A MESSAGE FOR THE MTA.

Byline: Allen Martin Local view

WITH a great deal of anxiety and anticipation, I looked forward to my first ride on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Red Line extension into Hollywood. This expensive and controversial public works project would be a godsend for me.

The opening of the new stations in the Hollywood area is only a taste of the independence I anticipate when, in the near future, the Red Line opens new stations in the Universal City and North Hollywood areas very near my Studio City home.

I am transit-dependent due to low vision. The daily commute between my home and my work is easy and convenient by bus, but I often need to attend meetings downtown and commuting from the San Fernando Valley into Los Angeles is sometime problematic. Therefore, the idea of a faster, cleaner form of transportation between the Valley and downtown is appealing.

I was devastated on my first ride to realize that this new subway would not easily increase my independence. The problem I have with the Red Line is the signage. The backlit signs are functional and creative in their implementation. However, the lettering is not big enough for me to read from inside the train.

This may not seem like such a big problem to most but my experience has been that the public address system, the only marker I have to help identify my location, will eventually fail.

I have taken trains all over this country and in many parts of the world, for that matter. Subway systems in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and New York City all have signage large enough for those of us with limited vision to see.

Even in foreign countries, I have found the lettering readable. I could read the signs in the London ``Underground.'' The signs in Madrid, Tokyo and Prague were also appropriate, even though I could not read the language.

Many of these foreign countries do not have comprehensive legislation like the American with Disabilities Act, yet they seem to know intuitively what is necessary to make their systems user-friendly.

The MTA Red Line may be ADA-compliant for the mobility impaired, but what about those of us with visual impairments?

The Red Line is an excellent system and is a great investment in the future growth and quality of life for all residents of Los Angeles. It opens cultural, professional, personal and social opportunities for those in the Hollywood area, and next year it will extend these to the Valley.

I would like to see the MTA address the signage issue - so as many people as possible can enjoy this great subway system and have equal access to more parts of this great city.