Projects should get the OK

CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve a pair of resolutions authorizing agreements with the state to fund construction of federal stimulus projects along Magnolia Boulevard and Buena Vista Street.

The city’s share of the $2.57 billion in federal stimulus money dedicated to state highway transportation projects is $3.2 million.

Burbank applied for funding on four transportation projects, including traffic signal communications and upgrades to four fixed-time signals on Magnolia Boulevard; sidewalk safety enhancements and installation of pedestrian ramps in southeastern stretches of the city; highway-grade crossing improvements across Buena Vista Street at Vanowen Street enabling a “quiet zone” and highway improvements to Buena Vista Street between San Fernando Boulevard; and the northbound on-ramp to the Golden State (5) Freeway, said Principal Traffic Engineer Rabie Rahmani.

The latter project includes a widening of Buena Vista Street, traffic signal improvements at Buena Vista Street and Winona Avenue and southbound pre-signals at the rail crossing. It is expected to begin in December and last eight months.

Engineers estimate construction costs to top $1 million. Project funding will be fronted by the city, with officials submitting invoices to the California Department of Transportation monthly to cover the costs of later construction stages, said Public Words Director Bonnie Teaford.

Burbank is expected to be reimbursed for the total cost of the project.

“Some of these projects have been funded in the past,” Rahmani said. “In some situations we had less money than what the project would be.”

An anticipated excess of $500,000 to $600,000 will be allocated to a rail-highway crossing project, he said.

The upgrade to four fixed-time signals — the first of the projects to meet all state requirements for construction — is projected to cost $550,000, with $618,000 available to modify signals at Buena Vista Street at Clark Avenue, Thornton Avenue, Verdugo Avenue and Hollywood Way at Verdugo Avenue.

Construction is scheduled to begin in November and last seven months.