MTA Admits It Can’t Meet Rail Schedule

Los Angeles City Council members and transit officials acknowledged Wednesday that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority cannot meet its promised schedule to build rail lines in the San Fernando Valley and Central Los Angeles.

The MTA agreed in June to begin construction of rail lines in the Valley by 2007, in the Eastside by 2004 and the Mid-City area by 2008.

In exchange, the council agreed to pay the MTA $200 million in city transit funds to help pay for subway construction.

Under the agreement, the council can withhold some or all of the funds if the MTA fails to meet its construction schedule.

Still, the council voted unanimously Wednesday to pay the first installment: $55 million to help cover cost overruns in the subway construction along the Hollywood line.

But Councilman Richard Alarcon, chairman of the council’s Transportation Committee, said he wants to meet with MTA officials to discuss payment of the remaining $142 million because it is clear that the MTA cannot meet its obligations on the rest of the schedule.

“‘My intent is to deal with the reality that they can’t meet their end of the bargain,” he said.

Alarcon said it was clear that the construction schedule could not be met after federal officials rejected the MTA’s so-called financial recovery plan that was required to receive federal funds.

In addition, he noted that an audit by Mayor Richard Riordan’s offices found a deficit in this year’s MTA budget that could grow to $58 million.

Linda Bohlinger, the MTA’s deputy chief executive officer, acknowledged that the agreement between the city and the MTA will have to be redrawn.

“It’s unlikely that the schedule we made with the city will remain the same,” she said.

“It may not be whether we build these projects, but when we build these projects.”

No meetings have been scheduled to discuss a new agreement.