Council to Weigh Valley Transit Zone
Hoping to improve public transit in the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles City Council agreed Tuesday to look into creating a separate Valley transportation zone that would be able to set its own priorities and routes for bus and van service.
The new zone, modeled after one in the San Gabriel Valley, would be virtually independent from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Valley transit advocates have criticized the MTA for poorly managing its huge budget and neglecting the San Fernando Valley, home to 150,000 passengers who ride about 60 bus lines.
Under the motion approved by the council, the city Department of Transportation will conduct a monthlong study of whether such a transit zone would be feasible.
To justify its existence financially, the new zone must be able to cut costs of operating Valley buses by at least 25%.
Councilman Richard Alarcon, who introduced the motion, said a Valley district could probably achieve that reduction.
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