RIDING VS. DRIVING SOME DITCH CARS TO TAKE TRAIN TO WORK.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

VALENCIA - While the Golden State Freeway is halted in morning gridlock, commuters on the Metrolink line between Santa Clarita and downtown Los Angeles smoothly roll by, chatting, reading and sleeping their way to work.

Although only 5 percent of the valley's commuting contingent uses public transportation, the ones who do say it has changed their lives.

Sherry Grossman and Janet Faragher have been riding the Metrolink for nearly 10 years, and the two Santa Clarita residents who both work at law firms downtown have sparked a friendship on their daily rides. Their reasons for taking the train instead of driving are obvious.

``You're not a nervous wreck when you get to work,'' said Faragher, sitting comfortably in the 7 a.m. train in late March, as halted cars appeared to move in reverse outside the window.

``I don't think I'd want to work downtown if I had to drive every day,'' added Grossman.

Both Grossman and Faragher have done the math on the pros and cons of riding the train versus driving to work, and measured in money and time, the train makes sense, they say.

The peak-hour cost of a Metrolink ticket from any of Santa Clarita's three stops to Los Angeles is about $12. Compared to the cost of 80 miles of driving, plus parking expenses, the choice is obvious, they say. Further, the train ride takes about the same amount of time as driving.

Phyllis Walker, who works for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and commutes from Canyon Country to downtown, agreed.

``It's a 50-minute train ride. When you drive it takes 45 minutes, but you just can't get out of the Santa Clarita Valley in a timely manner.''

The Metrolink has 11 stops from Lancaster to downtown, which include Sylmar, Burbank and Glendale.

And for those who travel outside the train's straight shot, Bob Murphy, the city of Santa Clarita's transportation manager, has another solution.

Since coming to work in Santa Clarita in 1992, Murphy has helped put together a fleet of commuter buses that take passengers everywhere from Century City to the Warner Center and back, every 15 to 30 minutes.

``In January 1992, there were only six buses to Los Angeles,'' Murphy said. ``(Now), the entire commuter fleet is composed of 28 commuter buses and in the peak hour, 23 of them are on the road.''

Bus riders say the experience is superior to that on the train.

``The bus is cheaper and more convenient than the train. There are more buses going in and out than trains,'' said Tessa Lisaro, who commutes downtown every day, and serves as an ``ambassador'' to Murphy's office to report complaints about the train service.

``I've been commuting by bus since 1991. It's not quite as fast, but it's a lot less stress.''

A monthly bus pass for getting to downtown L.A. is $133.

The buses also now run in both directions at all hours, so people living in any of the areas where the buses run - such as West Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley - can use them to commute to work in Santa Clarita. That service has seen growth in its ridership, Murphy said.

According to Murphy, the in-town bus system as well as the commuter buses have grown as fast as the population in Santa Clarita, but the percentage of commuters who ride public transportation has not kept pace.

``Out of 100 people, five are on the bus or train. I wish it would be more,'' Murphy said. ``There is no limit to how high we can set our ridership goals, because we will never be able to do enough.''

Between three train stops and the swarm of commuter buses, valley residents have several effective options for public transportation.

Murphy blames several factors for the fact that so few are taking public transportation, one of which is L.A.'s car culture, and the other the absence of a central transit station in Santa Clarita. While the former is a fact of life in the sprawling metropolis that requires some people to take to the roads just to grab lunch, the latter is an area where Murphy sees much room for improvement.

``My personal belief is that there is a need for a centralized major park and ride facility in the vicinity of Sierra Highway and San Fernando. The existing facilities already include the three Metrolink stations,'' Murphy said.

``Right now, we do not have the capital or a specific site designated for a large-scale facility. We believe that it is the next major capital project for the transit program. ... We do make use of what does exist, but we know that we're at a threshold point.''

Such a project might not see the light of day for five years, but until then, Murphy and local riders say that people who drive should get with the program.

More than 50 percent of Santa Clarita's workers commute into Los Angeles daily, according to the Santa Clarita planning department. Many likely don't realize how much they could benefit from the public transportation that already exists.

Nicholas Grudin, [phone]

nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Commuters fight pedestrian crowds, rather than gridlock, as they get off the train at Union Station.

David Crane/Staff Photographer