Burbank Reopens San Fernando Boulevard To Cars
BURBANK (CBSLA) – After being shut down to vehicle traffic for several months in an effort to give restaurants more space to accommodate outdoor dining, a busy downtown Burbank street was reopened Monday.
San Fernando Boulevard in downtown Burbank was reopened to vehicle traffic in response to last month's closure of dining at all restaurants because of the surge of COVID-19 cases.
Beginning Monday, San Fernando Boulevard is open between Angeleno Avenue, Olive Avenue, Orange Grove Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard.
Palm Avenue was also reopened between Third Street and San Fernando Boulevard.
The decision to reopen the roadway was to make it easier for downtown Burbank restaurants to field takeout and delivery calls, the city said in a news release Monday.
San Fernando was shut down back in July by the Burbank City Council. The closure was so popular it was extended to mid-January. However, last month, L.A. County controversially shut down all outdoor dining because of a staggering increase in coronavirus cases.
California public health officials followed suit with their own shutdown for the entire Southern California region, part of a new stay-at-home order. That shutdown superseded L.A. County's ban.
It's unclear if the San Fernando Boulevard vehicular closure will resume once the ban on outdoor dining is lifted.
Under the regional stay-at-home order, which took effect Dec. 7, all private and public gatherings of any size are banned except for protests and outdoor religious services. It will last through at least Dec. 28.