Mayor of Lancaster Named to MTA Board

The mayor of Lancaster, Frank C. Roberts, has been selected as the newest member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board of directors.

After touring MTA facilities Monday, Roberts said the immediate challenge he faces is to learn the intricacies of one of the nation’s largest transportation agencies so he can understand “why the problems seem to be so monumental.”

Roberts, the first elected mayor of the High Desert city, said he wants to ensure that the dozen cities in the northern part of the Los Angeles County receive their fair share of the MTA budget. “My major concern is and always will be is the MTA being fair to all the cities in all areas of L.A. County,” he said.

The 67-year-old educator said he believes the MTA needs to pursue bus and rail systems to improve mass transit.

Roberts was selected by other local government representatives to replace Glendale City Councilman Larry Zarian, who retired from the council and the MTA board.

Roberts, a longtime resident of the north county, spent much of his career as an instructor and later as dean of applied academics at Antelope Valley College.

His political experience includes seven years on the Lancaster City Council. Voters in the city chose him as their first elected mayor in April 1996. He was reelected a year ago.

During the last campaign, Roberts vowed to work to bring high-paying jobs to the Antelope Valley, saying that “people are tired of spending four hours in their car [commuting] to get to a decent job.”