ANTONIO, MTA PUSH FOR RELIEF ON 405 GRIDLOCK.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

With $400 million in federal funds on the line, Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa and local transportation officials rallied Tuesday in support of efforts to speed construction of a northbound car-pool lane on the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass.

With Congress in the final stages of negotiating a five-year plan for highway projects, Rep. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, said he has won support for funding the 405 project years ahead of schedule but accused Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration of blocking his effort in favor of the Alameda Corridor East freight-hauling project.

Villaraigosa jumped into the dispute by asserting he will make the car- pool lane a top priority when he takes the helm of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in July, while agency officials said they would borrow if necessary to provide the $100 million in matching funds required by Congress for a $400 million allocation.

``Let me assure you that this ... lane through the Sepulveda Pass will be one of my top priorities,'' Villaraigosa wrote in a letter to Berman.

Villaraigosa pledged to ``take whatever steps are necessary to expedite the early construction of this congestion-relief and safety-related project. I am committed to finding the local matching funds that are required to get this project started.''

The MTA also pledged to finance part of the project until $75 million already set aside for construction is available from the state.

MTA officials told Berman the agency could provide the authority needed to get the project started within the required 4 1/2-year time frame.

``These projects are like our children. We want to get them done,'' said the MTA's David Yale. ``We would certainly look at our priorities and look to the board to make the necessary commitment.''

The 10-mile northbound car-pool lane on the 405 Freeway, between the Santa Monica and Ventura freeways, got sidelined when the state repeatedly borrowed Proposition 42 gas-tax funds during the budget crisis. It's now scheduled to be completed in 2018.

Berman stepped in with the potential $400 million designation in the massive $300 billion federal highway bill pending before Congress.

The congressman criticized Schwarzenegger earlier this week, saying his administration is jeopardizing the potential deal by failing to strongly support the car-pool-lane project.

The Schwarzenegger administration instead is trying to secure $900 million in the federal bill for the Alameda Corridor East project.

But Berman insists both projects are possible, and he stepped up criticism Tuesday about the governor.

``It's just bureaucratese gobbledygook, instead of finding a way to make it happen and putting the best case forward,'' the congressman said.

``We have the possibility of $400 million they never counted on being proposed for a California project. It's up to the governor and his people to decide to step up to the plate.''

A Schwarzenegger spokesman said the governor has done more than anyone lately for transportation in California. Schwarzenegger has pledged to restore $1.3 billion in the 2005-06 budget for transportation - the first from voter-approved Proposition 42 in three years.

``The congressman seems to have a hard time taking yes for answer. We support the project,'' said Schwarzenegger spokesman Vince Sollitto.

The congressman's attack, Sollitto said, ``sounds like somebody who already knows some bad news on this.''

``We support the congressman's efforts in this respect ... and don't understand why he feels compelled to look for people to seek blame for something that hasn't happened when he should be trying to focus his efforts to make it happen.''

Berman spokeswoman Gene Smith responded: ``That sounds like a very bad, bad excuse from people who have not stepped up to the plate.''

Berman has said repeatedly he needs the state to commit to two things - providing matching funds and getting the work seriously under way by 2009.

Schwarzenegger's staff said it's up to the MTA and the California Transportation Commission to come up with the funds.

But California Transportation Commissioner Allen M. Lawrence said the commission cannot promise the $75 million - already set aside for the project - without a commitment from the governor that the money will be there when work is ready to start a few years from now.

``We need assurance from the governor and the Legislature on that. If they provide those assurances, we will commit to the funding.''

``They could get creative if they wanted to,'' he said. ``The governor and the Legislature could say, Hey, this is a heck of a deal, and find a way to make sure the CTC has the money to expend it at that time.''

Staff Writer David M. Drucker contributed to this report.