Disney to Finance Traffic Study

The Walt Disney Co. will finance a $25,000 study to look at ways to lessen traffic in the horse-related residential neighborhood next to its Burbank studios, company officials said Wednesday.

The study will investigate traffic improvements such as stop signs, traffic diverters, speed bumps and partial cul-de-sacs that could discourage traffic through the Rancho community, said Alan Epstein, vice president of the Disney Development Co.

Epstein said most of the traffic is not related to Disney operations but is the result of increased development throughout the Media District, an area near the Rancho neighborhood where the headquarters of several major studios, including Disney, are located.

However, the studio is planning a major expansion that has sparked concerns among Rancho residents about the impact of more noise and traffic in the area.

The study will look at identifying and preserving bridle paths between the Rancho area and the trail system in Griffith Park.

Crain and Associates, a traffic engineering firm that has conducted several other Burbank traffic studies, will perform the study, Epstein said.