ROBERTS PLEDGES MTA UNITY; NEW APPOINTEE SAYS HE'LL AID ALL CITIES.

Byline: Erin Gebroe Daily News Staff Writer

As Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts prepares to take his seat as the North County representative on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, local officials hope he will serve the entire corridor - not just his city.

Without unity, said Glendale City Councilman Larry Zarian, whom Roberts is replacing, the area won't get MTA money for transportation projects.

``The moment you show weakness, they get ahold of you,'' Zarian advised.

But Roberts, who is expected to be confirmed to the position April 1, has no intention of letting that happen.

``I'm concerned about every one of these members,'' Roberts said of the 12 cities that comprise the Northern Corridor. ``They will be working with me, and I will be their advocate.''

But that doesn't mean that each city doesn't have its own priorities. Now, during an application period that only comes once every two years, cities can submit a wish list, cross their fingers and hope the MTA will choose to fund their projects.

Santa Clarita is applying for a total of $27 million for 11 projects that would improve traffic flow, upgrade transportation facilities, beautify streets and add nature trails. MTA money would pay some of the project costs, with the city having to come up with money for the balance.

``They're all important,'' Mayor Jo Anne Darcy said when asked to pick the most pressing projects. ``When you look at the growth that's going outside our city, those things are all very important to get the traffic flow.''

The largest and most expensive project is reconstruction of the Golden State Freeway-Magic Mountain Parkway interchange. The city is requesting $13.5 million toward the $27.6 million project.

``This is the only interchange now in the city where it's gridlocked because it was designed many years ago and cannot handle the existing traffic,'' said senior traffic engineer Rabie Rahmani. ``For the last several years, it's been getting worse. And with the amount of growth that the city and the county has, it needs to be improved immediately.''

Changes to the intersection include widening Magic Mountain Parkway from The Old Road to just east of the northbound ramps, widening The Old Road at the intersection with Magic Mountain and widening on- and off-ramps.

The city also is asking the MTA to chip in $2.5 million toward the $25.3 million cost of a bus maintenance facility.

``Currently, we're working out of the city field services yard, and it's inadequate for our size, and it doesn't give us any room to expand,'' said transportation manager Ron Kilcoyne.

The city has identified four sites where such a facility could be built, Kilcoyne said.

Also planned is a two-lane extension of Copper Hill Drive between Haskell Canyon and Bouquet Canyon roads. The 1.3-mile project would connect the Golden State Freeway to Bouquet Canyon, Rahmani said. Before that happens, however, Copper Hill will be extended to Rye Canyon Road.

Other projects the city wants to fund with MTA grants include:

Widening the Sierra Highway bridge at the railroad crossing.

Synchronizing traffic signals and landscaping the median along Soledad Canyon Road between Commuter Way and Rainbow Glen Drive.

Extending the Santa Clara River trail on the east side of the river from Soledad Canyon Road to the southern edge of Discovery Park.

City officials will know in early May whether the MTA is recommending any of the projects for funding, and the MTA board of directors will vote on the recommendations in July.