B. Background

Applicant seeks a passenger stage certificate to provide on-call door-to-door service in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties, on the one hand, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Burbank Airport (BUR), Ontario International Airport (ONT), John Wayne Airport (SNA), Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbors (LA-HBR), Downtown Los Angeles (LA-DTN), and Westchester (LA-WST), on the other hand; between all points in Los Angeles County, on the one hand, and Los Angeles Amtrak (LA AMT), on the other hand; between points in Ventura County, on the one hand, and Oxnard Amtrak (OXR AMT) and the President Reagan Library (RR LIB), on the other hand; and between San Diego County, on the one hand, and LAX, SNA, LA-HBR, and LA WST, on the other hand. M & A also seeks authority to provide on-call intercity service between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, and intermediate points. In addition Applicant asked for a ZORF of plus or minus $12 over and under the proposed charge filed with the application.

Airport Connection, Inc, doing business as Roadrunner (Protestant), filed a timely protest to the proposed service insofar as it sought authority in Ventura County and the cities of Agoura Hills and Calabasas in Los Angeles County. Protestant did not object to the remainder of the application. In the Scoping Memo of Assigned Commissioner Neeper, the primary issues were identified as the need for the proposed service and Applicant's financial capability. Other matters were raised at the evidentiary hearing held in Santa Barbara on July 26, 2000 before Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Sheldon Rosenthal and will be discussed in this opinion. The parties agreed to file concurrent briefs on October 2, 2000. The matter now stands ready for decision.