EDITORIAL COMING TOGETHER L.A.'S AIR TRAFFIC FUTURE REQUIRES A REGIONAL EFFORT.

MAYOR Antonio Villaraigosa is off hobnobbing in Asia, he says, because Los Angeles is America's point of entry to the world. The global economy passes through our sea and airports, in this, the ``Venice of the 21st Century.''

Which is all true and good, except that in this Venice, our ``canals'' are jammed freeways like the 405 and 101. Call it the ``Venetian Bind.''

Modern commerce depends heavily on air transport, but Los Angeles International Airport is hemmed in by the ocean and the heavily congested West Side roads and freeways.

What that means is that L.A. can't be America and the world's hub unless it improves the way goods and people pass through it.

To that end, there have been some positive recent developments. Last week, the Los Angeles City Council approved a $576 million plan to overhaul the Bradley International Terminal at LAX, thus bringing the facility in line with current needs and demands.

But that's only a small improvement and, arguably, the easiest one to achieve. Ultimately, the only way to deal with L.A.'s burgeoning airport needs is to spread air traffic far and wide -- and develop a truly regional approach to air traffic.

Here, too, though, we're seeing some progress. Last Thursday, the previously dormant Southern California Regional Airport Authority reconvened, thanks to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's commitment to keep spreading around the pain and the gain of passenger and cargo traffic. The authority is charged with devising a comprehensive regionalization plan.

At the same time, a bipartisan coalition headed up by state Sens. George Runner, R-Lancaster, and Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys, formed to advocate for a Palmdale Regional Airport, which only makes sense, given the rapid expansion in the Antelope Valley and North Los Angeles County.

Of course, there's a big difference between talking about regionalization and implementing it. But for once, local leaders seem united in their commitment to the idea, and to making ``the Venice of the 21st Century'' more than just a catchy slogan.