CATCHING BUS CATCHING ON; LOCAL RIDERSHIP SHOWS BIG GAINS.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

For 15-year-olds Jon Spalding and Jimmy Caprarelli, Santa Clarita Transit gets them to the Valencia Town Center or the movies while their parents are at work.

``We can't drive yet,'' said Jimmy, waiting in the shade at the River Oaks shopping center. ``We just go to the mall, mostly. Our parents aren't home. The only problem is, we never know when it's going to get here.''

For Sheila Marowitz and Bob Campbell, the buses are their only way of getting to work, taking care of errands and getting around town.

``With the growing population, it's such an increasingly large need,'' Marowitz said. ``The community is growing and growing and transportation isn't keeping up.''

They all represent the passengers who have brought Santa Clarita Transit's ridership to 2 million in fiscal 1997-98, up from the 550,222 people who rode the bus in fiscal 1991-92, when the city took over the routes from Los Angeles County.

``The majority of the ridership is through local buses - about 84 percent,'' said Ben Jarvis, a city administrative analyst. ``The increase in passengers is just a natural factor of the growth we're experiencing.''

Commuters make up just 12 percent of riders, while 4 percent participate in Dial-A-Ride, Jarvis said.

The city, aware of concerns such as Marowitz's about increased demand, has already taken steps to improve service.

A new transit center in Valencia should be complete in late 1999, speeding bus transfers and shortening travel time by as much as 15 minutes, Jarvis said.

And six new buses have been ordered to serve the commuter lines to the San Fernando Valley and downtown Los Angeles by early next year, Jarvis said.

With improved service, Santa Clarita Transit wants to attract people from all over the community, not just the ones without cars, he said.

And Jarvis is a good example. He takes the bus to work every day.

``The bus is for everyone - for people who want to get to work, to run errands,'' Jarvis said. ``We're convinced that if they try the bus, they'll see it as an alternative.''

Part of the problem is that many people do not know the ins and outs of bus service, he said. Regular riders know what buses to take and where to transfer so that taking public transportation is easy, Jarvis said.

``Students and commuters - they're very aware of the bus network,'' Jarvis said. ``People who go to Warner Center (in Woodland Hills) or to downtown know the advantage. If I had to go down there, there's no question I'd take the bus or train.''

It also is a reasonable commute to Los Angeles, taking an hour and 15 minutes from the farthest end in Santa Clarita to the last stop downtown, Jarvis said. The commuter lines cost more than the local fare - $2.50 or $3 compared with 75 cents locally.

Fares make up a significant portion of Santa Clarita Transit's $10.3 million annual budget, which funds 70 buses on 17 routes. The agency also receives money generated through county Propositions A and C, state allocations and federal grants.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Chart

PHOTO (Color) Bus passengers such as these boarding at the Metrolink Station have helped push ridership to 2 million in fiscal 1997-98.

Hans Gutknecht/Daily News

CHART: TAKING THE BUS