MTA gives Pasadena Blue Line green light.

With inner-city bus riders shouting for newer, better buses, and competing rail lines waiting in line for funding as well, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Board of Directors last week approved a new budget and a redesign contract for the Pasadena Blue Line.

L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky objected to the decision, saying it didn't make sense to commit to an $800 million project when the transit agency may not have the money to finish it and may have to neglect other areas of service to fund the Pasadena project.

"This is about all of our discretionary money," Yaroslavsky said. "Anybody who says we can do this and improve bus service is smoking something good.

"What if there is another problem on the Red Line? What if the Pasadena costs go up? What if you lose the bus-fares lawsuit? What if the feds cut the funding? A year from now, will you (acting CEO Joe Drew) be standing here saying, 'Go full steam ahead with Pasadena and let the other lines languish?'"

Yaroslavsky said the argument that money earmarked for rail projects cannot be spent on buses is "a phony issue."

Money is being laundered from one fund to another," said Yaroslavsky, pointing out additionally that by committing to build more rail, the MTA is committing to operating a rail system, and operations funds are transferable between bus and rail.

Freeze sought

MTA critics, who jammed the board room and called for a 90-day freeze on rail construction, further noted that the MTA could spend federal money on bus capital projects if it sought and obtained permission from the federal government.

MTA critic John Walsh pointed out that the MTA will soon be scheduling a briefing on the Mid-City (Crenshaw area) Extension of the Red Line, at which he predicted the board will be told there is no money available to build the line.

According to a recent MTA project manager's report on the Mid-City extension, about $100 million budgeted for the line from state funds will not be available, but the MTA anticipates making up the difference with Proposition C sales tax revenues - which the agency also is planning to use to pay for Blue Line construction. The new Blue Line budget includes $264 million in Prop. C funds.

Joseph Dawidziak, an MTA board alternate for Jim Cragin, joined Yaroslavsky in voting against the Pasadena Blue Line budget, saying that UCLA forecasts regarding growth in Prop. C and Prop. A funds are overly optimistic. Dawidziak predicted a short-fall in revenue available to complete the Blue Line project on time (in the year 2001).

An MTA spokesman last week was unable to find any information on how, or if, funding the Blue Line with Prop. C revenues would affect the prospects for the Mid-City line.

In other business at last week's meeting, the MTA board decided to go out to bid for 250 natural-gas buses.

Drew reported that the MTA has had continuing problems with buses powered by methanol and ethanol. The buses only travel one mile per gallon of fuel and have had problems with toxic fumes, Drew said.

"Methanol buses are killing our service," Drew said.