Golden State Freeway

Several lanes on the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway will be closed early Sunday for road repairs. From midnight until 6 a.m., three northbound lanes between Alameda Avenue and Burbank Boulevard will be closed, Caltrans officials said. Two of those lanes will remain closed until 9 a.m. The closures will be canceled if weather conditions warrant. The closures are part of an emergency operation to replace pavement slabs along the freeway. The Alameda, Burbank and Olive Avenue on-and-off-ramps will be closed for construction at various times and will be marked with signs, Caltrans officials said.

If the intention of revamping the five points intersection was to reduce traffic congestion, then success is at hand. I won't go near the darn thing if I can help it. Now, instead of one long light, I have to wait through two long lights. Our Burbank traffic planners don't quite get it yet. The Burbank Empire Center is going to add many more cars to our already congested streets. That ordinarily would not be a problem if it weren't for our city's strange infatuation with speed bumps, as well as stop lights that are not timed to keep traffic moving.

Laura Sturza MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- After 10 years of discussion between the city and Caltrans, Burbank drivers are closer to getting a major reprieve in congestion from Empire Avenue to other parts of the city. It started with a simple idea. "Wouldn't it be great if we could join San Fernando Boulevard with Empire Avenue?," said Greg Herrmann, the city's assistant community development director for transportation. The plan has three parts, which will be discussed at a public meeting next week.

GLENDALE ? The California Transportation Commission on Wednesday set aside $73 million in state transportation funds for the construction of a carpool lane that will widen a stretch of the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway between Glendale and Burbank. The lane stands to ease congestion on a portion of highway between the Ventura (134) Freeway and the Hollywood (170) Freeway, said former Glendale Mayor Larry Zarian, a member of the commission. He touted the commission's vote, which was unanimous, as a "tremendous victory."

Josh Kleinbaum A proposed carpool lane for the Golden State (5) Freeway is expected to ease congestion on freeways and surface streets in Glendale and Burbank and ensure that the county continues to receive federal transportation funds. The county's transportation agency approved a $1.3-billion bond issue Thursday to expedite five projects within the county. One of those projects will add the carpool lane on the Golden State Freeway between the Ventura (134)

BURBANK ? A design study is in the works to install a new freeway interchange at Empire Avenue as part of a larger plan to add a carpool lane to the Golden State (5) Freeway, between the Ventura (134) and Hollywood (170) freeways. The study would determine how to relocate city utilities like underground sewer lines and storm drains to make way for a new interchange, said David Kriske, a senior planner for the city. An expanded Empire Avenue interchange would provide on ramps and off ramps for both northbound and southbound traffic, Kriske said.

BURBANK — Los Angeles County shoppers will pay an extra half-cent on their purchases starting today, when the sales tax will jump to nearly 10% as part of an effort to fund regional public transportation developments, including new carpool lanes on a local stretch of the Golden State (5) Freeway. The Measure R sales tax, approved by more than two-thirds of voters in November, is expected to generate $40 billion over 30 years for a series of Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail, bus, highway and road projects throughout the county, but will also add a burden on citizens and businesses during the recession, officials said.

Paul Clinton BURBANK -- After leading Burbank police officers on three-hour pursuit in which he covered much of Southern California in a stolen Burbank Public Works Department pickup truck, a suspect was taken into custody Friday afternoon in San Diego. Nearing the Mexican border, Erich Martirosiao, a Fresno resident whose age was not immediately known, was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers who bumped the truck using a technique called the "kick move," forcing him to spin into the center divider of the Santa Ana (5)

GLENDALE ? Two big-rig trucks snarled traffic along freeways into Glendale in separate incidents Tuesday morning after they jackknifed on rain-slicked roads. In the first incident, a big rig flipped onto its side at the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway interchange to the Ventura (134) Freeway at 5:33 a.m., spilling 80 gallons of diesel fuel onto the roadway and closing all northbound lanes for several hours, California Highway Patrol Officer Francisco Villalobos said. Caltrans crews forced northbound traffic onto the northbound Glendale (2)

BURBANK — Housing sales in Burbank were down slightly in August compared to the same month in 2005 and the number of homes on the market has quadrupled, the Burbank Board of Realtors reported. But the 2.7% drop has not caused Burbank's median housing values to depreciate, a trend which is happening elsewhere in Southern California, said Larry Auzene, president of the Burbank Assn. of Realtors. In September, the median housing price — the price at which half the homes cost more and half cost less — for homes east of the Golden State (5)

State transportation officials on Thursday announced a slate of ramp and lane closures on the Golden State (5) and Ventura (134) freeways starting Friday as crews continue work on new carpool lanes. Both projects combined carry a price tag of nearly $179 million and are expected to be completed in late 2014, according to the California Department of Transportation. For a list of all the lane and ramp closures, visit the Caltrans information page for the I-5 corridor improvements.

BURBANK — Los Angeles County shoppers will pay an extra half-cent on their purchases starting today, when the sales tax will jump to nearly 10% as part of an effort to fund regional public transportation developments, including new carpool lanes on a local stretch of the Golden State (5) Freeway. The Measure R sales tax, approved by more than two-thirds of voters in November, is expected to generate $40 billion over 30 years for a series of Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail, bus, highway and road projects throughout the county, but will also add a burden on citizens and businesses during the recession, officials said.

GLENDALE ? The California Transportation Commission on Wednesday set aside $73 million in state transportation funds for the construction of a carpool lane that will widen a stretch of the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway between Glendale and Burbank. The lane stands to ease congestion on a portion of highway between the Ventura (134) Freeway and the Hollywood (170) Freeway, said former Glendale Mayor Larry Zarian, a member of the commission. He touted the commission's vote, which was unanimous, as a "tremendous victory."

GLENDALE ? Two big-rig trucks snarled traffic along freeways into Glendale in separate incidents Tuesday morning after they jackknifed on rain-slicked roads. In the first incident, a big rig flipped onto its side at the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway interchange to the Ventura (134) Freeway at 5:33 a.m., spilling 80 gallons of diesel fuel onto the roadway and closing all northbound lanes for several hours, California Highway Patrol Officer Francisco Villalobos said. Caltrans crews forced northbound traffic onto the northbound Glendale (2)

BURBANK — Housing sales in Burbank were down slightly in August compared to the same month in 2005 and the number of homes on the market has quadrupled, the Burbank Board of Realtors reported. But the 2.7% drop has not caused Burbank's median housing values to depreciate, a trend which is happening elsewhere in Southern California, said Larry Auzene, president of the Burbank Assn. of Realtors. In September, the median housing price — the price at which half the homes cost more and half cost less — for homes east of the Golden State (5)

BURBANK ? A design study is in the works to install a new freeway interchange at Empire Avenue as part of a larger plan to add a carpool lane to the Golden State (5) Freeway, between the Ventura (134) and Hollywood (170) freeways. The study would determine how to relocate city utilities like underground sewer lines and storm drains to make way for a new interchange, said David Kriske, a senior planner for the city. An expanded Empire Avenue interchange would provide on ramps and off ramps for both northbound and southbound traffic, Kriske said.

Josh Kleinbaum A proposed carpool lane for the Golden State (5) Freeway is expected to ease congestion on freeways and surface streets in Glendale and Burbank and ensure that the county continues to receive federal transportation funds. The county's transportation agency approved a $1.3-billion bond issue Thursday to expedite five projects within the county. One of those projects will add the carpool lane on the Golden State Freeway between the Ventura (134)

Bible school offers treasures of Nile HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- An imaginary trip to Egypt to search for biblical treasures is part of an upcoming vacation Bible school sponsored by the Magnolia Park United Methodist Church. Biblical stories, songs, crafts and puppets will be offered during the week-long session, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 4 to 8. The school is free for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The church is at 2828 W. Magnolia Blvd.

Several lanes on the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway will be closed early Sunday for road repairs. From midnight until 6 a.m., three northbound lanes between Alameda Avenue and Burbank Boulevard will be closed, Caltrans officials said. Two of those lanes will remain closed until 9 a.m. The closures will be canceled if weather conditions warrant. The closures are part of an emergency operation to replace pavement slabs along the freeway. The Alameda, Burbank and Olive Avenue on-and-off-ramps will be closed for construction at various times and will be marked with signs, Caltrans officials said.

Laura Sturza MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- After 10 years of discussion between the city and Caltrans, Burbank drivers are closer to getting a major reprieve in congestion from Empire Avenue to other parts of the city. It started with a simple idea. "Wouldn't it be great if we could join San Fernando Boulevard with Empire Avenue?," said Greg Herrmann, the city's assistant community development director for transportation. The plan has three parts, which will be discussed at a public meeting next week.