HEIDT MAKING HER MARK; SANTA CLARITA TO NAME NEXT RAIL STATION AFTER OUTGOING MAYOR.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

When Mayor Jan Heidt gives up her official duties, she will leave an indelible mark in a way she hadn't expected.

The city has proposed naming the soon-to-be-built Newhall Metrolink station after Heidt in honor of the work she has done to improve transportation in Santa Clarita.

The proposal surprised the mayor, who said she knew nothing about it until she sat down to study her background packet for Tuesday's City Council meeting. Then she saw item No. 9, asking for council approval to name the station the Jan Heidt Newhall Metrolink Station.

``I'm very honored,'' she said. ``I'm proud of my accomplishments, and it's really nice to be recognized for them.''

Councilwoman Jo Anne Darcy, who came up with the idea, had hoped to surprise Heidt. But open-meeting laws required that it appear on the agenda.

``She deserves it. She's done so much work with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority,'' Darcy said. ``She got chastised for speaking up.

``I'd say she's put in a full day's work every week just for (the) MTA. She alone has garnered a lot of money for the city.''

The staff report making the recommendation provides a list of Heidt's contributions as a representative of the San Fernando Valley/North County area on the Southern California Regional Rail Authority and other organizations, including the North County Transportation Coalition, the Northern Corridor Cities Committee and budget committees for the MTA and Metrolink.

She has helped get money for river trails; commuter bikeways; Metrolink corridor projects in Canyon Country, Saugus and Newhall; rail station trails; the Santa Clarita Transit Center; and other improvements. The city estimated the grant total at $10.6 million.

Heidt, who also has advocated rail service to link Santa Clarita with all of its surrounding communities, remembers one project in particular.

She was interested in providing Metrolink access to the Antelope Valley and asked the Regional Rail Authority to study the possibility. The authority agreed to spend $25,000 on a study.

On the Friday before the Northridge Earthquake in January 1994, Heidt was given the details of the study.

``They gave me a rundown on the study - where the rails would go, where to put the stations,'' she said. ``Then we had the earthquake, and we had a plan in place and money from FEMA to build it.''

On Tuesday, Heidt will step down from the mayor's post as part of city tradition and return to being a council member. Darcy is expected to receive the mayorship, and Councilwoman Jill Klajic likely will be named mayor pro tem.

The honor will ensure that Heidt is recognized for her contributions before people forget, Darcy said.

``I'm not sure she's going to run again, and I didn't want this opportunity to go by,'' she said. ``I thought we should do something now.''

Heidt said she will continue to work on transportation projects to improve traffic flow.

``It's been very frustrating building roads, so at least with rail lines, we're doing something,'' she said. ``We're not going to get another freeway.''

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Santa Clarita Mayor Jan Heidt, who will soon step down, will be honored with the naming of a new Metrolink station after her.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News

(2) An artist's rendering shows the soon-to-be-built Newhall Metrolink station, to be named after the outgoing mayor.