Glendale presents La Crescenta Avenue overhaul; residents debate bike lanes, evacuation impacts

City staff on Oct. 14 updated the Glendale City Council and neighborhood residents on a multi‑component redesign of La Crescenta Avenue that will reconfigure travel lanes to add a center turn lane and bicycle facilities, realign intersections and install new traffic signals while upgrading sidewalks, adding Americans with Disabilities Act curb ramps and upsizing a sewer main.

The city’s project manager, Rotem Tavitian, senior civil engineer and project manager for the La Crescenta project, told the meeting the work has reached 60% completion as of October 2025 and that crews have already built a bioswale, completed an intersection realignment and are upsizing sewer pipes from an 8‑inch to a 12‑inch PVC main. “As of October 2025, the project is 60% complete,” Tavitian said. He said the city expects construction to conclude in March 2026, “bearing any unforeseen conditions,” and that remaining work includes finishing the sewer upsizing, installing traffic signals and final paving and striping.

The project includes renderings and a planned pedestrian HAWK beacon at Lockhart Center and Piedmont to help people cross to nearby institutions, and staff said they have used community outreach — a biweekly newsletter, farmers‑market tabling, social media updates and a project website — to keep residents informed. Tavitian also said the project has faced longer lead times for traffic‑signal materials and utility conflicts during construction.

Why it matters: the design will change street space, parking and traffic patterns along a busy corridor and is tied to sewer and stormwater upgrades that city staff say are needed now. Several residents urged caution about lane reconfigurations that remove curbside parking or vehicle travel lanes.

Residents at the meeting raised concerns about safety and evacuation, parking loss and stormwater capture. Gigi Garcia, who said she lives in Oakmont Woods on Shirley Jean, asked the council to “reconsider the trial on La Crescenta” and argued against immediately installing protected (Class 4) bike lanes, saying evacuation routes in a fire‑prone neighborhood depend on keeping vehicle lanes clear. “I am asking this council to reconsider a trial on the La Crescenta project instead of putting in a class 4 lane immediately,” Garcia said.

Anna Tabuena Reddy, who said her children attend Fremont Elementary, voiced support for the bike lanes and said alternatives to cars matter during emergencies: “This is going to be a well used bike lane... having alternatives to exit a location when there is a fire besides just through a car” is important, she said. Reddy also asked staff to confirm stormwater capture at specific intersections, saying she observed flooding at Arcadia/Erkitis and wanted assurance bioswales or drainage improvements were included there.

Other commenters asked the council for more fiscal transparency and broader outreach. Resident Beth Brooks said the council should always show project costs and cost‑benefit analyses before proceeding. Edgemond Hagopian suggested the city consider scoping down the bike‑lane component as a budget saving and urged mailed notices to residents most affected by lane reconfigurations.

Several speakers expressed concerns that removing curb parking could reduce property values and impede daily life for households with multiple cars. Eric (last name not specified in the record) questioned a colorful crosswalk depicted in the project renderings and asked staff to review crosswalk designs for clarity and pedestrian safety.

Discussion versus decision: council received the update and took no formal vote on the La Crescenta design during the special meeting. Staff said follow‑up Q&A would occur informally after the presentations and that the project team accepts direct contact and newsletter sign‑ups through the project website.

Clarifying details noted in the presentation: the project will add a center turn lane, bicycle facilities, intersection realignments and new signals; upgrade sidewalks and ADA curb ramps; resurface roadway; upsize an 8‑inch sewer pipe to 12‑inch PVC; install bioretention/bioswales and plant street trees; and add creative crosswalks and at least one HAWK pedestrian beacon. Construction photos and drone footage were presented. Staff reported longer lead times for signals and utility conflicts are among the main causes of schedule risk.

Next steps: staff continue construction through the winter with an anticipated completion and final striping in March 2026. Residents requested the council consider a trial period for bike lanes, clearer cost disclosures and targeted outreach to directly affected homeowners.