Assembly Passes Measure Banning 2 Light-Rail Routes

After a brief debate between two San Fernando Valley legislators, the state Assembly Thursday approved and sent to the Senate a bill to ban light-rail construction in North Hollywood and Van Nuys for a decade.

The legislation, which also would postpone Metro Rail tunneling in the Valley for two years, was approved by a vote of 41 to 30.

Valley business leaders are fighting the bill because it would kill two of five possible light-rail routes under consideration for the Valley, including the only routes that directly link the fast-growing Warner Center commercial area with the East Valley.

The bill was introduced at the behest of North Hollywood residents fighting to prevent construction of a light-rail line along Chandler Boulevard. They contend that a trolley would introduce congestion, noise and visual blight to their largely residential community.

Neighborhood Damage

Assemblyman Tom Bane (D-Tarzana), who is co-sponsoring the bill with Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), asked fellow Assembly members Thursday to pass the bill in order to halt consideration of a route that “runs the full length of my district and would destroy many neighborhoods.”

Bane accused the leading opponent, Assemblywoman Marian W. La Follette (R-Northridge), whose district includes most of Warner Center, of “representing business interests who want the bill defeated.”

But La Follette argued that the Robbins-Bane bill would “send the wrong kind of message” to the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, which is building a countywide trolley network, and could jeopardize the Valley’s chances for a light-rail system.

Noting that the commission in March authorized a $1.6-million environmental study of the five routes, La Follette also argued that it is improper for the Legislature to interfere with a study in progress.

Because the bill is sponsored by a Democrat and opposed by a Republican, voting was strictly along party lines. As Bane and La Follette predicted in interviews before the vote, all votes in favor were cast by Democrats and all opposing were cast by Republicans.

Little Senate Opposition

The measure is expected to face little opposition in the Senate, where Democrats also command a majority. However, opponents are concentrating on persuading Gov. George Deukmejian, a Republican, to veto the bill.

“I think we have a good chance to convince the governor to exercise a veto,” La Follette said.

Business leaders last week announced a letter-writing campaign to the governor urging a veto.

Among the groups opposing the bill are the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn., the Warner Center Assn. and the United Chambers of Commerce, representing 20 local chambers.

If the bill becomes law, it will eliminate from consideration a route that follows Chandler east of the San Diego Freeway and Victory Boulevard west of the freeway, and one that follows Victory the length of the Valley.

The three remaining routes would be the Ventura Freeway, the Los Angeles River and the Southern Pacific railroad mainline, which crosses the Valley from Burbank Airport to Chatsworth.

The Chandler-Victory route is favored by business interests and by the County Transportation Commission staff, which says it would be the least costly of the five routes and would have the most riders.

Transit planners say that each of the three routes unaffected by the Robbins-Bane bill would be expensive and difficult to build.

In contrast to the light-rail provision, the Metro Rail delay contained in the Robbins-Bane bill has nearly universal support.

Homeowner leaders and elected officials agree that it is best to postpone the start of tunneling on the 2.4-mile segment of the North Hollywood-to-downtown subway until it is clear that federal funds will be available to complete the line.

Without the delay contained in the legislation, the Southern California Rapid Transit District is required by a 1984 state law to begin tunneling in Studio City and North Hollywood by Sept. 29, the one-year anniversary of the start of subway work in downtown Los Angeles.