Measure M Delivers, as Metro Releases Draft EIS-EIR for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the proposed East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor that — along with four other Measure M-funded projects — will transform transportation in the San Fernando Valley.

“Measure M is delivering on its promises to the people of the San Fernando Valley,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, chair of the Metro Board. “The East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor (ESFV project) will be a key piece in the Valley’s expanding transit network, as we continue to lead the nation – and the world – by easing congestion and building a comprehensive, world-class transit system.”

The project will be a 9.2-mile high-capacity transit route connecting the Metro Orange Line in Van Nuys to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station through one of the busiest thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley. Two bus rapid transit alternatives and two rail alternatives are being studied. All alternatives will run north from the Orange Line to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station, primarily on Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road. The project is expected to begin construction in 2021, with an opening date between 2027-29.

The public is invited to ask questions and weigh in as Metro holds a series of meetings during the 45-day public review period extending until Oct. 16. Material presented at each of the five meetings will be the same and simultaneous translation in Spanish will be available. The schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017 (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) City of San Fernando Regional Pool Facility, 208 Park Ave., San Fernando 91340
• Monday, Sept. 18, 2017  (8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.) Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center, 7555 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys 91405
• Monday, Sept. 18, 2017 (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.) Valley Municipal Building, Council Chambers, 14410 Sylvan St., 2nd floor, Van Nuys 91401
• Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017 (9:00 am to 11:30 a.m..) Pacoima Charter Elementary School Auditorium, 11016 Norris Ave., Pacoima 91331  
• Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 (9 a.m. to noon) St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 14646 Sherman Way, Van Nuys 91405

“The Valley asked for more and more is on the way, starting with the East San Fernando Valley project down one of the busiest corridors in the area,” said Sheila Kuehl, Metro Board Member and Los Angeles County Supervisor for District 3, which includes much of the San Fernando Valley. “Like the other four mega Measure M projects for the Valley, this fits into the regional transportation network that Metro is building. The Valley is getting the access it deserves to jobs and educational opportunities both inside and out of the area and I assure you that all of L.A. County will benefit from the new connections to the Valley.”

The East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor will be a key piece in the San Fernando Valley’s expanding Measure M network that will also include:

• Metro Orange Line improvements.
• A 16-mile bus rapid transit line from the Orange and Red lines in North Hollywood to the Gold Line in Pasadena.
• A project to speed traffic and provide new transit options through the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor, from the Orange Line in Van Nuys to the Westside and eventually all the way to LAX. Multiple options are being considered.
• A bus rapid transit line serving the northern San Fernando Valley.

“We have been moving many projects forward, including the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, as we continue our track record of bringing projects in on time and budget,”  said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “This will bring a much-needed transit option to one of our busiest bus corridors. We are confident ridership on this line will be very high.”