Squabble May Ditch Super Transit Agency Bill

The coalition backing legislation to abolish the Southern California Rapid Transit District and create a new transportation super agency in Los Angeles County was shaken Wednesday by a squabble over the proposed makeup of the agency’s governing board.

Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda), author of a bill that would replace the troubled RTD with a new transportation agency, warned that such legislation now is in jeopardy after the Senate Transportation Committee moved to expand the commission that would run the new agency.

“It’s sort of in limbo at this point,” Katz said Wednesday, the day after the Senate committee amended his bill to add a representative from the San Fernando Valley as part of a 12-member governing board--one more commissioner than Katz had proposed.

The amendment, passed on a 7-6 vote, was pushed by Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), who has a rival bill that also would replace the RTD with a new agency. Robbins made it clear that he would like to be appointed as the extra member to oversee what would be called the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of Los Angeles County.

Frustrating Standoff

Robbins, whose efforts to tack on additional amendments to the Katz bill had delayed a final committee vote, said Wednesday that he remained confident that a legislative package could still reach the governor’s desk by mid-July, when the summer recess begins.

But Katz, who clashed with Robbins over the amendments, expressed anger and frustration Wednesday that Robbins was successful in expanding the board and “positioning himself as the legislative appointee.”

“Both of these things combined, jeopardize the bill,” Katz said.

“What he has done in an attempt to put himself on the board has been to upset a very delicate balance of power that has existed,” he added.

That balance of power between the city and county of Los Angeles and the smaller municipalities revolves around an uneasy consensus over who should guide the new agency.

In his bill, Katz had proposed a commission that would consist of 11 voting members--the five Los Angeles County supervisors, the mayor of Los Angeles, two Los Angeles City Council members including one who represents at least a portion of the San Fernando Valley, a Long Beach City Council member, and two other City Council members from other cities.

The Senate committee amended Katz’s bill to provide for a 12-member commission. The additional member would be a San Fernando Valley resident chosen by the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee from lists submitted by the Los Angeles City Council and by the county Board of Supervisors.

Clancy Leland, a legislative representative for Los Angeles County, said Wednesday that the change in the board’s makeup now is a cause for concern.

Concern Over the Size

“We support 11 members. It’s small and concise,” he said. “Any more members than that, we would be in opposition.”

Kenneth Emanuels, legislative director for the League of California Cities, said that the 83 smaller cities in the county may oppose the Katz bill now that it “further dilutes” their influence on the proposed transportation commission.

In arguing for adding another member to the commission, Robbins said: “The Valley deserves more representation.” The idea also was supported by state Sen. Ed Davis (R-Valencia), Assemblyman Tom Bane (D-Tarzana) and the Valley’s United Chambers of Commerce.

An appointment to the powerful transportation agency would have political advantages for Robbins, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for county supervisor. The new agency would be a focus of media attention and could provide Robbins with a base for attracting campaign contributions. Robbins denies his proposal for enlarging the commission was politically motivated.

Function of Board

The new agency, which would take effect March 1, 1988, would be placed in charge of planning, building and operating rail lines and would run most countywide bus operations. It also would recommend new highway routes to the California Transportation Commission, which has the final say in state highway planning. Local transportation commissioners also would be in the position of voting for major construction awards.

The Katz bill stems from widespread complaints about the safety of RTD buses and charges of district mismanagement.

Robbins, meanwhile, brushed aside Katz’s complaints that the transit legislation is now in trouble because of Robbins and his efforts to get on the commission.

“He’s just reacting emotionally,” Robbins said. “I’m sorry that he feels bruised.”

But Robbins added that he still believes that the votes are there to pass either the Katz bill or his own. “Unless he wants to do something that will screw up the process,” he said, “I can guarantee him that I can get the bill moved.”