Busway

* After 20 years of community meetings, divisive political ploys, and pricey investment studies, the San Fernando Valley has remained committed to a high-speed guideway [busway] that parallels the congested Ventura Freeway on the Burbank / Chandler railway [right of way]. Now Gov. Gray Davis’ plan proposes to pay for 80% of the entire project out of the state surplus.

It is time for the Valley to say thank you, take the money and build. It is not the time for still more political squabbling. (“Consider North-South Busway,” by Richard Alarcon, April 23). An alignment that neither relieves the 101 [freeway] nor even connects with our $1.3-billion dollar subway extension is a poor investment at this time.

Van Nuys Boulevard with its density and width is an excellent future corridor candidate, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has already planned it as a phase two rapid bus expansion corridor following phase one on Ventura Boulevard. A Van Nuys rapid bus would be a good transition to a future Van Nuys busway. Both Van Nuys and Chandler are former rail lines that could be converted to rail in the future if ridership demands it. Until then, can we just take the state money, build it and move on to future projects?

ROGER CHRISTENSEN

Sherman Oaks