New Transit Agency Elects 1st Board

An agency working toward improving public transit in the San Fernando Valley held its first meeting this week and elected its governing board.

The San Fernando Valley Transportation Zone Interim Joint Powers Agency was formed after many months of public discussions about alleviating traffic congestion in the Valley. The organization will decide whether a separate transit zone is needed in the Valley and replace the current Metropolitan Transportation Agency system with a cheaper, more efficient bus line.

Among those elected to the nine-member board Monday were Glendale City Councilman Sheldon Baker, and Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla and Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, both of whom represent portions of the Valley.

“Addressing the needs of transit-dependent communities in the Valley is our primary mission,” Padilla said. “The agency will work to improve our transportation networks in order to best serve Valley residents.”

At future meetings, the board will review the costs and scheduling of a possible Valley transit system. The proposed zone would be virtually independent of MTA, which shuttles thousands of Valley residents to and from downtown Los Angeles on 27 lines.

The agency serves the cities of Agoura Hills, Burbank, Glendale, Hidden Hills, La Canada Flintridge, Los Angeles, San Fernando, Westlake Village and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

The board is scheduled to meet in Glendale the first Monday of every month.