Seven Glendale residents appointed by the City Council decide how roughly $485 million in sales tax revenue gets spent on transportation over the next decade. They are the Citizens Transportation Oversight Commission, and they meet Thursday to review the annual update to the 10-Year Transportation Program that determines which streets get rebuilt, whether bus routes continue, and which bike and pedestrian projects get funded.

The commission's role is to monitor the Transportation Fund and ensure voter-approved projects are completed on time and within budget. It advises the City Council on regional transportation, public transit, bicycle programs, and alternative transportation modes.

What the current program looks like

The current 10-Year Transportation Program covering fiscal years 2026 through 2035, approved last June, provides a preview of what the new draft will address. The program is built around a projected $485 million in sales tax revenue over the decade, plus a $63.5 million starting fund balance, for roughly $548.5 million in total funding.

About $237 million goes to operations, with transit as the dominant cost at $155 million over 10 years. The remaining $279 million funds capital projects, with streets consuming the largest share.

Within the capital program, key allocations include:

  • Streets: $226.8 million for pavement management, bridge repairs, reconstruction, traffic signals, street lighting, and guardrail upgrades.
  • Transit: $6.2 million for bus pullouts, bus stop enhancements, and the North Glendale park-and-ride.
  • Airport: $7.4 million for pavement maintenance, matching funds, and new projects including a self-serve fuel station.
  • Bicycle and pedestrian: $3.4 million for infill sidewalks, bike lane local matches, and ongoing gap projects.
  • Transportation Systems Management: $5.9 million for traffic signal interconnect and intelligent transportation system upgrades.

On the operations side, fixed-route bus service — 12 local and two express routes plus the free Glendale Urban Shuttle — accounts for the majority. Glendale's fixed-route buses carried an estimated 1.22 million riders in FY2025, with the shuttles adding another 73,620 trips.

Some street reconstruction projects were shifted from sales tax funding to general obligation bonds approved by voters in 2023. The Dial-A-Ride ADA paratransit contract was moved to Proposition 479 funding for FY27 onward.

Transportation Plan update

The commission will also hear from consultant Kittelson & Associates on the process to update Glendale's citywide Transportation Plan, a 25-year blueprint for how people and goods move through Glendale. The update began in late 2025 and is expected to take two years and is being coordinated with the general plan update, the Active Transportation Plan, the airport master plan, and Vision Zero safety work.

Why it matters

Glendale does not have light rail. The city relies on regional buses, its street network, and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to connect residents to jobs, medical care, and destinations across the West Valley. The 10-Year Transportation Program, updated annually, determines which projects get funded from the sales tax revenue.

The commission meets at 6 p.m. Thursday at Glendale City Hall, 5850 W. Glendale Ave.