The Downtown Mobility Study was adopted by City Council on March 6, 2007 and complements the Downtown Specific Plan approved by City Council in November 2006. The Mobility Study was developed to accommodate expected growth in downtown Glendale, achieving Glendale’s vision of a vibrant multi-use downtown, without significantly increasing auto congestion or impacting quality of life. The Mobility Study provides policies to simultaneously accommodate new growth and enhance mobility downtown.

The Downtown Mobility Study focuses on establishing transit and pedestrian-friendly policies within the Downtown Specific Plan area. The following are the main policy concepts of the Downtown Mobility Study:

• Street Types: Designate street types to primarily serve autos, pedestrians or transit to provide policy guidance on street design and operation. Revise level of service (LOS) criteria based on movement of people versus cars.
• Street Capacity Enhancements: Limit future road widening within the downtown area to auto priority streets as mentioned in the Mobility Study – Central Avenue, Colorado Street and Glendale Avenue.
• Transit Service: Update the Beeline brand and routes with seamless connections between regional and local services, including the incorporation of a downtown circulator (the “Buzz”) to connect from the Glendale Transportation Center (now called “Larry Zarian Transportation Center”) to the proposed East-West MTA Connector in northern Glendale.
• Parking Management: Maximize current parking availability through improved signs and pricing strategies.
• Transportation Demand Management (TDM): Increase awareness of incentives for alternative transportation programs, enhancing and strengthening the existing TDM ordinance.
• Funding and Financing: Create locally-generated financing mechanisms to be channeled into a Downtown Transportation Fund to pay for transit and streetscape improvements. Once local financing is well-established, seek state and federal funding for large-scale transit improvements.

As Principal Urban Designer at the City of Glendale, Alan Loomis was the Project Manager for the Downtown Mobility Study, which was prepared by Nelson/Nygaard.

Awards:

2015 APA / California Implementation Award of Excellence, Large Jurisdiction

2015 APA / Los Angeles Implementation Award of Excellence, Large Jurisdiction

2007 AIA / California Merit Award for Urban Design

2007 APA / California Merit Award for Comprehensive Planning, Large Jurisdiction

2007 SCAG Compass Blueprint President’s Excellence Award

2007 APA / Los Angeles Comprehensive Planning Award, Large Jurisdiction