Monorail System Could Shrink Burbank’s Gridlock, Study Says : Public Transit: As envisioned, the $158-million project would link up with other rail plans.

A $158-million monorail system connecting Universal City with downtown Burbank could relieve its congested traffic, especially in the bustling Media District, according to a study exploring alternative transportation.

The study says a monorail system similar to the one at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., could eventually connect Burbank’s three major employment districts and reduce cross-town and commuter traffic by providing an alternative to surface streets that already are near gridlock in some areas.

The proposed system would intersect with other transportation projects planned for the area, such as the Metro Rail extension through the San Fernando Valley and commuter rail lines operating on Southern Pacific tracks.

The study was commissioned by the city of Burbank and Los Angeles County. Edward C. Friedrichs, vice president of Gensler and Associates, the Los Angeles architectural firm that prepared the study, said the monorail system would depend heavily on other forms of public transportation to provide passengers.

The first phase of the project, which would take about three years to build, would connect Universal City with downtown Burbank via the Media District, where nearly half the stops would be located. The 6.5-mile route would follow raised tracks built on existing street medians.

A combination of public and private funds would pay for the monorail. Friedrichs suggested that as other construction projects are approved, developers be required to contribute to the monorail rather than to more common traffic mitigation projects--for instance, street widening or additional stop lights. The project would be supervised by officials from Burbank and perhaps the county.

Assistant City Manager Steve Helvey said the study was commissioned after discussions with Supervisor Mike Antonovich, a supporter of monorails. Helvey was unaware of any similar joint studies and said the county’s role in the project has not been determined.

Future phases would include a four-mile leg connecting downtown to Burbank Airport, which would cost $95 million, and a three-mile section linking the airport with the Media District, cost unknown.

Ideally, Friedrichs said, commuters would begin their trips on the system at collector stations in Universal City, downtown and at the airport, all of which would have access to other rail lines and ride-sharing pools.

Commuters who share rides would leave their cars at the station instead of driving them to work. Friedrichs said the system would encourage ride sharing because it would allow mobility during the day.

The first leg of the system could carry 10,368 passengers an hour. There are no monorail projects in the United States built for public use, but Friedrichs said similar systems operate in Japan.

Although the project is still in the preliminary stages, Friedrichs said his firm has encouraged city and county staffs to complete preliminary work--such as environmental impact reports and traffic studies--to move ahead with the plan within the next year.

At separate presentations Tuesday, the monorail proposal got mixed reactions.

The Burbank City Council generally reacted favorably to the idea and is expected to decide its next move later this year. Some county supervisors expressed skepticism about the technology involved in the project, but Antonovich praised the work done to date and urged the board to move forward.

“An aesthetically pleasing monorail is smog-free and enhances an area,” he said.