Gary Moskowitz
MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- To alleviate potential danger to a large flow
of pedestrians on 3rd Street in Burbank, parking areas along the street
-- which fronts Burbank High School -- have been modified.
But Leslee De Roos, principal of Burbank High, is concerned that
parents who drive their children to school are still dropping their
children off and picking them up in the highly congested area.
"It is a problem, because too many parents are dropping their children
off on 3rd Street illegally, and people have been ticketed," De Roos
said. "If you are used to one thing, you don't always notice a change.
But this is a definite safety issue."
In April, Burbank Unified School District officials expressed concern
about the number of pedestrians crossing 3rd Street between Burbank
Boulevard and Delaware Road, citing lack of crossing protection and
reduced visibility caused by angled parking.
Burbank's Public Works Department had the angled parking spaces on the
west side of 3rd Street changed to parallel spaces and traffic lanes
widened to 17 feet, which reduced the number of parking spaces but
increased visibility on the street.
De Roos said parents should be dropping their children off on Glenoaks
Boulevard, between Harvard and Delaware roads.
Mike Moss, spokesman for the city of Burbank's traffic division, said
no pedestrian accidents have been reported along 3rd Street, but the
potential for danger was sufficient enough to take action.
Ongoing construction at Burbank High also has students and faculty who
drive to school parking farther away from campus than normal.
"We'll all be in better shape [from walking to campus] by the time
construction is finished," joked De Roos.
