East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project

Last updated

East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project
LAMetroLogo.svg
Overview
StatusPre-construction
Locale San Fernando Valley
Termini
Stations14
Website https://www.metro.net/projects/east-sfv/
Service
Type Light rail
System Los Angeles Metro Rail
History
Planned opening2031 (2031) (G Line to Van Nuys/San Fernando)
Technical
Line length6.7 mi (10.8 km) (G Line to Van Nuys/San Fernando)
9.2 mi (14.8 km) (full line)
Number of tracks2
Character Median-running at grade
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification Overhead line,  750 V DC
Route map

Contents

Legend
BSicon CONTg.svg
Metrolink icon.svg
■  Antelope Valley Line
to Lancaster
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon exlINT-L.svg
BSicon uexKINTa-R.svg
 Sylmar/San Fernando
Metrolink icon.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Maclay
BSicon SKRZ-G4hl.svg
BSicon uexSKRZ-G4hr.svg
California 118.svg SR 118
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Paxton
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon lENDE.svg
BSicon uexENDE.svg
Arrow Blue Up 001.svgPhase 2 (TBD)
Arrow Blue Down 001.svgPhase 1 (2031)
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Van Nuys/San Fernando
BSicon STRl.svg
BSicon uxmKRZu.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Metrolink icon.svg
■  Antelope Valley Line
to Union Station
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Laurel Canyon
BSicon uexSKRZ-G4u.svg
I-5 (1961).svg I-5
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Arleta
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Woodman
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Nordhoff
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Roscoe
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon STRq.svg
BSicon .svg
BSicon exlINT-Rq.svg
BSicon lBHF.svg
BSicon uexSTR.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
 Saticoy Street
BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Metrolink icon.svg
BSicon uexhCONTgq.svg
BSicon uexhKBHFeq.svg
BSicon exlINT-Lq.svg
BSicon uexSTR.svg
Sepulveda Corridor
to the E Line (Planned)
BSicon uexKDSTaq.svg
BSicon uexABZgr+r.svg
Maintenance and
Storage Facility
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Sherman Way
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Vanowen
BSicon uexBHF.svg
 Victory
BSicon exlINT-Rq.svg
BSicon uexKINTe.svg
 Van Nuys
BSicon uhCONTgq.svg
BSicon uhBHFq.svg
BSicon exlINT-Lq.svg
BSicon uhCONTfq.svg
 LACMTA Square G Line.svg  
This diagram:

The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, formerly the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Project, is a transit project which is proposing the construction of a light rail line on the east side of Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, running on a north/south route along Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road. [1]

The project is being planned by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and has been given high priority by Metro in its long-range plan, and funding for the project is included in Measure R and Measure M. [2] [3] The project's timeline was accelerated under the Twenty-eight by '28 initiative. [4]

In June 2018, Metro staff recommended the corridor be built as an at-grade rail line without tunneling, making it a part of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. [1] In December 2020, Metro approved the Final EIR with the option to build the rail line in segments. [5]

On December 2, 2022, Metro officially began advanced utility relocation for the line. [6] The tentative completion date for the first phase of the project is 2031. [7]

Overview

The northern end of the proposed line is Sylmar/San Fernando station, providing a connection to the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line, and the southern end would be the G Line's Van Nuys station. [8] An important intermediary stop would be at the currently existing Van Nuys Metrolink and Amtrak station, where passengers could transfer to the Ventura County Line, Amtrak routes, and the proposed Sepulveda Transit Corridor to the Westside. The Metro staff recommendation included 14 stations for the 9.2-mile (14.8 km) line. [9]

The Pacific Electric San Fernando Line ran a north-south line between Downtown Los Angeles and San Fernando, partially on Van Nuys Avenue, from 1911 to 1952 before being dismantled and converted to bus service. The project route was portrayed in the project map included in the 1980 Proposition A documentation. Metro Rapid bus lines that serve the route as of 2022 are route 761 on Van Nuys Boulevard, with additional Metro Local lines supplementing both. Planning for the line will take into consideration other major planned infrastructure projects, including a Sepulveda Transit Corridor rail link, the conversion of the G Line from bus rapid transit to light rail, and double tracking of the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report was completed and released in September 2017, [10] and the final clearance was granted by the Federal Transit Administration in February 2021. [11]

History

Six initial alternatives were developed during the environmental review process: [10]

DEIR AlternativeDescriptionNew trips [12] Estimated cost
(billions) [12]
Alternative 1No buildN/AN/A
Alternative 2Transportation system managementN/AN/A
Alternative 3Curb-running bus rapid transit (BRT)30,900$0.294
Alternative 4Median-running BRT31,500$0.402
Alternative 5Median-running light rail transit (LRT) with low-floor vehicles35,800$1.3
Alternative 6Median-running LRT with high platform stations and some underground portions47,400$2.79

Route Selection: Alternative Six

In June 2018, Metro staff recommended a modified version of Alternative 6, using high-floor light rail vehicles like other Metro Rail lines but entirely on the street and at grade. The underground section between Sherman Way and Roscoe stations was eliminated, due to the high costs of tunneling. [13]

Metro approved the project with $1.3 billion in funds, initiating the final EIR. The northern terminus will be the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station. The light rail train will run southeast for two and a half miles (4.0 km) on San Fernando Road to Van Nuys Boulevard. It then heads south on Van Nuys Boulevard for five miles (8.0 km) reaching the Van Nuys Metrolink station. Its southern terminus will be the Van Nuys G Line station near L.A.'s Van Nuys City Hall two miles (3.2 km) further south. [14]

PhaseDate openingStationCity/NeighborhoodConnecting services [15]
2TBA Sylmar/San Fernando Sylmar Metrolink icon.svg Metrolink:       Antelope Valley Line
Maclay San Fernando
Paxton Pacoima
12031 [7] Van Nuys/San Fernando
Laurel Canyon
Arleta Arleta
Woodman
Nordhoff Panorama City
Roscoe
Saticoy Street
Van Nuys Metrolink/Amtrak 		Van Nuys BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner & Coast Starlight ,
Metrolink icon.svg Metrolink:       Ventura County Line
Possible future terminus of the Sepulveda Transit Corridor [16]
Sherman Way
Vanowen
Victory
Van Nuys LACMTA Square G Line.svg  G Line

By 2023, Metro initiated a new study of the northern phase of the project to better plan for how to share the right of way with an expanded Antelope Valley Line. [17] Since development of the ESFVLRT began, Metrolink had released plans to double track their line, which was not adequately accounted for in the initial plans.

Construction

The line is planned to be built in two phases: the first runs from the Van Nuys G Line station to San Fernando Road with the remaining segment to be completed later. [11] [18] Groundbreaking is anticipated in mid-2024 with operations to begin in 2031. [19] [7] Funds were being acquired by 2020, with $800 million coming from Measure M, $200 million from Road Repair and Accountability Act gas tax, and $200 million from other state-level sources. [20] The Federal Transit Administration intends to provide $909 million between 2022 and 2023 to fund the project. [21] The capital project cost for the first phase is estimated to be $3.635 billion. [22] Utility work along the line began in December 2022. [23] In January 2023, the project was awarded another $600 million out of the state's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, originating from the state's budget surplus in prior years. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Nuys</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States

Van Nuys is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Fernando Valley</span> Valley in Los Angeles County, California, US

The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the city of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated areas; and the incorporated cities of Burbank, Calabasas, Glendale, Hidden Hills, and San Fernando. The valley is well known for its film studios such as Warner Bros. Studios and Walt Disney Studios. In addition, it is home to the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority</span> Public transport agency in Los Angeles County, California, United States

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), branded as Metro, is the county agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the public transportation system in Los Angeles County, California, the most populated county in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Nuys station (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Bus rapid transit stop in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California

Van Nuys station is a station on the G Line of the Los Angeles Metro Busway system. It is named after adjacent Van Nuys Boulevard, which travels north-south and crosses the east-west busway route and is located in the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley. Adjacent to the station is the G Line Bikeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Nuys station</span> Railway station in Van Nuys, California

Van Nuys station is an Amtrak and Metrolink train station in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, close to the nighborhood of Panorama City. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, Amtrak's Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle, Washington, and Metrolink's Ventura County Line from Los Angeles Union Station to East Ventura stop here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylmar/San Fernando station</span> Metrolink stop in the northeast San Fernando Valley

Sylmar/San Fernando station is a Metrolink commuter rail train station located in Sylmar, California, and adjacent to the city of San Fernando. It is served by Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line between Los Angeles Union Station and Lancaster.

Van Nuys Boulevard is a major north-south arterial road that runs through the central San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, California. The boulevard was notable for its cruising lifestyle that was prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s, which was depicted in the 1979 film Van Nuys Blvd.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) operates six rail lines as part of its Metro Rail system. This system includes four light rail lines and two rapid transit lines. The agency owns, operates, and maintains a fleet of 439 rail vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepulveda Transit Corridor</span> Proposed transit corridor

The Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project is a two-phased planned transit corridor project that aims to connect the Los Angeles Basin to the San Fernando Valley through Sepulveda Pass in Los Angeles, California, by supplementing the existing I-405 freeway through the pass. The corridor would partly parallel I-405, and proposed alternatives include heavy rail rapid transit or a monorail line connecting the G Line in the Valley to the D Line and E Line on the Westside, and the K Line near Los Angeles International Airport.

Maclay is a planned light rail station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project. It is located on North Maclay Avenue near the intersection with Truman Street in San Fernando, California. Metrolink Antelope Valley Line trains pass but will not stop here. It is planned to open as part of the second phase of the project.

Paxton is a planned light rail station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project. It is located on San Fernando Road between the base of the northbound California State Route 118 interchange and the intersection with Paxton Street in Pacoima. Metrolink Antelope Valley Line trains pass but will not stop here. It is planned to open as part of the second phase of the project.

Victory is a planned light rail station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and planned to open in 2031. It is located on Van Nuys Boulevard at the intersection with Victory Boulevard in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles. The station is a split design, with the northbound platform on the north side of the intersection and the southbound platform the opposite.

Vanowen is a planned light rail station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and planned to open in 2031. It is located on Van Nuys Boulevard at the intersection with Vanowen Street in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles. The station is a split design, with the northbound platform on the north side of the intersection and the southbound platform the opposite.

Arleta is a planned light rail station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and planned to open in 2031. It is located on Van Nuys Boulevard at the intersection with Arleta Boulevard in the Arleta neighborhood of Los Angeles. The station features a single island platform in the median strip on the southwest leg of the crossroads.

Van Nuys/San Fernando is a planned light rail station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project. It is located near the corners of Van Nuys Boulevard and El Dorado Way, near San Fernando Road in Pacoima. The station is expected to open in 2031 as the interim northern terminus of the line until service is extended to Sylmar/San Fernando station.

Sherman Way is a planned light rail station in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and planned to open in 2031. It is located on Van Nuys Boulevard at the intersection with Sherman Way in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Laurel Canyon is a planned light rail station in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and planned to open in 2031. It is located in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacoima and features an island platform on the north side of on Van Nuys Boulevard at the intersection with Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

Roscoe is a planned light rail and bus rapid transit station in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and is planned to open in 2031. It is located on Van Nuys Boulevard at the intersection with Roscoe Boulevard in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Woodman is a planned light rail station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and planned to open in 2031. It is located on Van Nuys Boulevard at the intersection with Woodman Boulevard in the Arleta neighborhood of Los Angeles. The station features a single island platform in the median strip on the northeast leg of the crossroads.

Nordhoff is a planned light rail station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is part of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project and planned to open in 2031. It is located on Van Nuys Boulevard at the intersection with Nordhoff Street in the Panorama neighborhood of Los Angeles. The station features a single island platform in the median strip on the north leg of Van Nuys.

References

  1. 1 2 Chiland, Elijah (June 28, 2018). "Metro greenlights new light rail line in the San Fernando Valley". CurbedLA. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  2. ↑ "East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor". www.metro.net. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Draft EIS/EIR". www.metro.net. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  4. ↑ Sharp, Steven (November 27, 2018). "Here are the 28 Projects that Metro Could Complete Before the 2028 Olympics". Urbanize. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  5. ↑ Sotero, Dave (December 3, 2020). "Metro Board approves Final EIR for East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project". The Source. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  6. ↑ Metro, LA (December 2, 2022). "Groundbreaking held for advance utility work on East San Fernando Valley light rail project". The Source. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 @numble (November 27, 2023). "October 2023 status report for LA Metro's East San Fernando Valley line. Contractor's initial schedule shows line opening at end of 2031, Metro is targeting summer 2031" (Tweet). Retrieved November 28, 2023– via Twitter.
  8. ↑ Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Draft Environmental Impact Report for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor (PDF), U.S. Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, August 2017
  9. ↑ "ESFVTC: Alignment Map, Station Locations & Project Description".
  10. 1 2 "The East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor: Rendered". Urbanize LA. November 17, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  11. 1 2 "FTA environmentally clears L.A. Metro's East San Fernando Valley light-rail transit project" (Press release). Mass Transit. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  12. 1 2 "East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Takes Another Step Towards Reality". Urbanize LA. September 1, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  13. ↑ Hymon, Steve (June 16, 2018). "Metro staff recommends building light rail between Van Nuys and Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station". metro.net. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  14. ↑ "L.A. Metro Board Approves Light Rail for East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Project". www.MassTransitMag.com. July 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Bus and Rail System Map" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  16. ↑ Hymon, Steve (January 29, 2019). "Here are the four new refined concepts for Sepulveda Transit Corridor". metro.net. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  17. ↑ "We're building light rail for the Valley" (PDF). Metro. 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  18. ↑ "East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project Now Eligible For Federal Funding". MyNewsLA.com. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  19. ↑ "East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project".
  20. ↑ Sharp, Steven (June 18, 2018). "Metro Staff Recommends Light Rail for Van Nuys Boulevard". Urbanize LA. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  21. ↑ Scauzillo, Steve (May 27, 2022). "East San Fernando Valley rail line project gets $909 million boost from Feds". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  22. ↑ "U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Path Forward for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Phase I Project Under the Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program". Federal Transit Administration. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Groundbreaking held for advance utility work on East San Fernando Valley light rail project". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Source. December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  24. ↑ 2023 TRANSIT AND INTERCITY RAIL CAPITAL PROGRAM. EXISTING TIRCP PROJECTS LEVERAGING FEDERAL AND LOCAL FUNDS RESERVE. JANUARY 31, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.