SOUTHLAND FARES WELL IN TRANSIT BILL HOUSE APPROVES $22.5 BILLION OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS.

Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - The House Transportation Committee on Wednesday bowed to White House demands, approving a shrunken spending bill that funnels $22.5 billion to California's highway and mass transit projects over the next six years.

The $275 billion transportation reauthorization bill was $100 billion less than what committee chairman Don Young, R-Alaska, and most on the panel said was needed to deal with the nation's congested, unsafe and deteriorating transit systems.

But it included a large number of Southern California projects including $6.7 million to widen the 405 Freeway; $15 million to help extend the Gold Line between Pasadena and Claremont; and about $8 million worth of odds-and-ends improvements in Northridge, Reseda, Granada Hills and other parts of the San Fernando Valley.

``In terms of our region, I think we did very well,'' said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena.

Added Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, one of only two Southern California lawmakers on the transportation committee, ``California is looking very good in this bill.''

The White House, citing the need for belt-tightening in an age of rising budget deficits, has proposed a highway budget of $256 billion through 2009 and threatened a presidential veto of any amount that exceeded that ceiling.

The Senate in February on a 76-21 vote passed a $318 billion bill. The House could take up its version as early as next week.

To show its unhappiness with the White House spending limits, the committee also approved, by voice vote, legislation allowing for $375 billion in spending.

Young said he would report the smaller bill to the full House, while expressing his disappointment at not getting the fuller amount.

Failure to address the current infrastructure crisis, he said, ``will leave our country behind in protecting the integrity of our economic base. It will reduce the quality of life of our citizens.''

Rep. Gary Miller, R-Diamond Bar, who also sits on the transportation committee, said Congress probably will revisit the bill next year and pump up the $275 billion number.

In the meantime, he said, ``It's a good bill with a lot of good projects for California.''

Among the projects that did not fare as well as local officials had hoped was Alameda Corridor East, which received $15.5 million.

Both Miller and Millender-McDonald said they hope to get more money for the project once it goes into conference with the Senate.

In addition, Millender-McDonald said she expects that repairs to the Gerald Desmond Bridge - while not specified in the bill - will be funded through a major pot of money devoted to what lawmakers are calling ``projects of national economic significance.''

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lisa Friedman, [phone]

lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com

LOCAL PROJECTS

Here are some of the local projects included in a spending bill approved Wednesday by the House Transportation Committee.

San Fernando Valley:

--Widen roads, construct bicycle lane and enhance access to Hansen Dam Recreation Area, Lake View Terrace, $6.5 million.

--Various traffic improvements in Northridge, Granada Hills and Porter Ranch, $3.7 million.

--Various improvements in Reseda, Canoga Park and Winnetka; $3.25 million.

--Install irrigation system and enhance landscaping on SanFernando Valley Rapidway, $3 million.

--Improve Glendale Beeline bus/trolley system, $1.3 million.

--Construct natural gas fueling station in San Fernando; $1.3 million.

--Improvement to local streets in Sylmar, Lake View Terrace and Mission Hills; $1.25 million.

--Streetscape improvements on segments of Laurel Canyon andVictory boulevards, North Hollywood; $1.2 million.

--California State University, Northridge, intermodal center expansion, $1 million.

--Build Empire Area Transit Center near Burbank Airport; $1 million.

--Repair pedestrian walkways at CSUN; $784,000.

--Buy natural gas buses, Glendale; $700,000.

--Repair Brahma Drive and Winnetka Avenue, Woodland Hills; $600,000.

--Street improvements, Sherman Oaks; $214,000.

--Bikeway construction on the Los Angeles River, Sherman Oaks; $575,000.

--Mission College Transit Center construction, Mission Hills; $500,000.

--CSUN propane-powered tram service project; $325,000.

Los Angeles:

--Upgrade San Fernando Road corridor; $7.5 million.

--Improve Glendale Freeway terminus, build sound barriers and landscape; $2.5 million.

--First Street Bridge realignment; $1.25 million.

--Build intermodal facility for Santa Monica College; $2.25 million.

--Improve transit shelters and sidewalks around Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; $750,000.

--Build low-emission bus and parking facility at LAX, $700,000.

Santa Clarita:

--Build 8.5 miles of six- and eight-lane roadways on east-west route across Santa Clarita Valley; $5 million.

--Add carpool and truck lane on I-5, Santa Clarita Valley; $1.5 million.

Ventura County:

--Upgrade 101 Freeway/Kanan Road interchange, Agoura Hills, $5 million.

--Improve Rice Avenue/State Route 34, Port Hueneme; $4.7 million.

--Improve interchange between the 101 Freeway and State Route 23, Thousand Oaks; $4.85 million.

--Repair or replace tunnel lining on Kanan, Kanan Dume and Malibu Canyon roads; $3 million.

--Improvements to 101 Freeway/Rice Avenue interchange, Oxnard, $3 million.

--Landscape freeways; $2.5 million.

--Improve First Street and Erringer Road, Simi Valley; $2 million.

--Aquire land to mitigate impacts to natural habitats and wetlands caused by highway projects near the Santa Monica National Mountains Recreation Area; $1 million.

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LOCAL PROJECTS (see text)