New Routes, Habits Help Area Traffic System Pass Initial Test : Commute: Network of detours and high ridership on Metrolink ease congestion. But officials warn that start of school and more motorists could overload roads.

Transportation officials applauded the emergence of an uneasy new equilibrium on Los Angeles streets and freeways Monday, saying a patchwork of detours and commuters’ willingness to break old habits had kept traffic flowing grudgingly just a week after the earthquake.

“Our commuters here in Los Angeles are innovative and resilient. They react and they respond well to a crisis,” said Jerry B. Baxter, Caltrans district director. “If they hadn’t responded, we would have had mass, mass confusion and tie-ups.”

Still, officials said Monday’s commute was far from normal and they warned that drives from the Santa Clarita Valley and the Westside toward Downtown could still be tied in knots in coming days. Facing drivers will be the reopening of schools, the expected arrival of rain and the return to work of an untold number of commuters who have so far remained on the sidelines.

It was unclear how many of the 5.6 million drivers who usually traverse county highways and freeways stayed off the road Monday, on what had been billed as the first full commuter day since the 6.6-magnitude Northridge quake.

“There is a settling-in period that is most of this week,” said Tom Conner, assistant general manager of the city’s Department of Transportation. “We are going to need some real behavioral shifts for it all to work out.”

In other post-earthquake developments:

* Seventy-six schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District remain closed today, nearly all of them in the West San Fernando Valley. About 65,000 students who attend the closed schools will have to stay home until alternative plans are made, possibly relocation to another campus. The district will make announcements daily on additional campus openings.

* The number of buildings declared at least partially uninhabitable in the city of Los Angeles jumped to 4,322, encompassing a total of 14,576 housing units. Officials said damage to buildings in Los Angeles was approaching $1 billion.

* The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it had taken 40,000 applications for aid and issued checks totaling $1,766,400 to 1,100 families.

* President Clinton planned to announce today that he will waive a federal law that requires state and local governments to pick up 25% of the cost of repairing roads, schools and other facilities damaged in natural disaster. Under the waiver, the federal government would pick up 90% of those costs.

Clinton is expected to ask for an aid package of more than $5 billion, up from the earlier estimates of between $4 billion and $5 billion. The exact number remains in doubt as damage estimates continue to change. U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena, still in Los Angeles on Monday to help with recovery efforts, estimated that $1 billion may go to transportation repairs.

Commuters in the two hardest-hit corridors--the Santa Monica Freeway and the intersection of the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways--seemed to have reached a tenuous accommodation with their new circumstances Monday. But the evening commute had bogged down badly with backups of nine miles and up to two hours to get through the Newhall Pass into the Santa Clarita Valley and half-an-hour delays in reaching the Westside from Downtown.

Most drivers on alternates to the closed Santa Monica Freeway, linking the Westside and Downtown, said they were delayed 15 to 30 minutes. Motorists were experimenting with a variety of east-west alternatives, from Wilshire and Olympic boulevards in the north, to Adams and Jefferson boulevards south of the freeway.

“I expected worse, given what I was hearing on car radio,” said Donn Ehrlich, a fashion designer, of his trip to the Mid-City area. “I’m just going to have to get up earlier and get out earlier to make good time.”

Others were less sanguine. “It’s bad, it’s real bad but it’s moving,” said Alexandria Morris, after picking up her daughter and stopping for gas near Robertson Boulevard Monday evening.

The nation’s busiest freeway should receive a boost this morning with the opening of car-pool lanes in both directions, transportation officials said. The lanes will allow buses and cars with two or more riders to stay on the damaged freeway for about a mile longer and to take detours half the length of those riding in single-passenger cars.

The detours will be able to handle about one-quarter of the volume normally provided by the freeway.

The striping of the freeway to create the new car-pool lanes, ironically, created one of Monday’s greatest traffic snarls. Several lanes on the westbound Santa Monica Freeway were closed for the morning, leading to a three-mile backup and as much as a half-hour delay. But the roadway had been returned to its previous La Brea Avenue-to-Robertson Boulevard closure by midday.

Officials attributed the manageable commutes on the Westside in part to “very heavy” loads on MTA buses along several Westside-to-Downtown lines.

But ridership on express routes is still lagging.

Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines reported that ridership on its No. 10 express had not returned to normal levels. And the MTA had fewer than 30 riders on a new line it created between Downtown and Pacific Palisades. Some of the nine buses leaving a beach parking lot at Temescal Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway did not have a single rider.

On the bottlenecked Golden State Freeway from the Santa Clarita Valley, cars were moving at relatively speedy 30 m.p.h. for much of the morning, compared to last week’s gridlock. After 7 a.m., the pace had slowed so that it took up to an hour and 15 minutes to traverse the Newhall Pass.

Any improvement over last week was due in large part to the increasing number of train commuters into the heart of Los Angeles, said Edward G. LaFond, an assistant chief with the California Highway Patrol.

Metrolink train ridership reached an all-time high of 25,000 Monday, up from a pre-quake peak of 10,000. Leading the jump is the now bustling Santa Clarita Valley route, which had an estimated 16,000 riders Monday, compared to 13,000 Friday and just 1,000 before the earthquake.

Metrolink officials had added 1,000 parking spaces at the Santa Clarita station and another 1,000 spaces are available at the new Palmdale and Lancaster stations. And more expansions were promised:

The partially built Sylmar-San Fernando station is scheduled to open Wednesday at Hubbard Street and San Fernando Road, although there will be no parking there for now. On Thursday, the Lancaster-Los Angeles line will add another stop south of Palmdale near the Antelope Valley Freeway and Angeles Forest Highway interchange, where Navy Seabees are working feverishly on an 800-parking-space station. Next, Metrolink officials plan on adding a station in the north end of the Santa Clarita Valley, to complement the existing station.

Transportation officials were jubilant about the public’s sudden enthusiasm for train travel, and they were hopeful for more community spirit on other fronts.

Car-pooling assistance organizations have reported a mixed response from the public.

Commuter Transportation Services said inquiries about car-pooling had jumped to 500 a day, a fivefold increase. However, officials with Team Rideshare--a Caltrans-funded organization that helps companies set up car-pool programs--say they have not experienced any increase in calls since the earthquake.

Businesses are just beginning to react to Mayor Richard Riordan’s call for altered work schedules, ride-sharing and for trucking companies to send their deliveries at night. A similar plan reduced peak-hour truck traffic by 14% during the 1984 Olympic Games.

Irwindale-based Home Savings & Loan officials dispatched two rented vans Monday to pick up workers who had taken Metrolink commuter trains to Glendale. “People are happy we are just finding a solution for them,” said Monica Price, a transportation coordinator for the bank.

At Arco, with 4,000 employees in the county, executives are considering whether to adopt a staggered workweek at several facilities, said spokesman Albert Greenstein.

Federal Express delivery officials vowed to cooperate “if a special directive is issued.” But a United Parcel Service spokeswoman said that off-hour deliveries could crimp business. “Many customers are paying a premium for delivery at special times--we are not able to choose delivery times,” said spokeswoman Gina Ellrich.

Even before the mayor’s appeal, Lockheed Corp. executives offered their 5,000 employees in Los Angeles County flexible work schedules, including four-day, 10-hour workweeks.

The Assembly on Monday joined Riordan’s call, passing a resolution urging state, local and federal agencies and departments to adopt staggered and flexible work hours for non-emergency-related employees to help relieve traffic congestion caused by the Northridge earthquake. The resolution, authored by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar), now goes to the Senate.

* RELATED QUAKE COVERAGE: A4-A7, D1, D2

Finding Your Route

Navigating the quake-mangled freeway system will take planning and perseverance, probably for many months to come. Here are the major road closures and some alternate routes:

A one-way southbound lane will be opened later in the week at Sepulveda Boulevard between San Fernando Road and the Golden State Freeway on ramp at Roxford Street.

Beginning today, the shortest westbound detour will be reserved for car pools and buses only. Non-car-poolers headed west will need to take the La Brea-to-Pico-to-Robertson detour. To ease congestion on the major east-west streets, officials are instituting a computerized system known as the “smart corridor.” The boulevards involved are Pico, Washington, Venice and Adams.

The following road conditions are in place:

1. Northbound Pacific Coast Highway has reopened from Chautauqua Boulevard to Temescal Canyon. Lane three of southbound Pacific Coast Highway is closed one-quarter mile north of McClure tunnel.

2. Golden State Freeway (I-5) northbound, closed from Antelope Valley Freeway (California 14) to Lyons Avenue, but truck lane to Antelope Valley Freeway is open. Golden State Freeway, two northbound lanes, closed at Magic Mountain Parkway. On-ramp from Magic Mountain Parkway is closed.

Primary alternate: Take northbound Antelope Valley Freeway to westbound San Fernando Road (California 126), left (west) on Lyons Avenue to I-5. For truck detour, take northbound 14 to westbound California 138 to northbound I-5. Northbound I-5 two lanes are open.

3. The southbound Golden State Freeway (I-5) is closed between Lyons Avenue and the Foothill Freeway (I-210) because of bridge collapse. Two lanes closed on I-5 southbound at Rye Canyon Road.

Primary alternate: Exit at Lyons Avenue east, right (south) to San Fernando Road (California 126), right (south) on Sierra Highway, left (south) to San Fernando Road, right (south) on Sepulveda Boulevard, left (east) to Roxford Street to southbound I-5. I-5 southbound connectors to east and westbound 118 are closed.

4. Golden State Freeway (I-5) southbound, north of California 138, local traffic only past California 138. All other traffic will be detoured via primary alternate.

Primary alternate: Golden State (I-5) southbound to California 138 (eastbound) to the Antelope Valley Freeway (California 14) southbound to eastbound California 138 to the southbound Barstow Freeway (I-15). Use westbound San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) or the Pomona Freeway (California 60) to Downtown L.A.

5. The eastbound Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) is closed from La Cienega Boulevard to Washington Boulevard. Northbound and southbound connectors to I-405 are open.

Primary alternate: Use Robertson Boulevard exit, left on Venice Boulevard, right on National Boulevard, continue on Jefferson Boulevard, left on La Brea Avenue to eastbound Santa Monica Freeway. Car-pool lane detour: Use southbound La Cienega Boulevard exit, right on La Cienega, left on Washington Boulevard Blvd, to eastbound I-10.

6. The westbound Santa Monica Freeway is closed from Washington Boulevard to La Cienega Boulevard.

Primary alternate: Exit northbound La Brea Avenue, right to Pico Boulevard, left (west) on Pico, left (south) on Robertson Boulevard to westbound I-10. Car-pool lane detour: Exit at Washington Boulevard, proceed right (north) to Fairfax Avenue, left (west) at Venice Boulevard, right (west) at Cadillac Avenue, left (south) at La Cienega Boulevard to westbound Santa Monica.

7. The westbound Santa Monica Freeway connector to the southbound San Diego Freeway (I-405) is closed because of structural damage.

Primary alternate: Westbound traffic exit at Overland Avenue, proceed straight onto National Boulevard to southbound San Diego Freeway (I-405) on-ramp.

8. Antelope Valley Freeway (California 14), one lane is closed between the Golden State Freeway (I-5) split and San Fernando Road. Off-ramp to Sierra Highway closed.

Primary alternate: Use off-ramp to Via Princessa to Sierra Highway.

9. Antelope Valley Freeway (California 14) southbound closed at Placerita Canyon Road (before the Golden State Freeway interchange).

Primary alternate: Exit southbound Antelope Valley Freeway at Placerita Canyon Road, left (south) on Sierra Highway, which turns into San Fernando Road, proceed south (right) to Sepulveda Boulevard, right on Sepulveda Boulevard, proceed to southbound Golden State Freeway (I-5).

10. Hollywood Freeway (U.S. 101) connector northbound at California 170 is open.

11. Eastbound Simi Valley Freeway (California 118) is closed from Reseda Boulevard to the Foothill Freeway (I-210). Two lanes closed on eastbound 118 between Tapo Canyon Road and Stearns in Ventura County. Westbound Simi Valley Freeway (California 118) is closed from the Foothill Freeway (I-210) to Reseda Boulevard.

Primary alternate: Exit onto southbound Tampa Avenue to Devonshire Street, left on Devonshire to southbound San Diego Freeway or continue on Arleta Avenue, left on Van Nuys Boulevard to southbound Golden State Freeway or the Foothill Freeway. Primary Alternate Westbound: San Diego Freeway (I-405) exit at Roscoe Boulevard or Devonshire Street, left to Tampa Avenue, right to westbound Simi Valley Freeway (California 118).

12. All connector lanes from eastbound I-210 to westbound Simi Valley Freeway (California 118) are closed.

Primary alternate: Use Osborne Street exit, left on Foothill Boulevard, left (west) on Van Nuys Boulevard, right (north) on Arleta, continue on Devonshire, right (north) on Tampa to westbound Simi Valley Freeway.

13. Northbound I-405 from Devonshire to I-5 is closed at Devonshire because of buckled freeway structure.

Primary alternate: Exit at Nordhoff Street, right (east) on Nordhoff/Osborne Streets to northbound I-5. Northbound I-405 connector to eastbound I-10 is open.

14. All northbound I-405 connector lanes to westbound Simi Valley Freeway (California 118) are closed because of structural damage.

Primary alternate: Exit at Devonshire, left (west) on Devonshire, right (north) on Tampa, to westbound Simi Valley Freeway.

15. All southbound I-405 connector lanes to east and westbound Simi Valley Freeway are closed. Simi Valley Freeway (California 118) is closed from I-210 to Reseda Boulevard. I-405 southbound through-traffic lanes are open.

Primary Alternate: Exit right on Rinaldi to Reseda, proceed to westbound Simi Valley Freeway on-ramp.

16: I-5 northbound connector to eastbound I-210 is closed.

Primary alternate: Exit at Roxford, right (north) on Roxford to I-210.

I-5 northbound connectors to east and westbound Simi Valley Freeway (California 118) are closed. Primary alternate: From northbound I-5 exit to westbound Van Nuys, right on Arleta, continue on Devonshire, right to Tampa, to westbound Simi Valley Freeway (California 118).

For freeway information, call (800) 427-7623.

Source: Caltrans and Automobile Club of Southern California