Officials Balk at RTD Plan to Finance Valley Leg of Subway

RTD directors Thursday approved a controversial plan for financing Metro Rail construction in the San Fernando Valley, setting the stage for a possible showdown today over when work will begin on the subway system’s Valley leg.

The California Transportation Commission, meeting in Van Nuys today, will consider the plan unanimously approved by the Southern California Rapid Transit District board.

A key feature of the plan makes the start of Metro Rail work in the Valley conditional on the willingness of the city, county and state to contribute $25 million each over the next six years toward construction of tunnels and stations in the Valley.

Officials of all three governmental entities have expressed reluctance to chip in more money. RTD officials say that, without the contributions, they cannot start work in the Valley.

Law-Mandated Start Date

Valley elected officials insist they will hold the RTD to a 1984 state law that requires the start of construction on the Valley end within one year of the Sept. 29, 1986, ground-breaking downtown.

The law also requires the RTD to spend on the Valley part of the subway 15% of the non-federal funds spent on construction downtown. The 15% will amount to $75 million during the next six years, officials say.

Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys) sponsored the legislation to ensure that Valley subway construction would not be delayed indefinitely. The $3.8-billion Metro Rail project includes two stations in the Valley--at Universal City and at Lankershim and Chandler boulevards in North Hollywood.

Robbins, a member of the state Transportation Commission, which allocates transit funds, insisted in an earlier interview that, under the 1984 law, “Valley spending is not conditional on anyone approving any appropriation.”

He declined Thursday through a spokeswoman to comment on the RTD-approved plan until he has a chance to read it.

September Deadline

Robbins is among several Valley elected officials who have declared repeatedly in recent months that they will seek to force the RTD to begin subway construction in the Valley by the law’s September deadline.

Robbins has said that, if the city and county decline to provide funds, he will support providing funds for Valley subway construction from some of the $400 million already committed but not yet allocated by the state for the entire Metro Rail project.

John A. Dyer, RTD general manager, said Thursday that, if the work is to begin in September, the city, county and state must agree to the cost-sharing plan within 45 days.

Among those indicating that the money may not be forthcoming is City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, chairman of the council’s Finance and Revenue Committee, who says he is “not favorably inclined” to the request that the city contribute more.

And the staff of the county Transportation Commission has questioned whether it makes sense to build the Valley end of Metro Rail when it remains unclear when or if there will be funds to link the Valley and downtown segments.