L.A. Metro kicks off environmental review for Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project

The environmental review process of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (L.A. Metro) Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project has begun. The process will include project scoping, an extended formal public comment period and accepting of public input via virtual public meetings in December and January.

The formal scoping period for the project that will build a high-quality transit line between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside will encompass more than two months and use a variety of methods. L.A. Metro explains the public will have ample time to weigh in with their thoughts and comments about the project alternatives and/or to help identify issues that may need to be addressed during the environmental review process.

Planning on the project to date has resulted in six alternatives that will be studied further during the environmental review proces:

• Automated monorail that would be entirely aerial along the 405 corridor and the Metrolink Ventura County Line railroad tracks with an electric bus shuttle to UCLA.
• Automated monorail with aerial alignment along the 405 corridor and Metrolink Ventura County Line railroad tracks with an aerial automated people mover connection to UCLA.
• Automated monorail with aerial segment along the 405 corridor, an underground segment between Wilshire and Getty Center, then entirely aerial along the 405 and Van Nuys Metrolink Line railroad tracks.
• Heavy rail with underground segment south of Ventura Boulevard and aerial alignment generally along Sepulveda Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.
• Heavy rail with underground alignment including along Sepulveda Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.
• Heavy rail that would be entirely underground including along Van Nuys Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley and with a southern terminus station on Bundy Drive on the Westside.

Alternatives include concepts from two Pre-Development Agreement (PDA) partner teams, who received L.A. Metro’s notice to proceed last summer to begin developing their transit concepts. Their concepts will also be refined as part of the environmental review process and will include extensive public feedback and technical analysis. LA SkyRail Express is developing the proposed monorail concepts and Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners is developing the fourth and fifth proposed heavy rail alternatives.

The Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project is funded in part by Measure M, the transportation sales tax approved by 71 percent of Los Angeles County voters in 2016. The total project will receive $9.5 billion in funding from Measure M and other local, state and federal sources.