Green Streets...What are they?

Green Streets...what are they and where can I find one?

Join us on Saturday, October 17th in front of the Glendale Central Library for the Harvard/Louise Green Streets Expo to get a behind the scenes look at what goes into planning a green streets project.

City staff will unveil plans and answer questions about the City's first Green Streets project during this free community festival featuring:

• Fun for the Whole Family
• Live Entertainment
• The Kogi and Coolhaus Food Trucks
• Chalk Art
• The "Glendale Rocks" Climbing Wall
• Prizes and Giveaways

EVENT DETAILS

What is the Greens Streets Demo Project?

The project is located along Harvard Street between Brand Boulevard and Isabel Street, and on Louise Street between Maple Avenue and Wilson Avenue in Downtown Glendale. It features greening and pedestrian safety improvements that include curb extensions, bioswales, mid-block crossings, sharrows or bike lanes and additional landscaping to the project area. 

The project will encourage people to walk and bike to Downtown Glendale destinations such as the Central Library, Adult recreation Center , Americana at Brand, Glendale Galleria, Central Park, the future Museum of Neon Art, Glendale High School and the YMCA. Overall , the project offers increased safety for all modes of transportation.

The Green Streets Demonstration Project is funded through a $997,900 Proposition 84, Urban Greening Grant.

City Receives $2.1 Million in Pedestrian/Bike Safety Grants

The City of Glendale was awarded two State Department of Transportation grants which will transform the way pedestrian safety is addressed in the City. The Active Transportation Program grants totaling $2.1 million will help the City implement recommended improvements outlined in various city plans including the Safe & Healthy Streets Plan, Downtown Mobility Study, Downtown Specific Plan and the Greener Glendale Plan. These grants will allow for the creation of comprehensive policies and infrastructure to improve pedestrian safety in a coordinated and centralized effort. 

Citywide Pedestrian Plan - $500K 
Funds will be used to create a comprehensive plan, identify viable bicycle and pedestrian corridors, assess intersections with high pedestrian/bicycle accident rates and target improvements at specific intersections.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Improvements Project - $1.6 million
Funds will be used to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure along heavily traveled routes to the following schools:
• Hoover High School
• Toll Middle School
• Keppel Elementary School, and
• Along East Chevy Chase Dr. which connects six schools in southern Glendale to the Adams Square Park, Library and Business District.

SRTS Improvements will include enhanced accessibility and ADA compliance, repairs to damaged infrastructure and will provide trees and bicycle lanes or sharrows.

Safety for pedestrians and bicyclists is one of the City’s highest priorities. These grants will allow for a comprehensive approach to improving conditions by dedicating staff resources, implementing proactive community outreach efforts, updating policy and improving physical infrastructure. 

Green Streets Demonstration Project

                 Southwest corner of Harvard St. and Louise St.

Plans are underway to construct the City’s first Green Streets Demonstration Project. This environmentally friendly project will take place on approximately 1.1 miles of roadway on Harvard Street between Brand Boulevard and Isabel Street, and on Louise Street between Maple Avenue and Wilson Avenue in downtown Glendale. It will provide a safe and inviting pathway to encourage walking and biking to the Central Library, Adult Recreation Center, YMCA, Americana at Brand, Glendale Galleria and the future Museum of Neon Art. Plans are to expand this pilot project into a city-wide network of greenways as discussed in the City’s adopted Bicycle Transportation Plan.

The major features of this project include:

• Curb extensions with bioswales
  Curb extensions are an effective pedestrian safety tool. They shorten the distance a pedestrians must walk to cross an intersection and make pedestrians waiting to cross the street more visible to oncoming traffic. Additionally curb extensions create a traffic calming effect on busy streets. Bioswales and curb extensions often go hand in hand. Bioswales are landscape elements, created in order to clear away silt and pollution from surface runoff water. 

APA Recognizes Glendale’s Community Development Department

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the City of Glendale and the Community Development Department (CDD) with several awards at their annual Awards Gala on June 12, 2012 at the Historic Los Angeles Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. These awards set the City of Glendale apart from other municipalities for its overall excellence and innovative approach to community development.

Distinguished Leadership Award  – [Public] Agency for 2014

Recognizes CDD as a leader in its field. The main distinguishing factor is the Department’s multiple divisions’ ability to continue to perform at an outstanding level, with internal consistency and collaboration between the divisions, in the face of the recession, loss of Redevelopment funding, major staff cuts and increasing workload.