NORTHRIDGE : Train Ridership Up as New Stations Open

The number of people riding Metrolink commuter trains along the Ventura County line increased by about 11% Monday, the first day the agency expanded service along the line by adding two new emergency stations, including one in Northridge.

Passengers on the line numbered 3,166, said Francisco Oaxaca, spokesman for Metrolink. The line, which extends from Camarillo to downtown Los Angeles--with stops in Moorpark, Northridge, Burbank and other sites on the way--transported an average of 2,500 passengers per day before the Jan. 17 earthquake, he said.

Right after the quake, which forced many motorists to shun cars, the average number of passengers per day rose to about 2,800, he said. Monday’s addition of new stations at Camarillo and Northridge appears to have further boosted ridership, although Oaxaca cautioned that the first day may not provide a good sample of how many people will end up using the trains.

The new stops are among seven Metrolink has established since the earthquake, using money from a $63-million federal emergency grant. The new stations are temporary, and their fates will be reconsidered in 12 months.

Teri Canfield, manager of the Northridge Chamber of Commerce, said some business owners in the area are already hoping that the Northridge station, on property owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power at Wilbur Avenue and Parthenia Street, will remain.

“We would love it to be a permanent situation,” said Walter Prince, a businessman who works on transportation issues for the chamber. “You have a huge population of the work force located right across the street there.”

Metrolink officials say the station will stay only if local funding is provided to maintain it.