It is somewhat ironic that the devastating quake has done what years of air pollution, freeway congestion and jawboning by government officials at all levels could not do. By severely damaging Southern California's freeway system, the quake has suddenly made the perceived inconvenience of pubic transportation not quite so bad. Certainly a 90-minute train ride has become preferable to a four-hour wait in a nine-mile long traffic jam.

A great deal of credit must go to the swift response by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and the 15-month-old Metrolink, the newest element in Southern California’s multi-modal mass transit system. The MTA has added bus service in West Los Angeles, and changed routes and schedules throughout the region. But the most dramatic developments have centered around the Metrolink train service, which in less than two weeks has:

Extended its downtown Los Angeles to Santa Clarita route to the Antelope Valley; Opened a new station in Sylmar/San Fernando six weeks ahead of schedule; Hastily constructed two temporary stations at Lancaster and Palmdale and begun work on a third in Acton; and moved quickly to upgrade facilities - especially parking lots - at all stations.

But the enormous short-term gains seen by Metrolink, which serves not only the Santa Clarita Valley and the Antelope Valley, but also Ventura and San Bernardino, must be consolidated. Now that a temporary situation has forced a significant number of commuters to try the Metrolink, their changed commuting patterns must be nurtured and made permanent.

Immediate action should be taken by the Metrolink to ensure that the thousands of additional people who are now commuting to work by train acquire a habit for doing so and continue it long after the freeways have been rebuilt. Among the most immediate changes we urge is reduction in fares. The current charge of $10 for a round trip between Santa Clarita and Burbank or Glendale (it is even more for longer journeys) is more than most people can reasonably afford to spend every day of the week. 

Additionally, it is much more than they wouldcspend in their cars, even with the current traffic jams and delays. The increased fare box revenue from all the new riders should make an overall fare reduction possible. Metrolink officials say that with the prequake ridership levels more than 75 percent of their budget was from MTA subsidies; with 30,000 riders using the trains per day, as was the case systemwide on Wednesday, the Metrolink could break even without a subsidy.

There is, however, a reluctance on the part of Metrolink to even consider reducing fares, said spokesman Peter Hidalgo. “Lowering fares could encourage even more people to use the trains at a time when they are filled to capacity.”

But this is a justifiable risk, we believe, if it results in a permanent increase in the number of riders of a magnitude that would force Metrolink, over time, to increase its capacity. Additionally, work must begin immediately to better accommodate passengers using the system. Not all of the matters needing attention are the responsibility of Metrolink, but the other agencies and local government bodies involved need to participate as well. Adequate shelters must be built at all stations, so that, commuters can use the train even in inclement weather. Parking lots must be expanded, and facilities added for taxis, buses and bicycles. Additional ticket machines and, perhaps, ticketing agents are needed at all stations.

Bus lines must be rerouted and rescheduled so that commuters have only a minimum walk to transfer from the train to the bus which takes them the remainder of the distance to their jobs. Large private employers such as Glendale's Disney Imagineering or Glendale Federal Bank must be urged to follow the example of the Glendale Beeline and provide shuttle service for their own employees (and others in their immediate neighborhoods) to and from the station.

In short, the Metrolink service must be made more user-friendly. And it must be more thoroughly integrated with bus transportation needed to get train passengers to their final destinations. 

We are luckily facing an unprecedented opportunity to permanently change commuting habits in Southern California, with all the benefits this implies for our air quality and lifestyles. It is an opportunity that must not be missed.

Warren Swil is news editor of the News-Press.