Irate Riders Disrupt Transit Board Session

Dozens of irate bus riders, concerned about possible massive cuts in transit service, disrupted a Los Angeles County Transportation Commission meeting Wednesday after the chairman tried to limit their public comments.

Chanting “No Cuts! No Cuts!” and “Sit In! Sit In!” the bus riders--including several with disabilities and in wheelchairs--began their raucous protest shortly after the commission meeting began with an announcement by Chairman Pete Schabarum that the panel did not have time to hear from all of those signed up to speak. He suggested that five or six speak for all.

The riders reacted loudly, and Schabarum, a Los Angeles County supervisor, warned the crowd to calm down. When it did not, he recessed the meeting to a closed-door session, where officials said legal matters were discussed.

In the hearing room, the riders took up another chant, “Where’s Pete?”

Called Rights Violation

“It’s outrageous,” said one of the protesters, Bill Bolte, who uses a wheelchair and is an organizer of a group of bus riders with disabilities. “This is a violation of the rights of the disabled and all citizens to present their grievances to elected officials.”

When the public meeting resumed about an hour later, Schabarum allowed all of the riders to speak, but limited their comments to one minute each.

It was the second emotional confrontation between riders, many of them seniors, poor or disabled, and transit officials in two days. An overflow crowd packed the Southern California Rapid Transit District board meeting Tuesday to protest a threatened 50% cutback in bus service beginning Jan. 2, including all night, weekend and holiday service.

The threat of service reductions, which would affect hundreds of thousands of the RTD’s 1.4 million daily riders, is an outgrowth of a fund dispute between the RTD and the commission. The RTD operates most of the bus service, while the commission acts as a regional agency that controls much of the transportation financing in the county.

Harsh Criticism

After nearly two hours of testimony, much of it harsh criticism of the commission and Schabarum, the commission voted 7 to 4 to offer a settlement plan to the RTD that addresses several running battles between the feuding agencies.

The core of the proposal is that the about $50 million the commission is withholding from the RTD would be released so that the threatened cuts could be averted. The funds have been withheld because the commission contends that the RTD recently negotiated labor agreements that do not meet all of the commission’s cost-cutting guidelines.

The RTD would not have to meet those guidelines under the compromise plan, but the transit district would have to agree to allow a new bus system to take over some RTD service in the San Gabriel Valley.

That system, a pioneering effort long sought by Schabarum and 20 cities in the area, would use lower-cost private bus companies and be controlled jointly by the county and cities. The commission approved creation of the so-called Foothill Transit Zone last year, but it has been held up in the courts by challenges from the RTD unions, with support from the transit district.

Shift in Authority

Other elements of the plan would allow the RTD to continue building its Metro Rail subway, but would give the commission far greater authority over construction, routing and operation.

Commissioner Nate Holden, a Los Angeles city councilman and ally of the transit unions and RTD, charged that those supporting the proposal were “blackmailers.”

Others, including RTD board member Nick Patsaouras, predicted that certain provisions of the proposal would be unacceptable to the transit district board.

Commissioner Ed Edelman, a county supervisor and RTD ally, opposed the proposal, saying the needed funds should be released unconditionally. “I’m afraid if no one gives in the public will be the loser,” he said.

Seek Cost-Effectiveness

But Schabarum and other commissioners said they are trying to be more vigorous in ensuring that limited transportation dollars available in the county are used in the most cost-effective manner.

Commissioner Ray Grabinski, a Long Beach city councilman, said it has “never been the commission position to withhold funds so riders suffer.” He said the commission is trying to impose standards and not “give away the store” to the RTD.

The debate now moves back to the RTD board, which is not expected to take up the matter until next week.