Transit Zone Survey Sent to Candidates
The mayoral race is heating up and the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. has two key transportation questions for each of the candidates.
On Friday, VICA sent surveys to the six candidates asking for their positions on a separate San Fernando Valley transit zone and a pending bill in the Legislature that threatens it.
Senate Bill 1101, sponsored by state Sen. Kevin Murray (D-Culver City), requires a new operator of a bus service to pay wages and benefits consistent with those now received by workers with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
In October, Gov. Gray Davis vetoed an earlier version of Murray’s bill that was backed by the unions representing MTA drivers and mechanics. That legislation would have made it difficult for other transit operators to take over MTA bus routes in the Valley.
The proposed transit zone is a group of eight Valley area cities--plus portions of Los Angeles city and county--that want to operate more than 25 bus lines now run by the MTA.
VICA said it is essential to know how the next mayor views the creation of a separate zone.
“If we want a sensible workable solution for getting workers to their jobs, VICA needs to know where they are [on this issue] and what kind of mayor they would be,” said Scott O. Schmidt, VICA’s government liaison director.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
