When voting to approve plans for a light rail line in the median of Van Nuys Boulevard in 2020, the Metro Board of Directors opted to split the project in phases due to rising costs. With early construction now underway for the initial segment of the project, a 6.7-mile corridor between Pacoima and the G Line in Pacoima, Metro staff are recommending a path forward for phase two corridor, which stretches between Van Nuys Boulevard and the Sylmar Metrolink Station within the same right-of-way as Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line.

In a report scheduled for the November 19 meeting of the Board's Planning and Programming Committee, staff have recommended the construction of an infill Metrolink station at the intersection of San Fernando Road and Van Nuys Boulevard in lieu of a full light rail extension. The proposed station would be accompanied by upgrades to a half-dozen existing at-grade crossings within the corridor, including new four-quadrant gates, crosswalks, a bike path, new lighting, and raised medians.

Railroad crossing safety improvements surrounding the right-of-wayMetro

Due to the planned construction of a new stretch of double track on the Antelope Valley Line between Brighton and Roxton Streets, the addition of high-frequency light rail trains to the increasingly cramped right-of-way would necessitate the construction of costly grade separations. With a series of aerial structures and three new stations, the cost of the light rail alternative would range between $900 million and up to $1.2 billion, while the Metrolink stop would cost a comparatively modest $150 million to $200 million.

Likewise, the City of San Fernando objected to the increased number of trains traveling along the corridor under that scenario - potentially 25 light rail trains and five additional trains on the  Metrolink right-of-way each hour. Scenarios in which a Pacoima Metrolink station are built would by comparison result in just five trains per hour.

Initial segment of East San Fernando Valley Line within Van Nuys Boulevard and phase two segment within Metrolink right-of-wayMetro

Finally, the Metro report indicates that ridership projections do not vary significantly between the light rail and Metrolink infill station alternatives. However, construction of the Metrolink stop could support service through a larger corridor which includes Santa Clarita, Burbank, Glendale, and Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles, while also taking advantage of planned increases to 30-minute bi-directional service under the SCORE program.

The report recommends that the Metro Board should adopt plans for a Pacoima Metrolink station - to be built either with side platforms or with an island platform - and identify funding to build the stop and related upgrades to grade crossings in the corridor.

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