MTA Spending on Bus-Carpool Lanes

* Re “MTA Calls for Delays in Subway,” Jan. 8: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority wants to remove $300 million from the construction on the freeway bus-carpool lane program and apply that money to the subway construction.

The California Department of Transportation has a trouble-free program of building and operating bus-carpool lanes as planned.

The MTA subway construction program is a mess.

To remove $300 million from the successful bus-carpool lane program and dump it into the trouble-plagued subway program would be a mistake of major proportions.

On Jan. 9 MTA officials an- nounced that they will spend $400,000 on a study to improve bus service. They should start by leaving the bus-carpool money alone.

LARRY BURKS

San Pedro

* Rick Cole and Katherine Perez’s Dec. 26 commentary offered interesting observations and examples of positive initiatives by selected cities to encourage improved lifestyles for their citizenry through effective transportation and land-use planning. Their conclusion, however, is without merit with respect to MTA’s rail and bus planning efforts.

The MTA oversees all rail development and rail and bus operations for Los Angeles County. Approximately 1,800 buses provide service throughout the county and five major rail transit lines now operate or are under construction to operate within the next five years. Transit-oriented development is the responsibility of the Joint Development Department, one of the MTA’s entrepreneurial business centers.

At present the MTA joint development program is actively pursuing transit-oriented development at a number of stations including:

* Long Beach Blue Line. At the Willow station, a major commu- nity-based market/drugstore neighborhood shopping center and 700-car multilevel parking garage for MTA-rail commuters.

* Pasadena Blue Line. Multi-modal Transportation Center at Del Mar and Arroyo Parkway, including 600-car subterranean parking garage, bus plaza and mixed-use residential and commercial center.

* Hollywood/Western Red Line. Affordable housing and community serving retail and social services.

* Hollywood/Highland. Transit-oriented development incorporating entertainment-based mixed-use retail.

* Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/Vermont Red Line. Interim retail uses and staged development until overall development opportunities become more viable.

* Chatsworth. Community-based retail and entertainment uses on MTA-owned property.

MTA, through its transit-oriented development program, is committed to helping forge livable communities.

NICK PATSAOURAS, Chair, MTA Real Estate and Asset Development Committee