LIFE IN THE FAST (TRANSIT) LANE; DOOR-TO-DOOR VAN, BUS SERVICE WOULD BE CHEAPER AND FAR BETTER FOR THE VALLEY THAN A SUBWAY.

Byline: Gerald A. Silver and Myrna L. Silver

AFTER spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a failed subway system, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is finally coming to the realization that there may be better ways to move people. Dogged by cost overruns, mismanagement, construction accidents, delays and lack of public acceptance, the MTA is finally taking a closer look at new, integrated bus systems.

The solution to the Valley's transit problems lies in a multidimension, high-tech bus system. A better bus system can be built for far less than a subway system and will more efficiently serve riders who are dependent on public transit and those who are not.

There are many reasons why the Valley's bus system now fails to serve transit riders well or to attract new customers. The system is based on a ``one size fits all,'' standard 80-passenger bus, running on all lines. The same size bus is used, regardless of passenger demand, street access, or time of day or night. This is an outmoded and nonfunctional transit approach for the Valley.

Bus lines are laid out in a grid pattern across the Valley. Because a grid system is used, buses must make frequent stops along each route. This stop-and-go operation makes for an unpleasant ride and slow, not rapid, transit.

A bus rider traveling from Studio City to Chatsworth, for example, must endure a lengthy bus ride with dozens of stops along the way. It's tiring and requires transfers.

A grid bus system does not provide door-to-door service, imperative if a bus is to compete with the automobile. Since large buses run only on main thoroughfares, passengers must find their way to the bus stop and then to their final destination to complete the journey. In many parts of the Valley and the hillside areas, streets are not suited for large buses. So the only means of transportation left is the automobile.

The ``pay once - ride all week'' principle favors the automobile. After paying for maintenance and occasional auto repairs, the driver must pay for gas - usually once a week. Payment can be by credit card, with actual out-of-pocket costs deferred for weeks, or cash. Once the tank is full, the driver may make as many long or short trips as he or she desires.

Parking charges are usually on a deferred payment basis. Many auto commuters pay parking fees monthly - not daily - and still others are offered free parking at their place of employment. For these and other nonmonetary reasons, the automobile wins hands down over public transit.

Is there a better way to provide public transit that will attract riders, not just serve those who must depend on public transit? The answer is a multidimension, pulsed bus network - a system using 21st century technology and geared to the uniqueness of Los Angeles and specifically the Valley, where jobs and housing are mixed in a patchwork-quilt pattern.

Pulsed bus systems have several basic components: express buses, local buses and mini vans or shuttles. Mini vans carry 10 to 12 passengers - perhaps 30 on some routes - and circulate through local neighborhoods to pick up passengers and bring them to local or express bus stops. Express buses pick up the passengers and transport them to destinations, with only a few stops en route. Once passengers arrive at the destination stop, they transfer to a minivan shuttle that literally takes them to the door.

One fare is paid when the passenger enters the system, and it covers minivans, local buses and express buses. Payment may be in cash, token or by credit card.

When it comes to transit, timing is everything. To make the entire system function in a coordinated fashion, the bus network must be driven by a pulsed timing signal. Minivans, local buses and express buses depart at timed intervals - perhaps every five, 10 or 15 minutes - during rush hours. In other hours, the pulse rate is slowed to meet demand.

ITt's much like the human system, where the heart beats faster and breathing is accelerated under a heavy load.

During late evening hours, when demand is low, the express or local buses may be replaced by minivans or even smaller, on-demand jitneys.

Buses are much cheaper to operate than rail systems. One study priced light rail cost at $3.40 per passenger mile, heavy rail at $1.50 and city bus service at 35 cents per passenger mile. Operating the 10- to 12-passenger minivan, the most cost-efficient vehicle, costs only 10 cents to 15 cents per passenger mile. The van also is the most flexible transit vehicle, since it can be rerouted easily and can operate on steep or narrow city streets.

Minivans are quieter and require less skilled operators than large city buses. They could replace large city buses at night on many routes. Transit vehicle maintenance costs would be reduced by greater reliance upon smaller, more inexpensive vehicles.

To make the whole network operate efficiently, improvements must be made on city streets. Some major streets in the Valley need to be cut through or widened. Others need to be prepared for express bus service. The Burbank-Chandler route, already owned by the MTA, is a good choice for a quiet, rubber-tired, express backbone line. Many Valley street improvements are already needed and are being paid for out of highway tax revenues.

An improved street system has other benefits. For example, a backbone busway down the Burbank-Chandler alignment could prove invaluable after an earthquake. It could be used to move emergency vehicles and provide emergency staging areas along the route. Not being elevated, or in a subway, the line is more likely to withstand a disastrous earthquake. The alignment could also provide a much-needed bikeway and greenbelt along the right of way.

The $64 question is: Can the MTA overcome its political quagmire and recognize new ideas and solutions? Or will it continue to look backward - seeking to build a heavy rail system thatIT is doomed to fail Valley residents?

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Photo: The MTA should take a much closer look at an integrated bus system to meet area needs.

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