The environmental impact report isn't quite here yet, but Metro is finally ready to show off the latest on plans for a high-capacity transit line through the Sepulveda Pass.

In a series of community meetings through the remainder of May (see schedule below), Metro will outline the anticipated costs and construction schedule for the project, depending which of five build alternatives under study are selected. Information is also being made available for public review on a project website.

Van Nuys Metrolink Station - Alternatives 4 & 5 - Heavy RailMetro

Besides the obligatory no-build alternative, Metro is reviewing five possible routes for the initial phase of the Sepulveda Line, all of which would commence at the Van Nuys Metrolink Station in the north (where passengers could connect with the forthcoming East San Fernando Valley light rail line in the median of Van Nuys Boulevard), and continue southward parallel to the 405 Freeway to connect with destinations such as Westwood, UCLA, and east-west transit services such as the G Line, D Line, and E Line.

Alternatives 1 and 3, pitched by potential private sector partner LA SkyRail Express, would be automated monorail systems with 15-to-16 miles of track and either eight or nine stations along the way. Alternative 1 would largely run within the median of the 405, and require rely on an electric bus to connect with UCLA and the D Line, rather than having direct access. Alternative 3 would veer underground after passing the Getty Center to have direct underground connections at UCLA and the D Line. Both options call for monorail maintenance and storage facilities near the Metrolink right-of-way in the San Fernando Valley, with Alternative 1 also including a bus maintenance facility near the interchange of the 10 and the 405 Freeways.

UCLA Gateway Station - Alternative 3 - MonorailMetro

Alternatives 4 and 5, proposed by competitor Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners, would be automated heavy rail systems running just under four miles with eight stops along the way. Although both would traverse roughly the same route, Alternative 4 calls for trains to operate on aerial structures through the San Fernando Valley, while Alternative 5 would be fully underground. Under both options, a maintenance and storage facility would be located next to the Metrolink right-of-way in the San Fernando Valley.

Alternative 6, which would be driver operated and built by Metro, would be the shortest option at just under 13 miles. The fully subterranean alignment would make seven stops and run below Van Nuys Boulevard  in the Valley, then veer west after passing the D Line in Westwood to reach the Sawtelle neighborhood and the E Line's Expo/Bundy Station as a terminus, as opposed to stops along the Sepulveda Boulevard corridor.

Sepulveda Transit Corridor study area mapMetro

Estimated end-to-end travel times for each alternative range from 18 to 33 minutes, with the heavy rail subway options providing speedier trips in past analysis. Ridership projects likewise range from 63,000 to 124,000 daily boardings.

Metro has also announced that the cost of building the Sepulveda Pass project now ranges between $15.4 billion and $24.4 billion, with annual operating costs between $130 million and $157 million. However, a news release cautions that the current figures are preliminary, and could change as the design evolves.

A second phase of the project, which would extend from the E Line to LAX, remains far off in the future.

To see project maps and renderings of the different options, check out our gallery. If interested in the community meetings, the dates, times, and locations are as follows.

  • Tuesday, May 27: 5:30–7:30 p.m., Presentation will begin at 6 p.m., Westfield Topanga Community Center, 21710 Vanowen Street, Canoga Park, CA 91303.
  • Wednesday, May 28: 5:30–7:30 p.m., Presentation will begin at 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial Building Rotunda Room, 4117 Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 90230.
  • Thursday, May 29: 5:30–7:30 p.m., Presentation will begin at 6 p.m., Westwood United Methodist Church, 10497 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024.
  • Saturday, May 31: 3-5 p.m., Presentation will begin at 3:30 p.m., Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Boulevard, Building B, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.

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