BURBANK : Action Deferred on Rancho Traffic Plan

The Burbank City Council voted Tuesday night to postpone action on a plan to reduce traffic lanes from four to two on Riverside Drive near the Rancho, a unique neighborhood where single-family homes are allowed to board horses.

Instead of approving the measure, council members asked city planners to survey Rancho residents about the proposed protection plan, research the effect of lane closure on traffic in the area and bring the plan before them in 90 days.

The reduction in lanes, along with new traffic signals, is meant to divert traffic away from the Rancho, the first phase of a protection plan for the neighborhood.

The re-striping would create a one-lane-wide buffer zone, from which traffic would be barred, between vehicles and a proposed bridal path.

The Rancho adjoins the city’s Media District, where many studios are growing, including Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros., which have both recently received city approval for major expansions.

Disney has agreed to foot the costs of the first phase of the protection plan, expected to be about $125,000 and include a study to determine if the lane reduction cuts traffic levels on Riverside Drive.

If the first phase were considered successful, the city would probably approve the second phase next year. Although the second phase has not been finalized, it is expected to include a separate lane along Riverside Drive for horses and bicyclists.