Glendale’s La Crescenta Avenue Project Nears Completion with Enhanced Street Safety and Public Realm Improvements

TITLE: Glendale’s La Crescenta Avenue Project Nears Completion with Enhanced Street Safety and Public Realm Improvements
SLUG: glendale-la-crescenta-bikeway-completion
EXCERPT: Glendale’s La Crescenta Avenue Rehabilitation Project is set to finish this month, transforming the street with new bike lanes, improved pedestrian facilities, and significant public realm enhancements, despite some local criticism regarding lane reconfiguration.
CATEGORY: public-realm
TAGS: Glendale, La Crescenta Avenue, cycling infrastructure, street safety, public realm, urban planning, transportation
SEO_TITLE: Glendale Completes La Crescenta Ave Bike Lanes & Street Safety Upgrades
SEO_DESCRIPTION: Discover how Glendale’s La Crescenta Avenue project is finishing, bringing new bike lanes, rain gardens, and street safety improvements to the area. Learn about the project’s scope and benefits.
MEDIA_QUERY: La Crescenta Avenue, Glendale, California, with new bright green bike lanes and construction ongoing.
IMAGE_ALT: A street view of La Crescenta Avenue in Glendale, California, showing ongoing construction and newly painted bright green bicycle lanes.

Key facts

Street Reconfiguration and Safety Enhancements

Glendale is on the cusp of completing its La Crescenta Avenue Rehabilitation Project, a $15-17 million initiative aimed at enhancing street safety and public realm amenities. The project, which has been a construction zone, has introduced new bright green bike lanes along the 1.5-mile stretch of La Crescenta Avenue. While the Crescenta Valley Weekly has offered criticism, describing the project as having “destroyed an entire traffic lane” and “sacrificed … parking spaces,” city officials frame the changes as a necessary street safety improvement.

The project has reconfigured existing travel lanes to incorporate a continuous two-way center turn lane, alongside new bike lanes. City Councilmember Dan Brotman stated in 2024, and newly elected Glendale City Councilmember Alek Bartrosouf echoed in 2022, that the project is primarily a street safety initiative rather than solely a cycling project. The reconfiguration is intended to make the street safer for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, particularly in areas with higher speed limits where drivers often exceed them. The Verdugo Wash, a channelized waterway, runs along the west side of the lower portion of La Crescenta Avenue, resulting in fewer intersections and driveways. This lack of “friction” contributes to high vehicle speeds, with drivers frequently exceeding the 40 mph speed limit. By reconfiguring the roadway, the project aims to reduce the risk of head-on collisions and allow faster-moving vehicles to safely pass turning cars.

Cycling Infrastructure Integration

The salvaged space from the lane reconfiguration has been repurposed for bike lanes, a move designed to separate cyclists from faster-moving vehicles. This is particularly beneficial for cyclists traveling uphill, who may be moving at slower speeds. The project includes a variety of bicycle facilities along its 1.5-mile length: approximately 0.8 miles of protected bike lanes, half a mile of basic unprotected lanes, and a quarter mile of unprotected buffered bike lanes. While the area, described as a mostly steep, car-centric suburb, may not see an overwhelming surge in cyclist numbers even after completion, the city deems it important to provide safe infrastructure. The integration of bike lanes alongside planned resurfacing costs is seen as a cost-effective way to add safety and environmental benefits.

Public Realm and Environmental Upgrades

Beyond traffic and cycling improvements, the La Crescenta Avenue project encompasses a broad range of public benefits. These include street resurfacing, the installation of rain gardens to manage stormwater runoff, sidewalk repairs and improvements, and new tree planting. Additionally, the project incorporates upgrades to ADA accessibility, sewer systems, reflective pavement for enhanced visibility, and fiber optics infrastructure. These enhancements aim to improve the overall quality and functionality of the public realm along La Crescenta Avenue.

Project Timeline and Criticisms

Construction on the La Crescenta Avenue Rehabilitation Project is nearing completion, with resurfacing and new striping, including the distinctive bright green bike lanes, already in place. The remaining work primarily involves the installation of new decorative crosswalks. Despite the comprehensive nature of the improvements, local commentary, such as that from the Crescenta Valley Weekly, has focused on the reduction of a traffic lane and the perceived loss of parking. However, the city’s perspective emphasizes the widespread safety benefits for all road users and the multi-faceted nature of the project, which extends beyond just cycling.

Source: Streetsblog LA – https://la.streetsblog.org/2026/07/07/eyes-on-the-street-glendales-nearly-completed-la-crescenta-ave-bikeway