Upcoming 2nd Valley Transit Summit at CSUN Will Highlight Long Range Transportation Goals for the North Valley

The second-annual Valley Transportation Summit, sponsored by the Valley Economic Alliance, CSUN Government and Community Relations and the Office of Senator Robert Hertzberg, will take place at CSUN on March 3rd, featuring a discussion of constituent concerns and ideas on North Valley transportation priorities.  Following on the first successful summit last fall, this second summit will continue the discussion and echo previous concerns that there is a strong need for more North Valley rail and transportation projects to be developed out of the proposed 1-cent sales tax for public transit.

These tax measures, a proposed extension of the Measure R tax, as well as a tandem tax proposal known as Measure R2 could make a significant addition to the resources dedicated to transportation infrastructure.  If both half-cent sales taxes make the November 2016 ballot, they could inject $121 billion for new projects across Los Angeles County for decades.

If approved by voters, a so-called Measure R2 could generate $75 billion for transit fixes over the course of 40 years. A renewal of the Measure R tax, in addition, could add another $46 billion in transit dollars.

The possibility of added revenue means that there are great opportunities for developing various new forms of transit in the North Valley, especially around the geographic hub of California State University, Northridge.

With nearly 50,000 students, faculty, and staff, CSUN is a leading destination in the greater San Fernando Valley. In addition, CSUN is in the underserved central portion of the San Fernando Valley, making it a strategic location for a transit hub connecting major rail and bus systems from the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Simi Valley and Ventura County.  Each week, over 200,000 single-occupant car trips are made to and from campus due to the lack of adequate transportation options. Maximizing public transportation options by establishing CSUN, as a major transit hub in the heart of the San Fernando Valley is essential to effectively serving the entire region, the central San Fernando Valley, and the campus community.

Both the CSUN administration and the various other stakeholder groups that make up Northridge Vision, including the Northridge Chamber of Commerce, Northridge Sparkle, Northridge South, East and West Neighborhood Councils, as well as Council District 12, are eager to participate in the development of these long range, as well as short range, goals for future transit.  Among some of the key priorities that have been identified and are under discussion are the following:

Establish dedicated Bus Rapid Transit service from CSUN Transit Center to the proposed East Valley Transit Corridor rail system via Nordhoff St. This will ensure efficient service for the substantial number of CSUN students living in the east valley. It will also connect the Sylmar and Northridge Metrolink Stations, providing a vital missing link in rail viability for the region. Currently, the Metrolink Antelope Valley and Ventura County Lines converge in Burbank, making rail use for those traveling between Antelope/Santa Clarita and Ventura County infeasible.

Provide Rapid Line service connecting the CSUN Transit Center to Warner Center. When combined with the East Valley Transit Corridor/Sylmar Metrolink station service described above, this will complete a cross-valley link between the northeast and southwest.

Provide Bus Rapid Transit service between the Metro Orange Line and the CSUN Transit Center along Reseda Blvd. 

Substantially enhance local bus service to serve the approx. 25,000 faculty, staff and students living within a 10-mile radius of CSUN. In addition, align bus schedules with late evening classes to ensure viability of mass transit as an option for students. 

Provide physical improvements to expand the capacity of the CSUN Transit Center and allow it to serve as a regional transit hub. In addition, improve adjacent intersections to facilitate efficient bus access. The necessary improvements can be accomplished with a relatively minor budget (<$10M).

Relocate the Northridge Metrolink Station to Reseda Blvd. at Parthenia St. This will place the station directly on the Reseda Blvd. BRT route described in item 3, which is vital to developing a fully integrated transit system that supports future transit-oriented development. 

These are just some of the projects under discussion and which might be realized with the increase in funds generated by the two tax measures on the November ballot.  The next step after the summit on March 3rd is developing a specific set of recommendations for long-range transit goals. 

The 2nd Valley Transportation Summit is on Thursday, March 3rd in the CSUN Grand Salon.  The event starts at 6:00 pm and the doors open at 5:45.  You can enter the campus from the Zelzah side and park in the G3 Parking Structure.   RSVP by Friday, February 26th at Senator.Hertzberg@sen.ca.gov or by phone at 818-901-5588.