Valley Transit Zone

* Your recent editorial (“Clamor for a Valley Transit Agency May Be Misplaced,” Nov. 2) missed the point. The issue isn’t replacing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The issue is correcting the flawed decisions that have been made by the MTA to the detriment of the Valley.

The MTA has the authority to create transit zones as semi-independent local entities such as the Foothill Transit Zone in the San Gabriel Valley. The dollars still flow through the MTA, but the operating decisions are made locally. A Valley Transit Zone would insure that we got our fair share of tax dollars, that they were spent in the Valley and spent in ways that made sense to Valley residents.

When I first proposed a Valley Transit Zone in the early 1990s, the proposal was shot down by Mayor Bradley, his staff, downtown bureaucrats and downtown special interests.

A Valley Transit Zone, run by a board of Valley residents, could decide what kind of transportation system made sense for the Valley.

This is an important test for those who say it is not necessary for the Valley to secede in order to get our needs met. It’s an opportunity for those who say they support Valley fair share to put their mouths--and their votes--where our money needs to be, the Valley.

RICHARD KATZ

Sylmar