A new environmental report published by Metro evaluates truncated plans for an eastward extension of Metro's E Line.

The Eastside Transit Corridor project, which saw its environmental impact report certified in 2024, was proposed in the Measure M expenditure plan to push the E Line nine miles east from Atlantic Station to a new terminus at Lambert Road in Whittier. The new study, which is being evaluated under federal environmental law, evaluates the initial phase of the approved project, which involves a roughly 4.7-mile extension ending at Greenwood Station in Montebello.

Metro's plan involves reconfiguring approximately 0.4 miles of existing track at the eastern terminus of the E Line, including the currently at-grade Atlantic Station. Plans call for undergrounding tracks following the East L.A. Civic Center Station to run below 3rd Street, after which point trains would continue as a subway under Atlantic Boulevard toward a stop at Whittier Boulevard. After that point, trains would veer southeast - still underground - toward a new stop at the Commerce Citadel, before progressing to elevated tracks within Washington Boulevard's right-of-way. The terminus would descend to street level toward the Greenwood Avenue terminus. Three maintenance and storage facility sites are under consideration in industrial areas of Commerce and Montebello.

Rendering of terminus at Greenwood AvenueMetro

Metro anticipates that the extension would attract 7,550 weekday riders under 2050 conditions. With all but approximately one mile of the corridor grade separated, the estimated travel time on the extension would be eight minutes.

The environmental study indicates that to date, Metro has secured approximately $3.95 billion in funding for the project, sourced from local sales tax revenue and state grants. That represents slightly over half of the estimated $7.9-billion budget for the project, which could be covered by additional state and federal grants.

Metro projects an opening date for the extension of sometime between 2035 and 2037, pending the availability of funding.

Metro's plans for the E Line on the Eastside once included a two-pronged extension, with the current project joined by a second alignment running parallel to the SR-60 freeway. After cost and operational concerns made that option infeasible, funds slated for the abandoned SR-60 corridor were instead reallocated toward the creation of transit lines in the San Gabriel Valley. 

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram / Bluesky