Residents of Glendale’s Rancho district have asked the city for traffic calming measures and bike lanes to alleviate rush-hour cut-through traffic on Sonora Avenue, but Public Works has a long list of infrastructure projects ahead of it, including a railroad crossing upgrade at Sonora, Disney campus issues, and upcoming work on Verdugo.
Glendale Rancho Homeowners Association President Joanne Hedge says Public Works Director Steve Zurn invited residents to meet with him and his staff to share a “wish list” of improvements. A street median, more crosswalks, bike lanes, and a “road diet” are all measures Hedge advocates to bridge the wide divide Sonora now creates in the neighborhood.
In October, Hedge urged senior city staff, the City Council, and Disney’s Ed Chuchla (VP Real Estate) and Adam Gilbert (campus community liaison) to push for Caltrans changes to the S-134 eastbound San Fernando off ramp signage that would encourage commuters to use the new Fairmont flyover/Flower Street route instead of their familiar Victory Blvd. exit.
Wisely deciding not to wait for Caltrans action, Hedge also asked the Disney officials to remind employees on a quarterly basis to bypass the Victory off ramp and use the flyover to Flower Street instead. “Bottom line: This would go a long way toward traffic calming Sonora Avenue at very little expense till more ambitious plans materialize later,” she wrote in an email.