Observations of a Van-Pool Rider

* After the earthquake, my fellow van-pool riders and I switched to taking the train from Santa Clarita to Burbank, then from Burbank to Century City, where we all work. Once the 14 and 5 freeways were partially reopened, we returned to driving our van. There are several observations that I have made in the short time that I took the train.

First, the vast majority of people that are taking the train from Santa Clarita (I would estimate 80%) go only as far as Burbank. The fare to Burbank is the same as to Union Station, even though it is slightly more than halfway. The fares on the Metrolink are based in part on the cost of parking Downtown. More people would probably ride the train if fares to Burbank were lower than to Union Station.

Second, I expected the train schedules to become more accurate as time went on and the Metrolink authorities got used to the addition of new trains. A week and a half later, the train schedule still showed a 50-minute commute to Union Station even though there were three more train stations and the train was so long that it had to make two stops at each station. The pre-earthquake 50-minute ride is now one hour and 20 minutes.

Third, from the traffic that I see on the freeway, the people still on the train are the ones who work near one of the train stations. The traffic on Interstate 5 is still relatively light south of the 14 freeway, while traffic on the 405 freeway is now back to its normal backups.

We’re told that 5% of the population of Los Angeles works Downtown. Yet 80% of all mass transit money is spent getting those 5% to work. The rest of us are left out in the cold. Getting express buses to the Westside is next to impossible. The 573 bus from Santa Clarita to Granada Hills to Century City takes about 1 1/2 hours because of all the stops it must make. My van pool takes only 50 minutes for the same trip.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Caltrans have been trying to get people to rideshare for a long time now. The number of people car-pooling on the Antelope Valley Freeway has dramatically increased since the car-pool lane was added.

Car-pool lanes are desperately needed on the San Diego Freeway from the Santa Monica Freeway north to the Golden State Freeway. This would undoubtedly have the same effect on drivers as the car-pool lane on the 14 freeway.

Finally, I found that Metrolink riders were friendly and courteous. There was no elbowing or shoving as has been described in at least two articles in The Times.

If I were working Downtown, I would be riding the train to work every day in spite of the current problems that Metrolink is having.

ARTHUR KAYNE

Saugus