Citing Valley Advocacy, Riordan Names Bernson to MTA Board

After being criticized for leaving the San Fernando Valley unrepresented on the powerful Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, Mayor Richard Riordan named veteran City Councilman Hal Bernson to the panel Monday.

In making his appointment, the mayor cited Bernson’s knowledge of transportation issues and experience as Riordan’s own proxy on the countywide board for the past two years.

“He is a true advocate of San Fernando Valley residents and businesses and has always made his constituents a first priority,” Riordan said in a prepared statement. “I’m confident that he will continue to be an innovator in public transportation issues and will implement the necessary programs and reforms that will benefit the millions of county residents who rely on and use public transportation.”

Bernson, who represents the northwest Valley, fills a vacancy left by the resignation of another Riordan appointee, Carol Schatz. As the mayor of Los Angeles, Riordan is the most powerful of the 13 MTA board members and controls four votes on the panel.

Until a few months ago, the Valley commanded one of those slots in the person of appointee Mel Wilson, a Northridge real estate agent who stepped down from the MTA board after a four-year tenure to join the city fire commission. Riordan’s decision to replace Wilson with a non-Valley resident drew fire from Valley advocates frustrated with the transportation authority’s glacial pace in bringing rapid transit to the area.

Bernson’s appointment will put the Valley’s voice back in the mix on the MTA board, said Larry Gray, co-chairman of the transportation committee of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn.

“The Valley needs more than just one vote,” said Gray, “but at least this is a good start.”

Noelia Rodriguez, Riordan’s press secretary, denied that her boss appointed Bernson simply in answer to complaints from Valley residents, whose votes helped spring Riordan into the mayor’s office.

“This is the answer to the need to have a strong leader join the mayor’s leadership on the MTA’s board,” she said. “The mayor has been a consistent voice of advocacy for the residents of the San Fernando Valley. Hal will certainly become part of the chorus now in a more direct way.”

Although he had “some concern” over the assignment--mostly because of the heavy workload, an aide said--Bernson accepted the appointment as an opportunity “to fight for the San Fernando Valley’s share of transit dollars,” particularly in the effort to build a cross-Valley rail system.

In recent months, Bernson has advocated the possibility of turning the unused corridor along Burbank and Chandler boulevards into a commuter rail line run by Metrolink, a position that could put him at odds with organizations like VICA, which has for several years supported a subway along that route.

But Gray said VICA is willing to look at new options.

“Hal will definitely help us get something going in the east-west corridor. Whether that’s trains or light buses or light rail or heavy rail remains to be seen,” he said. “But the improvement of the east-west Burbank-Chandler corridor is essential, and we’ve got to get moving with that.”