Transit Panel Votes to Put Valley Subway Funds in Trust

The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved placing money to build Metro Rail in the San Fernando Valley in a trust fund instead of beginning state-mandated subway construction in North Hollywood this September.

The action put the commission and its chairman, Mayor Tom Bradley, on a collision course with State Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), who opposes any effort to change the law that requires subway construction in the Valley to begin by Sept. 29.

Robbins, who authored the 1984 law, said in a telephone interview from Sacramento on Wednesday that he remains opposed to the establishment of a trust fund.

“It’s no real protection to the people of the Valley,” Robbins said, “What they put in trust, they can take out of trust.” Robbins also repeated his threat to sue transportation officials to force them to comply with the law, if necessary.

The commissioners said they hope to meet with Robbins to try to persuade him to back a change in the law because of growing support in the Valley for the trust fund. Some of the commissioners said they do not believe the law can be changed without Robbins’ support.

Bradley said the commission was responding to the wishes of the community. The trust fund was proposed by the Studio City Residents Assn. and has been endorsed by the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. and the Universal City-North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Its supporters say the trust fund will enable subway planners to live within the spirit of the law without beginning costly, and possibly disruptive, construction on a tunnel that may never be used.

“I would hate for us to spend your money and my money on a tunnel to nowhere,” said commissioner Walter King.

No Assurance

There is now no assurance of financing subway work beyond the 4.4-mile segment under construction between downtown Los Angeles and Wilshire Boulevard and Alvarado Street.

“It is incumbent upon us to listen to the people in the Valley,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo, a member of the commission whose district includes Studio City.

Bradley, who endorsed Robbins’ legislation in 1984, emphasized that his support for the trust fund does not mean his commitment to extend Metro Rail to the Valley is wavering.

“Everybody needs to know that we are fully committed, as we have been all along, to the construction of this segment in the San Fernando Valley,” Bradley said.

“The trust fund carries out our commitment. . . . Yet it does it without the disruption that would occur if we simply dug that hole to comply with the strict letter of the law.”

The commission, at Bradley’s urging, voted Wednesday to restrict spending of trust fund money to building Metro Rail in the Valley, instead of allowing the money to be used for any rail project, as recommended by the commission’s Rapid Transit Committee.

The restriction was imposed in response to concerns from the North Hollywood Residents Assn. over proposals for an above-ground trolley in North Hollywood.

Commissioners did not say what they would do if Robbins refuses to support changes in the law. The commission staff has said that, if the commission decides to proceed with construction this September, it should provide a fourth of the $74 million required to tunnel 4,500 feet north from Universal City to the Ventura Freeway over the next seven years.

The state Transportation Commission has already agreed to contribute half of the money, or $37 million. The Los Angeles City Council has yet to consider whether it will chip in the remaining $18.5 million.