Heated debate over high-speed train station in Burbank (Source: www.examiner.com)

Heated debate over high-speed train station in Burbank

Heated debate over high-speed train station in Burbank
February 28, 4:02 AMBurbank Community ExaminerJodi Tack

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Areas considered for construction of a high-speed rail station in Burbank.
Top: Railway near Alameda Avenue, viewed from Linden Avenue
Bottom: Site near Burbank Blvd., viewed from Magnolia Blvd.

See also: California moving forward with high-speed train plans


In an often tense Burbank community meeting on Wednesday, February 24th, project managers from the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) presented their plan for a high-speed rail station to a room full of citizens who questioned the logic behind this behemoth of a transportation project. With Burbank Principal Transportation Planner David Kriske presiding and Vice Mayor Anja Reinke watching from the back of the room, CHSRA Project Manager Dan Tempelis outlined his agency’s proposed 800-mile rail system and its route through the local area, from Downtown Los Angeles to Palmdale.

When the system is completed, CHSRA projects that there will be 20-22 trains traveling the Los Angeles to Palmdale corridor every hour during peak hours (10-11 trains in each direction). Not all will stop in Burbank, as express trains are planned to travel nonstop between Union Station and San Francisco, with local and regional trains offering service to Burbank and smaller communities. The trains are expected to travel up to 160 miles per hour (mph) through the city, accelerating to their optimal speed of 220 mph by the time they reach the north San Fernando Valley.

The high-speed trains would share the existing rail corridor with Metrolink, Amtrak and freight operations, but extensive construction and infrastructure redesign would still be needed throughout the city. An electrically-powered steel wheel on steel rail design, the high-speed train would need dedicated tracks parallel to the ones used by Metrolink and other carriers. The existing tracks would need to be shifted west and the corridor would need to be widened by 10-15 feet to accommodate this side-by-side positioning. As many feared, Tempelis confirmed that the state could seize private property by eminent domain to facilitate this expansion.

Due to the speed at which the new train operates, it requires a completely sealed corridor, inaccessible to pedestrians and other vehicles. Significant infrastructure redesign would be needed to allow the train to run beneath roadways in trenches or tunnels, above them on elevated tracks, or at grade level alongside roadways that are closed off from the tracks. CHSRA plans to use all three options at various points along the railway, each of which carries its own set of concerns for Burbank residents.

A below-grade corridor in Burbank would take the form of trenches. This design has residents worried about safety -- preventing children, animals and others from falling in, accidentally or otherwise -- and unsightly walls that may become targets of vandalism and graffiti.

With elevated tracks, nearby residents worry about noise and vibrations, but project engineers assert that there is actually less disturbance with high-speed trains as compared to traditional trains, due to the lightweight construction and smooth rails of the former.

In areas where the train would travel at grade level with existing roadways, residents are concerned about eminent domain issues and permanent street closures affecting traffic congestion. At this time, the only planned permanent closure in Burbank is Arvilla Avenue, north of the airport.

The biggest concern for nearly all Burbank residents, however, is the construction of a new high-speed rail station near Downtown Burbank. The Burbank Metrolink station is one of the busiest in the county, making the city a logical choice for Rail Authority planners. Other stops in the region would include Union Station downtown, and yet-to-be-constructed stations in Sylmar and Palmdale.

High-speed rail stations require 1400-foot platforms with straight tracks. This eliminates the site of the current Burbank Metrolink station as a possibility, due to a curve in the tracks there. The area must also be wide enough to accommodate six parallel tracks: two for Metrolink and other carriers, two for high-speed rail travel, and two for high-speed rail passenger platforms. CHSRA has identified two possible locations for such a station in Burbank:

1. Near Alameda Avenue, west of San Fernando Boulevard. This would be an elevated-track platform that would run above Alameda. The area surrounding the tracks is occupied by warehouses and small production companies, which would all be displaced if the state chooses this location.
2. A vacant lot just west of the 5 Freeway, between Magnolia Boulevard and Burbank Boulevard. A station here would sit below street level, but impacts plans to widen the freeway with carpool lanes through the area.


Regardless of which option is chosen, the Burbank Metrolink station will likely be relocated to the site of the high-speed rail station. Planners must also squeeze 2,000 parking spaces onto the site to accommodate the projected 5,000 riders per day that the Burbank station will service.

Residents are understandably worried about increased traffic and congestion that the station will bring to already-congested areas of the city. They also dread the dirt, noise, and daily disruptions they will face during the years it will take to construct this system.

If the plans are approved, construction could begin in 2014 for train operation to commence in 2020. For a city that’s already fed up with a long-term freeway project on the other side of town, many wonder why they are being asked to stomach another decade of major development, particularly when the project has been heavily criticized for underestimating its cost, overestimating its profitability, and failing to justify its necessity -- issues which Tempelis avoided or ignored during Wednesday’s meeting, much to the frustration of residents in attendance.

The City of Burbank has yet to make any formal recommendation in regard to the California High-Speed Rail Project and is soliciting input from the public. If you would like to make your opinion known, please do so by:

* Attending the City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 2nd, when the high-speed rail project will be discussed.
* Submitting a comment through the City of Burbank website.
* Calling or writing to the City of Burbank Community Development Department, Planning & Transportation Division, Community Services Building, 150 North Third Street, Burbank, CA 91502; (818) 238-5250.