By Brian CHERNICK

Glendale City Council started off its first meeting of the New Year with a number of street, freeway and bike path improvements planned for 2018 and beyond.

Absent one member, Vrej Agajanian, the council moved quickly and unanimously to award a more than $1.3 million contract to All American Asphalt for the Western Avenue and Riverside Drive rehabilitation project.

Expected to start in March and finish by June, the project will transform Riverside Drive between Victory Boulevard and Chavez Street and Western Avenue between Victory Boulevard and Rancho Avenue by significant repaving of streets, constructing new sidewalks and repairing old sidewalks and curbs, replacing traffic strips and modifying the traffic signal system at the intersection of Riverside and Chavez.

During community outreach in November options of installing a sidewalk along Western and Riverside were presented to residents. These streets will remain without sidewalks per the community’s request. Due to the project’s reach into Burbank, the city will be reimbursing Glendale $100,000 for the improvements within its limits.

The council also approved new projects and modifications to existing projects that are expected to be funded by Measure R revenue. One of these major projects is the $4.5 million 210 Sound Wall Project that has been pushed to 2018-19 fiscal year. The sound walls are intended to dampen traffic noises and reduce noise pollution along the Foothill (210) Freeway. Other projects slated for the 2018 fiscal year are the addition of signals and widening of ramps on the Glendale (2) Freeway and additional citywide pedestrian safety improvement analysis.

Measure R passed by two-thirds majority in November 2008 and imposed a half-cent sales tax in Los Angeles County to combat traffic congestion and improve transportation over 30 years. Glendale’s share of Measure R funds has reached approximately $37.1 million over the last decade with 12 projects currently completed, 10 in progress and nine new projects planned.

  Brian CHERNICK