Valley Business Group Endorses Heavy Rail

A San Fernando Valley business group has voted against recent recommendations by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to build a light-rail transit system, with enhanced bus service, across the east-west Valley corridor.

Instead, the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. favors building a heavy-rail line that would run from North Hollywood to the San Diego Freeway, between Burbank and Chandler boulevards.

“The time for studying route alternatives has long since passed,” said Nathan Brogin, co-chairman of the VICA’s transportation committee. “VICA reaffirms its support for heavy rail and urges the MTA to seek federal funding in the 1997 budget” for a heavy-rail proposal.

Heavy-rail proponents have advocated options such as a deep-bore subway along that same route, or a shallow-trench subway with a concrete cover, or a shallow-trench subway.

But a recent MTA report said construction of a heavy-rail system between North Hollywood and the San Diego Freeway would cost between $673 million and $826 million. So the agency’s report recommended a lower cost monorail or light-rail system that it said would cost between $371 million and $513 million.

After public hearings in the fall, the MTA’s board of directors will make a final decision by December so the transportation plan can be presented to Congress for funding.