim Blvd. where it passes beneath the Hollywood Freeway, and the North Hollywood station is located on the east side of Lankershim Blvd. at Chandler Blvd. 

 

Five of the MTA transit lines that operate within Burbank make connections with one or both of the Red Line stations.  As shown in the following table, two MTA bus lines connect the Universal station to the Media District, and to other Burbank destinations.  No lines provide direct connections between the N. Hollywood stations and the Media District.  The headways for the two lines that serve the Universal station vary between 35 and 60 minutes during commute periods.

 

Burbank Transportation Management Organization (TMO)

 

TMO Director, Judith Johnston-Weston, has indicated her support of a Red Line-Media District shuttle connection to supplement MTA bus service for commuting employees of TMO member companies.  She plans to distribute surveys to her members this month to determine demand, and expects to have the results by mid-October.  In preliminary discussions with TMO member companies, Ms. Johnston-Weston has stressed that if the shuttle is implemented, it would be as a �pilot� program dependent upon sufficient ridership and funding. 

 

Transit Services Task Force

 

The Council appointed the Task Force to study existing transit services within the City and to develop a recommendation for expanding local services.  The group has met four times, the most recent being on September 8th.  At that meeting, the Task Force reviewed existing Red Line bus connections, and discussed the potential for providing service to either of the two Red Line stations.

 

The Task Force supports in concept the implementation of a local shuttle service between the Red Line and Media District, and has reviewed various route options from both stations.  At this point, prior to any cost and feasibility analyses being done on alternative routes, the Task Force suggests that the N. Hollywood station may be the preferable connection.  This station would theoretically allow the shuttle to make stops through the Magnolia Park area in route to the Media District, and it would also connect to the Orange Line East-West Busway when it begins operations next year.      

 

Recommendation

 

Direct staff on whether to proceed with a feasibility study for implementing a transit service connection between the Media District and the Metro Red Line.

 

 

 

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