MTA HOPES TO STEER MONEY TO VALLEY TRANSIT PROJECTS.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

Saying the San Fernando Valley busway is being delayed each day the state budget crisis continues, the MTA wants to divert money from street and highway projects to keep it on track.

Facing $500 million in cuts because of the state's $34 billion shortfall, the MTA today will consider deferring up to a dozen roadway improvements so it can fund the East-West Busway and the Eastside Light Rail Line - vital transit links connecting the region and helping to relieve traffic congestion.

``We need those working priorities in order to participate in the statewide scramble for the money that's left,'' said David Yale, the MTA's director of regional programming.

``On a countywide basis we're trying to make the best use of the resources we've got,'' Yale said. ``Overall, the public benefits most because the worst areas are solved first.''

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board also will discuss whether to support proposals to raise state or county gas taxes - noting that a 1-cent hike at the county level could generate up to $40 million for transportation projects.

The MTA's board meeting comes before the California Transportation Commission's meeting Feb. 28, when communities statewide will be vying for funds.

In all, the MTA seeks to divert $463 million from Los Angeles County projects to cover the region's top priorities. The agency needs $98 million this year for the busway project.

Along with the Valley and Eastside transit projects, the agency plans to retain $136 million to add car pool lanes along the Golden State Freeway through much of the Valley. It also needs $27 million to buy new buses to comply with a federal consent decree.

``MTA tried to look at (projects) and not impact people too badly,'' said Michael Uyeno of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, which could lose a number of street projects, including some in the Valley.

``It's not that bad,'' said Uyeno, adding that he had not seen the full list of deferred projects, although most of those affecting his agency seemed to be for work planned years down the road.

``If you're going to cut things in the hopes things are going to get better, you're better off trying to cut things that are off in the future than nearby.''

The MTA has already said the new transit projects - the Valley Busway, the Eastside rail and 44 new buses - would be its top priorities as it reorganizes spending.

Its emphasis has been on projects that are ready to go - the first phase of the two-year busway project broke ground last month, and there are construction bids waiting to be signed.

For Valley residents, the busway has been a long-overdue route linking Warner Center and North Hollywood by a first-of-its-kind line that puts buses in a designated lane.

At today's meeting the board will further discuss its method for setting those priorities based on a range of factors, such as projects that are furthest along toward construction, have matching funds or would increase mobility.

However, money for a dozen other projects - including street improvements in the Valley - would be cut as the agency regroups.

``We're not calling these cuts,'' Yale said. ``We're trying to act responsibly to put together a program that can be funded. The worst that can happen is you get deferred (but) not be cut forever.''

The San Fernando Valley would lose nearly $100 million for other projects.

On hold would be: $74.5 million for I-5 car-pool lanes between the 134 and 170 freeways, along with Burbank's Empire Avenue interchange improvements; $14 million for synchronized street lights on some Valley streets; and $3.2 million to widen the Sepulveda Boulevard tunnel under Mulholland Drive.

DOT's Uyeno said a large bulk of the Valley's synchronized street lights were on track to be completed this year on some of the area's busy corridors.

The Sepulveda tunnel project, he added, had other funding issues being resolved.

Regionwide, the $200 million needed to keep the Eastside's light-rail line on track would similarly come from funds that would have put car-pool lanes along the I-5 at the eastern edge of the county and street traffic improvement projects across the area.

The plan also maintains partial funding for a handful of other street and highway projects in other parts of the region.