HEARING PLANNED ON PROPOSED CUTS TO BUS SERVICE.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

The MTA will hold a public hearing Wednesday on plans to scale back bus service on three San Fernando Valley area lines as part of a systemwide proposal to save $3 million on lesser used routes.

The Valley line along Laurel Canyon Boulevard to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center would lose its weekend service, as would the line from Chatsworth to Studio City. The line on Riverside Drive to downtown L.A. would be operated only hourly.

The MTA's San Fernando Valley Service Sector Council will hold a public hearing Wednesday on more than 20 route changes systemwide. If approved, the cuts could take effect as soon as Oct. 26.

``These are among the least utilized lines in the system,'' said MTA's Valley service development manager Mike Brewer. ``The MTA feels as though the public could be better served by reallocating resources from these lines to other lines where there's a greater need for public transportation.''

The agency is trying to close an estimated $22 million shortfall this year in its bus and train operations, and the savings will go toward offsetting that.

The MTA hopes to save $3 million systemwide on the 20 lines. The three lines from the Valley would contribute $776,000.

However, transit advocates have criticized the changes as disrupting key routes servicing Valley riders.

Sector council member Bart Reed called line 167 from Chatsworth to Studio City a ``lifeblood line'' for Valley riders, and said line 218 to Cedars-Sinai was being gutted to primarily only rush-hour trips.

Line 96 along Riverside is a main route to neighboring Burbank, the Los Angeles Zoo, Glendale and downtown.

Reed has further raised concerns that the agency is using ``stale'' ridership statistics from 2001 as a basis for decision making.

Brewer, however, said the agency has received new ridership data, compiled in recent months from the contract companies that run those bus lines.

The MTA will accept written testimony through Sept. 11 at: LACMTA, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, 90012-2932, Attention: Gateway Cities Service Sector, September 2003 Public Hearing for Contract Lines and Other Service Changes.

E-mail can be sent to customerrelations(at)mta.net with ``FY2004 Service Changes'' in the subject line. Faxes can be sent to [phone], attention ``FY2004 Service Changes.''

Lisa Mascaro, [phone]

lisa.mascaro(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

--The MTA will hold a public hearing on proposed bus line changes at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Marvin Braude Constituent Service Center, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd.

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IF YOU GO (see text)