Southeast Gateway Line

Last updated

LAMetroLogo.svg  Southeast Gateway Line
Overview
StatusPlanned
Locale Los Angeles
Downey
Paramount
Artesia
Termini
Stations12
Website Southeast Gateway Line
Service
Type Light rail
System Los Angeles Metro Rail
History
Planned opening2035 (Slauson–Pioneer)
2043 (full line)
Technical
Line length19.3 mi (31.1 km)
Number of tracks2
CharacterDedicated right of way with elevated, at-grade and underground sections
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification 750 V DC overhead catenary
Route map

Contents

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Union Station LACMTA Circle A Line.svg   LACMTA Circle B Line.svg   LACMTA Circle D Line.svg   LACMTA Square J Line.svg   Metrolink icon.svg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg California High Speed Rail.svg
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*new platforms at Union Station Forecourt
or behind the Metropolitan Water District Building
LACMTA Circle B Line.svg   LACMTA Circle D Line.svg  
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BSicon tCONTfq saffron.svg
LACMTA Circle A Line.svg   LACMTA Circle E Line.svg  
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Little Tokyo/Arts District LACMTA Circle A Line.svg   LACMTA Circle E Line.svg  
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Arts/Industrial District
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Arrow Blue Up 001.svgPhase 2 (2043)
Arrow Blue Down 001.svgPhase 1 (2035)
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Slauson LACMTA Circle A Line.svg  
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LACMTA Circle A Line.svg  to Long Beach
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Pacific/Randolph
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Florence/Salt Lake
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Firestone
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Gardendale
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I-105/C Line LACMTA Circle C Line.svg  
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I-105 (1961).svg I-105 LACMTA Circle C Line.svg  
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Paramount/Rosecrans
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Maintenance and
Storage Facility
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Bellflower
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Pioneer
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Multiple services

Wheelchair symbol.svg All stations are accessible

The Southeast Gateway Line, formerly the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor, is a planned light rail line, mostly following the Pacific Electric's historic West Santa Ana Branch, connecting Downtown Los Angeles to the city of Artesia, along with other cities in southeastern Los Angeles County.

Overview

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has $4 billion [1] [2] in funds available for construction planned to begin in 2022. The plan included in the Measure M transportation funding measure is to build improvements in two stages.

In June 2017, Metro issued a request for proposal to study alternatives for this new line. [3] Metro has narrowed the options to two alternatives and are currently preparing to publish the Draft EIS/EIR for public comment. [2] [1] The draft EIS/EIR is planned to be released in 2020. [4]

The project's timeline was expected to be accelerated under the Twenty-eight by '28 initiative. [5]

The environmental impact report released in 2021 set an estimated cost of $8.6 billion for the line. [6]

The City of Cerritos filed a lawsuit[ when? ] to force Metro to alter the planned route through that city. Under the plan, the new light rail will travel over 1.3 miles (2.09 km) within the city limits with three street crossings between I-605 and the proposed Pioneer station. Metro proposes in Cerritos, at 183rd and Gridley Street, a crossing shared with the City of Artesia, a $687 million dollar above ground bridge crossing. Cerritos prefers a $1.1 billion dollar underground rail options within its limits. Metro has stated a budget difference of $413 million in additional tax payer funds is not needed. [7] [8]

By 2023, the Metro board sought to change the project's name to reflect that it would not reach Santa Ana or Orange County. [9] The $8.5 billion project has been in the planning stage for two decades. Metro estimates it will take 10 years to build, starting in 2025 and opening in 2035. On January 22, 2024, the line's new name was announced by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn to be the Southeast Gateway Line. [10]

As of April 2024, Metro has published a Final EIS/EIR that is pending Metro board certification after which the FTA will issue a record of decision to happen in sometime during summer 2024

Proposed routings and modes

The Southeast Gateway Line is proposed as a 19.3-mile (31.1 km) light rail transit line that would connect downtown Los Angeles to Artesia. Along the route, it would also serve the communities of Vernon, Huntington Park, Bell, Cudahy, South Gate, Downey, Paramount, Bellflower and Cerritos in the southeast area of the county. [1]

The southern portion route, east and south of Slauson, leaves the A Line corridor via the former Pacific Electric Whittier Line, continues south on a former Union Pacific Railroad line (Florence/Salt Lake to Paramount/Rosecrans), and then transitions to the old Santa Ana right of way (south of Paramount/Rosecrans). These corridors are owned by the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach and Metro, requiring minimal property acquisition.

The northern alignment through Downtown Los Angeles is being studied as a possible underground light rail transit route. Six options were proposed. [1] As of 2018, two options were being considered (both of which would connect to the southern alignment by paralleling the A Line between Washington and Slauson stations, as well as part of an existing freight rail line along Randolph Street): [4] [2]

By March 2018, Cerritos had opted out of the project, leaving the southern terminus at Pioneer. [11] In November 2018, Metro removed the A Line stations north of Slauson from the study area, citing redundant service and expedited travel times as the prime reasons. [12]

In 2019, Metro announced that as part of its design analysis, it would study opening the line in two stages, with the initial opening $1 billion segment running from Pioneer Station in Artesia north to Slauson Station on the A Line, with the remainder of the $3 billion route into downtown built as Phase 2. Metro staff were "optimistic" that it would be feasible to build the line to Slauson by 2028 with existing Measure M funds. Metro was also studying public–private partnerships that could accelerate the construction schedule of the entire line. The service is not planned to interline with the A Line to 7th Street/Metro Center due to operational constraints. [13] Under the proposed plans, design for the initial segment would be complete by 2021 and construction would begin in 2022. [14]

Route Selection: Alternative: E

By 2022, the Metro Board backed the Union Station option as the northern terminus. [15] Construction on the segment south of Slauson is expected to begin construction in 2025 with an estimated opening of 2035. [16] [17] The second phase north of Slauson to Union Station is expected to be completed in 2043 at the earliest. [18]

Stations

PhaseExpected
completion
Station [1] LocationConnecting
services [19]
22043 Union Station Downtown Los Angeles BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak
California High Speed Rail.svg California High-Speed Rail
Metrolink icon.svg Metrolink
LACMTA Circle A Line.svg  A Line
LACMTA Circle B Line.svg  B Line
LACMTA Circle D Line.svg  D Line
LACMTA Square J Line.svg  J Line
Little Tokyo/Arts District Little Tokyo LACMTA Circle A Line.svg  A Line
LACMTA Circle E Line.svg  E Line
Arts/Industrial District Arts District
12035 [9] Slauson Florence-Graham LACMTA Circle A Line.svg  A Line
Pacific/Randolph Huntington Park/Walnut Park
Florence/Salt Lake Bell/Cudahy
Firestone South Gate
Gardendale Downey
I-105/C Line Paramount LACMTA Circle C Line.svg  C Line
Paramount/Rosecrans
Bellflower Bellflower
Pioneer Artesia

Proposed extension into Orange County

Metro is evaluating an optional station in Cerritos at Bloomfield Avenue (just north of the Los Angeles-Orange county line) to facilitate a possible future extension into Orange County; it would eventually connect to the under-construction OC Streetcar, which also uses part of the Pacific Electric WSAB right-of-way. [4]

Proposed Rio Hondo confluence station

Metro is evaluating an optional station in South Gate at the confluence of the Los Angeles River and Rio Hondo to connect with future planned development in the surrounding area. [20]

Related Research Articles

<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, and the largest public transit agency in the county as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gateway Cities</span> Region of Los Angeles County, California, US

The Gateway Cities Region, or Southeast Los Angeles County, is an urbanized region located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, between the City of Los Angeles proper, Orange County, and the Pacific Ocean. The cluster of cities has been termed "Gateway Cities" in that they serve as a "gateway" between the LA and Orange counties, with the city of Cerritos equidistant from Downtown L.A., Long Beach, and Santa Ana in Orange County. As such, the area is central to the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), and has a population of approximately 2,000,000 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Los Angeles</span> Complex multimodal regional, national and international hub for passenger and freight traffic

Los Angeles has a complex multimodal transportation infrastructure, which serves as a regional, national and international hub for passenger and freight traffic. The system includes the United States' largest port complex; an extensive freight and passenger rail infrastructure, including light rail lines and rapid transit lines; numerous airports and bus lines; vehicle for hire companies; and an extensive freeway and road system. People in Los Angeles rely on cars as the dominant mode of transportation, but since 1990 the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has built over one hundred miles (160 km) of light and heavy rail serving more and more parts of Los Angeles and the greater area of Los Angeles County. As a result, Los Angeles was the last major city in the United States to get a permanent rail system installed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Metro Rail</span> Urban rail transit system serving Los Angeles County, California

The Los Angeles Metro Rail is an urban rail transit system serving Los Angeles County, California in the United States. It consists of six lines: four light rail lines and two rapid transit lines, serving a total of 101 stations. It connects with the Metro Busway bus rapid transit system, the Metrolink commuter rail system, as well as several Amtrak lines. Metro Rail is owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Line (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Light rail line in Los Angeles County, California

The A Line is a 48.5-mile (78.1 km) light rail line in Los Angeles County, California. It is one of the six lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The A Line serves 44 stations and runs east-west between Azusa and Pasadena, then north-south between Pasadena and Long Beach. It interlines and shares five stations with the E Line in Downtown Los Angeles. Service operates for approximately 19 hours with headways of up to 8 minutes during peak hours. The A Line is currently the longest light rail line in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor Transitway</span> Roadway in Interstate Highway 110 in Los Angeles County, California

The Harbor Transitway is a 10.3-mile (16.6 km) shared-use express bus corridor and high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes running in the median of Interstate 110 between Downtown Los Angeles and the Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena, California. Buses also make intermediate stops at 37th Street/USC, Slauson, Manchester, Harbor Freeway, and Rosecrans stations. The facility opened for two-person carpools on June 26, 1996, for buses on August 1, 1996 and was converted to HOT lanes as part of the Metro ExpressLanes project on November 10, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont Avenue</span> Major thoroughfare in Los Angeles, CA

Vermont Avenue is one of the longest running north–south streets in City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, California. With a length of 23.3 miles (37.5 km), is the third longest of the north–south thoroughfares in the region. For most of its length between its southern end in San Pedro and south of Downtown Los Angeles, it runs parallel to the west of the Harbor Freeway (I-110).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slauson station (A Line)</span> Los Angeles Metro Rail station

Slauson station is an elevated light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is located within the historic right-of-way of the Pacific Electric Railway and elevated over the intersection of Slauson Avenue, after which the station is named, in the unincorporated Los Angeles County community of Florence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor Gateway Transit Center</span> Public transit hub in Los Angeles, California

Harbor Gateway Transit Center, formerly Artesia Transit Center, is a large bus station at the southern end of the Harbor Transitway that serves as a transport hub for the South Bay region of Los Angeles County including the Harbor Gateway neighborhood of Los Angeles and cities of Carson, Gardena, and Torrance. The station consists of one large island platform with 12 bus bays and a 980 space park and ride parking lot located in the southwest corner of Interstate 110 and California State Route 91.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Greater Los Angeles</span> Complex multimodal regional, national and international hub for passenger and freight traffic

Greater Los Angeles has a complex multimodal transportation infrastructure, which serves as a regional, national and international hub for passenger and freight traffic. The transportation system of Greater Los Angeles includes the United States' largest port complex, seven commuter rail lines, Amtrak service, a subway system within the city of Los Angeles, and numerous highways. Los Angeles is integrated into the Interstate Highway System by Interstate 5, Interstate 10, and Interstate 15, along with numerous auxiliary highways and state routes. Bus service is also included locally within the area by numerous local government agencies. Subways and light commuter rail lines are present within Los Angeles proper, allowing mass transportation within the city. Commuter railroads are run by Metrolink. Amtrak has numerous railroad lines that connect Los Angeles to the rest of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Santa Ana Branch</span> Rail line in California, US

The West Santa Ana Branch is a rail right-of-way formerly used by the Pacific Electric's (PE) Santa Ana route in Los Angeles County and Orange County in Southern California. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) owns the segment of the right-of-way in Los Angeles County, and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) owns the segment in Orange County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Ana Line</span>

The Santa Ana Line was an interurban railway route connecting Los Angeles and Santa Ana in Orange County. It ran between 1905 and 1958 and was predominantly operated by the Pacific Electric Railway for its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepulveda Transit Corridor</span> Proposed transit corridor in Los Angeles, California

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.

The OC Streetcar is a modern streetcar line currently under construction in Orange County, California, running through the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove. The electric-powered streetcar will be operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), and will serve ten stops in each direction along its 4.15-mile (6.68 km) route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastside Transit Corridor</span> Future light rail line extension in Los Angeles County, California

The Eastside Transit Corridor is a light rail line extension that currently connects Downtown Los Angeles with East Los Angeles. However, the extension is planned to extend further southeast to connect with the Gateway Cities, continuing from a relocated Atlantic station southeast to a new Lambert station in Whittier.

The history of the Los Angeles Metro Rail and Busway system begins in the early 1970s, when the traffic-choked region began planning a rapid transit system. The first dedicated busway opened along I-10 in 1973, and the region's first light rail line, the Blue Line opened in 1990. Today the system includes over 160 miles (260 km) of heavy rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit lines, with multiple new lines under construction as of 2019.

The Vermont Transit Corridor is a proposed 12.5-mile (20.1 km) bus rapid transit line in the Metro Busway network in Los Angeles, California with plans to convert it to rapid transit in the future. It is planned to operate on a north-to-south route on Vermont Avenue between the B Line's Vermont/Sunset station and the C Line's Vermont/Athens station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The project feasibility study was released in February 2019 with a proposed completion date of 2028 for BRT and after 2067 for rail. It is part of Metro's Twenty-eight by '28 initiative and is partially funded by Measure M. The route will have signal priority at traffic lights and will have a dedicated right of way. Metro reports the initial cost is $425 million.

Pioneer station is a planned light rail station in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It will be the southern terminus of the Southeast Gateway Line project, located in Artesia at Pioneer Boulevard. The segment of the corridor is expected to begin operations in 2035. The route may later on be further expanded along the West Santa Ana right-of-way, but Metro has not yet announced any plans to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail to Rail</span> Under construction rail trail in Los Angeles County, California

The Rail to Rail Active Transportation Corridor Project is a construction project building a rail trail in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is being constructed by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Tinoco, Matt (May 24, 2018). "Metro directors pick two options for new rail line through Downtown LA". Curbed LA. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  3. "Metro West Santa Ana Branch Rail Recommended Route(s) To Go To Metro Board This Month". Streetsblog Los Angeles. May 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Project Alternatives". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 2, 2018.[ non-primary source needed ]
  5. Sharp, Steven (November 27, 2018). "Here are the 28 Projects that Metro Could Complete Before the 2028 Olympics". Urbanize. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  6. Fine, Howard (December 20, 2021). "Metro Planning Rail Routes into County's Southeast Quadrant". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  7. "Cerritos Council Spending City Funds to Stop Light Rail from Artesia to Downtown L.A." July 2023.
  8. "Let the new Metro line in Cerritos be built | Talon Marks". March 25, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Scauzillo, Steve (June 15, 2023). "Stations, new name coming for West Santa Ana Branch light-rail in southeast LA County". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  10. @SupJaniceHahn (January 22, 2024). "Over the last few months, I asked for your help to come up with a new name, and you all came through. Metro has tabulated the results and now we are finally prepared to unveil the new name for this train. The name you all chose for this new line is… the Southeast Gateway Line!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 22, 2024 via Twitter.
  11. Hews, Brian (March 11, 2018). "METRO TO HOLD MEETINGS ON WEST SANTA ANA BRANCH TRANSIT PROJECT, THE 20-MILE LIGHT RAIL FROM ARTESIA TO DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES". Cerritos Community News. Hews Media Group. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  12. "Board Report" (PDF). metro.net. Los Angeles County. November 14, 2018. pp. 1–33. Retrieved March 14, 2023.[ non-primary source needed ]
  13. "Board Report" (PDF). metro.net. Los Angeles County. September 18, 2019. pp. 1–6. Retrieved March 14, 2023.[ non-primary source needed ]
  14. "LA Metro to present latest West Santa Ana light-rail plan to the public". Progressive Railroading. January 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  15. Hymon, Steve (January 18, 2022). "Metro Board to select route and terminus for light rail line to Southeast L.A. County". The Source. LACMTA. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  16. Sharp, Steven (January 17, 2022). "Metro staff recommend Union Station route for West Santa Ana Branch". Urbanize. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  17. 2021-0724 - WEST SANTA ANA BRANCH TRANSIT CORRIDOR PROJECT (Report). January 19, 2022. p. 2. Retrieved January 21, 2022.{{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  18. Scauzillo, Steve (January 27, 2022). "LA Metro board OKs new light-rail line from Artesia to Union Station". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  19. "Bus and Rail System Map" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 3, 2018.[ non-primary source needed ]
  20. "Rio Hondo Confluence Station Feasibility Study". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . Retrieved June 24, 2023.