Burbank OKs Plan for Parking Near Rail Line

The Burbank City Council on Tuesday night approved plans to lease a parking lot adjacent to an unused railroad platform near Burbank airport, clearing the way for the city to become a regular stop on Amtrak’s Santa Barbara-to-San Diego line.

The council voted 5 to 0 to lease the parking lot owned by Lockheed Aircraft Corp. for $2,100 a month for 24 months. The council also approved allocating $12,000 to paint parking stalls and to fence the lot, which has room for 70 vehicles.

The state Department of Transportation has said it would approve an Amtrak stop in Burbank if the city could provide a parking lot near the railroad platform for commuters.

The platform is between Empire Avenue and Vanowen Street, just south of the Burbank Airport. It was built in 1983 by Caltrans, which operated a commuter rail line for a brief period.

Helene Buchman, Burbank transportation planning manager, said that as part of its lease agreement with Lockheed the city also must arrange for shuttle bus service between the rail stop and the airport. She said that rail service could begin by the end of the year, depending on parking and Amtrak and Caltrans scheduling approval.

Amtrak now runs one round trip a day between Santa Barbara and San Diego. Stops include Los Angeles, Glendale, Van Nuys, Chatsworth and Simi Valley. Amtrak spokesman Arthur Pierce said that a one-way ticket from Burbank to San Diego will likely run about $26 with a round-trip fare of $30.