Pedestrians

Three people on Nov. 17 were struck by either BBs or pellets while walking in their respective residential neighborhoods, police reported. At 3:15 p.m., a 50-year-old man was walking near Winona Avenue and North Lamer Street when he was shot in the back of the leg. He was unable to see who or where the shots came from. Half an hour later, about 21/2 miles away, two young boys were also shot in the back of their legs with a similar weapon — either a BB or pellet gun — near South Kenneth Road and East Verdugo Avenue, according to the police reports.

Of course, there are a lot of good pedestrians, but the ones who don?t wait until they can cross without making a car stop, waddle across so slowly that crawling would be faster, or start walking when the pedestrian light is flashing and there are eight cars lined up to make a right or left turn are the ones who really annoy me (?City is getting too dangerous to walk in,? Mailbag, April 19). I push a walk button only when I feel the intersection is too dangerous to take any chances.

With pedestrians continuing to flout crossing signals at the downtown Burbank train station, Metrolink has outlined three options for improving safety that range in cost from $3 million to $7 million. Earlier this month, Metrolink conducted a safety review of the downtown station after reports that more pedestrians were illegally crossing tracks. Since January, five citations have been issued for illegal crossings. Three of those were in May when the Express Service began. The downtown Burbank station is one of Metrolink’s busiest, and is Metrolink’s second-busiest “destination” station, behind Union Station in downtown L.A. The priciest of the three safety options would involve eliminating the surface-level pedestrian crossing and installing a pedestrian underpass at a cost of $7 million.

CITY HALL — Aiming to address conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists who share Chandler Bikeway, the City Council this week unanimously supported placing signs along the route asking cyclists to yield to pedestrians. But city leaders rejected a proposal that would have renamed the corridor Chandler Pathway, citing potential conflicts with Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which share ownership of the property. The council on Tuesday voted 3-2 to retain the name Chandler Bikeway for the two-mile passageway that stretches from Mariposa Street to the city border at Clybourn Avenue.

Ryan Carter BURBANK -- A 72-year-old Burbank man stepped from a corner on Wednesday to cross the street at Buena Vista Street and Victory Boulevard, police said. That's when a 70-year-old man driving a 1988 Lincoln Towncar allegedly made a right turn from Victory Boulevard onto Buena Vista Street and struck the pedestrian, said Burbank Police Sgt. Bill Taylor. The 72-year-old man hit by the Towncar suffered a fractured skull, while the driver said the sun blinded him as he made the turn, police said.

Jenna Bordelon SOUTH SAN FERNANDO DISTRICT -- A crossing guard displayed an unusual fit of road rage when she whacked a passing car with her hand-held stop sign. The city guard, 33, whose name was not released, had just finished helping a group of people across Victory Boulevard at Alameda Avenue at about 9 a.m. Wednesday. When a woman in a 1996 Hyundai Accent tried to drive through the crosswalk, heading south onto Victory, police said the crossing guard smacked her stop sign against the passenger-side wheel well of the car. It left a good-sized dent, police said.

Chandler cyclists backed by law To deal with a small but vocal group of residents, the Burbank City Council recently adopted a plan to place signs along the Chandler Bikeway advising bicyclists to yield the right of way to pedestrians in bicycle lanes (“City approves Chandler signs,” April 4). Is the city begging for a lawsuit? Perhaps — and here’s why. The Chandler Bikeway is a California Class 1 Bikeway — mostly paid for with funds provided by the federal government and the state of California.

Lolita Harper MEDIA DISTRICT WEST -- Scott Masterson waved to a driver who was nice enough to stop for him as he crossed Olive Avenue at Fairview Street Wednesday for a midday coffee break. But not every driver was as courteous as the operator of the sedan that halted for him that afternoon. "Traffic is really busy around here," Masterson said. "Once you step off the curb, you should be careful -- and ready to run." It was the less-than-courteous drivers that the Burbank Police Motor Patrol cited during its pedestrian safety enforcement Wednesday.

Construction set for rest of week As part of the $47-million Caltrans project, road crews are tearing down the former Hollywood Way-Alameda Avenue bridge abutment and support wall along the Ventura (134) Freeway. Overnight construction is planned for 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. through the end of the week. Construction on the three-year project is expected to end next summer, with a series of detours planned to assist pedestrians and drivers. The California Department of Transportation last week opened the Hollywood Way-Alameda Avenue bridge and closed the Pass Avenue bridge as part of the next phase of construction.

A 67-year-old man was struck by a vehicle Thursday while he was crossing a street in Burbank, police said. At around 4:15 p.m., the man was crossing Pacific Avenue at Hollywood Way  on a green light when he was struck by a Nissan SUV turning left onto Hollywood Way, said Burbank Police Sgt. Gerry Misquez. Police said the driver was a woman in her 50s. The impact reportedly caused the pedestrian to roll onto the hood and then tumble to the ground. He suffered from minor pain, but had no visible injuries, Misquez said.

Good morning, readers. Today is Tuesday, December 18.  Police in Burbank say that although 803 vehicles were screened during a Saturday night DUI checkpoint, there were no drunk driving arrests . Burbank Leader A man was killed in Van Nuys Tuesday morning after he was struck by a motorist as he crossed the street , reports the Daily News . A public memorial service for singer Jenni Rivera , who was killed in a plane...

Public safety officials have issued a slew of warnings for parents as they prepare to take their children trick-or-treating this Halloween night. Chief among them: beware of drunk drivers, marijuana-laced candy, and dark streets and alleys. Halloween is the third busiest night of the year in terms of car and pedestrian accidents and trips to the emergency room, officials reported, adding that 41 million trick-or-treaters are expected to hit the streets tonight nationwide. Police asked that trick-or-treaters travel in pairs or groups, carry a flashlight, wear costumes that don't obstruct their vision, watch for cars, and don't enter the homes of strangers.  At a joint news conference with Los Angeles police Wednesday, Burbank Capt.

Good morning, readers. Today is Wednesday, October 10. Does a bustling intersection near Universal Studios Hollywood need a pedestrian bridge? A plan that costs nearly $20 million is drawing criticism , reports the Daily News . A North Hollywood costume store turned 100 this week, Patch reports. The store has dressed stars from "Gone with the Wind" to "Mad Men. " Verdugo Hills High and Sun Middle School are slated to get new arts magnet programs, reports the Daily News . Sun Valley will focus on science and social issues, while Verdugo will focus on the arts . A man who jumped from a Burbank Holiday Inn hotel was identified as a Van Nuys resident , reports the Burbank Leader . The investigation is still ongoing.

Good morning, readers. Today is Wednesday, September 5. Got the Back to School blues? Students enrolling for classes at Glendale Community College were disheartened to return to the campus Tuesday with few options . Many are on wait lists. Glendale News-Press A 19-year-old North Hollywood High School student will get $2.4 million from LAUSD after he allegedly broke his neck during a football tryout, reports the L.A. Times . He was apparently not provided a helmet during the practice.

Glendale and Burbank have been awarded nearly $900,000 to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety around school sites, the latest wave of grant money aimed at addressing local traffic congestion and the dangers it poses to students. The combined amount was announced by the California Department of Transportation last week as part of $48.5 million in grants to be filtered via the Safe Routes to School Program that will fund 139 projects up and down the state. The city of Burbank received $438,700 to enhance the bicycle infrastructure around Muir Middle School and Jefferson and Washington elementary schools, and to offer a safety education program.

Residents should factor in road closures on and around San Fernando Road when making plans Friday to attend the centennial celebration downtown. The road closures begin Thursday night and block vehicles from driving through downtown to allow vendors and entertainers to begin setting up for the event. Most parking garages will be accessible for the event, but the two parking structures on Orange Grove, between San Fernando and Third Street, will not be open to the public. At 10 p.m. Thursday, following the free swing dance lesson and performance by High Street, San Fernando will be closed from Magnolia to Olive Avenue.

With pedestrians continuing to flout crossing signals at the downtown Burbank train station, Metrolink has outlined three options for improving safety that range in cost from $3 million to $7 million. Earlier this month, Metrolink conducted a safety review of the downtown station after reports that more pedestrians were illegally crossing tracks. Since January, five citations have been issued for illegal crossings. Three of those were in May when the Express Service began. The downtown Burbank station is one of Metrolink’s busiest, and is Metrolink’s second-busiest “destination” station, behind Union Station in downtown L.A. The priciest of the three safety options would involve eliminating the surface-level pedestrian crossing and installing a pedestrian underpass at a cost of $7 million.

It takes the average healthy adult 16 seconds to walk across an intersection, but Burbank police on Wednesday were more interested in how long it takes a driver to stop. Beginning at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning, police officers conducted a pedestrian enforcement operation at the intersection of West Magnolia Boulevard and North Parish Place and issued dozens of tickets. Dressed in plain clothes with a non-descript sweatshirt and a beanie, police Det. Paul Orlowski set up a video camera on the southwest corner to document violations as he walked across the street about 100 times over the course of 11/2 hours as vehicles sped by. “It takes about 16 seconds for the average person to walk across the street,” said police Sgt. Kelly Frank after timing Orlowski on his stopwatch.