Backers of New Transit Zone Are Skeptical

A group pushing for a separate San Fernando Valley transit district has canceled its next meeting Monday--as well as all future meetings--until Gov. Gray Davis acts on pending legislation, which if he signs, could kill the breakaway plan.

“We are not confident about what will happen with the bill,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, a county supervisor and chairman of the Valley’s interim joint powers authority. “If the governor vetoes this, no harm, no foul. But if the governor signs this into law, what we have is no approval for a zone.”

Yaroslavsky and others who want the separate district say it can bring improved service to Valley residents at a cheaper cost. But opponents say the new zone will require current workers with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to sacrifice their wages and benefits.

The labor-backed bill ensures that operators of a new zone retain the MTA’s wages and benefits.

A nearly identical bill was vetoed last year by Davis, who said he did not think the state should interfere in a local agency issue with labor unions.

But this time around, a Davis spokesman specifically stated that the governor has yet to indicate how he will act on the current bill.

“He has not said what he will do,” said Roger Salazar, Davis’ deputy press secretary.

Unions representing transit workers and the MTA are currently embroiled in negotiations over a new contract. Unions have asked for guarantees of existing wages and benefits from the MTA in the event a Valley transit district is formed.

“[Davis] hopes that both sides will come together for an agreement quickly,” Salazar said.

The proposed Valley transit zone would include Los Angeles, eight other cities and the county of Los Angeles, stretching from La Canada Flintridge to Agoura Hills. By MTA estimates, it would be the second largest transit district after its own agency, operating hundreds of buses on about 26 lines.

State Sen. Kevin Murray (D-Culver City), who wrote the legislation, said he disagrees with the characterization of his bill as a “zone killer.”

“All it says is if a man or woman working for the MTA gets thrown into a [newly created] zone, they get to keep what they have,” Murray said. “Why wouldn’t we say that employees get treated as well in the new zone?”

Last year, when Davis vetoed a similar bill, Murray recalled the governor saying he was sympathetic to issues raised by the unions, but if their wage and benefit concerns weren’t worked out, Davis would consider signing a future bill.

Murray questioned proponents of a Valley bus district who have rallied for local control. The bigger goal, he said, appears to be saving money and “the only way they were going to have the zone was on the back of the employees.”

Yaroslavsky, however, said the unions are holding onto future MTA contracts “as a security blanket,” with contracts that are 25% better than others in the county.

Officials said the hourly cost to run an MTA bus is $98.75.

Santa Monica runs its service at about $70 an hour, and Foothill Transit at $62.34 per hour.

Davis has until Sept. 30 to act on the bill.