EDITORIAL TRANSIT ON THE CHEAP VALLEY BUSWAY BREAKDOWN EXPOSES MTA'S SHORTCOMINGS.

IT was inevitable that the pavement under the heavily used Orange Line busway would wear out eventually, especially considering the popularity of the 14-mile east-west transit line.

But having that happen after just 14 months is not a sign of normal wear and tear.

Indeed, it's a sign that something is very wrong. Clearly, the MTA isn't overseeing the contractors or the process of maintaining this vital transit link.

The contractor insists that the uneven surface and bump in the east end of the busway isn't the company's fault. Of course, the MTA says it's not at fault either.

Frankly, the 21,000 commuters who rely on the busway every day probably don't care whose fault it is, so long as the deterioration is fixed and the line maintained.

When Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials are planning to spend billions on a subway and rail lines in other corners of the region, they must not forget the San Fernando Valley and the Orange Line.

The Valley, which has paid a fortune for the rest of the city's rail and subway lines, got scraps back in return.

At the vert least, maintaining this heavily used, highly popular -- and cheap -- project should be one of our local leaders' top priorities.

Or maybe it's time that the Valley pushed to the front of the line for a light-rail upgrade -- one that won't, we assume, begin to crumble after just one year in service.