Valley Transit Zone a Possibility

Moving a step further in the quest for a semi-independent transit zone in the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday called for an in-depth study of the idea, which some lawmakers believe could improve Valley bus service.

“This would take the focus from rail, and place it where I think it ought to be--buses,” said City Councilman Richard Alarcon, the proposal’s sponsor. “This isn’t a secession issue,” he added. “It’s a quality of service issue.”

Bus service in the Valley is currently administered by the giant and troubled Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is also building an increasingly costly and controversial rail system in Los Angeles.

Critics such as Alarcon have complained that the enormous expense of building rail lines and subway tunnels has siphoned off funds needed to improve bus service.

Alarcon’s proposal calls for the MTA to create a separate transit agency for the Valley. The agency would oversee Valley bus service while continuing to receive MTA funding.

Wednesday’s council action authorizes the city transportation staff to study how well such a zone could work, and draw up specific plans for zone borders. The department must also develop a blueprint for a governing board that would oversee the zone.

“We would structure the authority so as to give people in the Valley more decision-making authority,” Alarcon said.

The creation of a separate Valley transit zone would eventually require approval from eight of the 13 MTA board members.

A related proposal in the state Senate sponsored by Sen. Tom Hayden, D-Los Angeles, would bypass the MTA board altogether, and change state law to create a completely independent Valley transit agency.

The MTA, meanwhile, is studying related proposals to break up its vast bus administration countywide and form subregional transit zones in all the areas it serves.

To form a separate transit zone in the Valley, the city must first conduct complicated analyses over the next few months to show that the zone would bring significant cost savings and improve services.

The city transportation department may also look into forging agreements for bus services with neighboring municipalities, such as Burbank and San Fernando.