By Brian CHERNICK

Glendale City Council marked its first meeting of 2017, and first in nearly a month, with a Transportation and Mobility Summit. Council members were joined by a panel of LA transportation representatives to discuss a more unified view of the city’s public transportation future.

The panel, including Stephanie Wiggins of Metro, Roderick Diaz of Metrolink, Michelle Boehm of California High-Speed Rail Authority and Lillian Burkenheim Silver of Eco-Rapid Transit, met at the Dignity Health – Glendale Memorial Hospital & Health Center as part of the city council’s series on Council In Your City.

The meeting revolved around discussion of developing and refining a unified vision for South Glendale’s public transit system. The city council, along with other departments of LA transit, seeks to integrate previous efforts into a singular plan and to steer both transit and housing development plans through 2040.

The passage of Measure M last November, which instituted a half-cent sales tax increase to combat congestion on city streets and freeways, has council members gearing up to utilize the incoming revenue.

Already the council anticipates allocating an estimated $24-$35 million toward a streetcar system that would travel Brand Boulevard from the Glendale Transportation Center in Tropico up to the 134 Freeway and proceed northwest along Glenoaks Boulevard ending at the Burbank Airport.

Other proposals for expanding public transit include an extension of the Gold Line light rail along the 134 Freeway, additional Metro Rapid Transit lines east of downtown and additional Metrolink stops along the southwestern area of the city.

A larger project discussed was the development of the Eco-Rapid Transit that is planned to traverse the area from Artesia to the Burbank Airport. The line from Artesia to downtown’s Union Station is slated to be completed in 2029, with the second portion, Union Station to Burbank Airport, wrapping up around 2041.

A common refrain from the council and panel during the meeting was a reminder that the grand vision of a seamlessly integrated and interconnected transit system in Glendale is still years away but the necessity was stressed to plan accordingly and strategically.

After fielding a comment from the audience regarding affordable housing, City Manager Scott Ochoa reminded the council of the balance it must strike and carefully plan to ensure that affordable housing and transit work in tandem.

  Brian CHERNICK