TRANSIT TEST SET FOR VALLEY; SHUTTLES TO PROVIDE DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICE.Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer Some Valley residents will soon be able to get door-to-door transportation services - potentially for as little as 75 cents - under a $10.6 million ``smart shuttle'' program approved Wednesday by the City Council. The council approved the two-year program over objections from Councilman Nate Holden Nathaniel "Nate" R. Holden (1929-) served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1987 to 2002. He previously served a term on the California State Senate and was Assistant Chief Deputy to then Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. , chairman of the council's Transportation Committee, who argued that the money is better spent on more traditional transit programs. But City Councilman Joel Wachs Joel Wachs served for several terms as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 2nd district. He was first elected by defeating incumbent James B. Potter. While in office, Wachs chaired the Public Works Committee and vice-chair of the Environmental Quality & Waste Management and others said the program is an innovative approach to meeting a transportation need. ``We spend a fortune comparatively getting a person who has options to work every day and back and we don't think enough about the other transit needs of people in the city,'' Wachs said. The service would initially be provided in the west and northeast San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and two city locations. Beginning this fall, residents can summon shuttle vans running along routes serving shopping centers and other locations if they live within blocks of the route. The program will use advanced technology, including automatic vehicle tracking The term Automatic Vehicle Tracking refers to schemes, such as that proposed [1] by the UK's Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, in which vehicle movements are subject to involuntary mass surveillance enabled by technology rather than through use of, for example, police devices, that will allow dispatchers to determine which vans are closest to locations for pickup calls. Contractors bid to provide the service for 75 cents a passenger, but a consultant is doing a marketing study that will set the fare based on the level of service wanted by the public as well as best ridership rid·er·ship n. The number of passengers who ride a public transport system. . James Okazaki, the city's director of transit services, said the fare for some specialized services may be up to $3. ``It was something between a bus and a taxi,'' Okazaki told the council about the demonstration project, supported mostly by a grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Okazaki said a committee is still finalizing the routes, but general outlines have been drafted. In the West Valley, the route would connect the Topanga Plaza shopping center, Warner Center, Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. , California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , the Chatsworth Metrolink station and other popular sites. In the northeastern part of the Valley, the route would include stops at Pacoima Library, Van Nuys City Hall, Olive View Medical Center, the Sylmar-San Fernando Metro Link Station and Canyon Plaza shopping center. Holden said the money would be better spent beefing up existing mass transit mass transit, public transportation systems designed to move large numbers of passengers. Types and Advantages Mass transit refers to municipal or regional public shared transportation, such as buses, streetcars, and ferries, open to all on a than trying an experiment that he thinks is questionable. ``They (the vans) are going to leave the route, which will delay the time they get to their next stop,'' Holden charged, adding that the city already subsidizes a taxi coupon service that is door-to-door for low-income residents and seniors. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion