MTA Board Backs Orange Line Extension

The MTA is accepting bids in the first phase of a plan to extend the Orange Line to Chatsworth, officials said. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board directed staff on Thursday to seek bids for preliminary engineering and environmental clearance for the proposed route. The proposed route would follow a former railroad right-of-way on the east side of Canoga Avenue north to the Metrolink station in Chatsworth. It could cost as much as $165 million. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who also serves on the MTA board, said that extending the popular busway will capitalize on its success and boost ridership. “It’s going to be a better line in terms of speed than the current Orange Line because it has fewer intersections and less need to deal with cross traffic,” Yaroslavsky said. “It’s going to be a straight shot down from Chatsworth to Warner Center.” The board wants the preliminary engineering and environment planning completed by September 2008 to be eligible for $100 million in state transportation funds. It is also considering extending the line to the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway. The Orange Line debuted last October on a 14-mile route through the center of the San Fernando Valley from North Hollywood to Woodland Hills. For August, the MTA reported 19,500 average daily boardings on Orange Line buses. That is a drop from the high of 21,800 recorded for May but the number is expected to increase in September due to returning students using the buses.