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Metro Community Meetings Outline Key Benefits, Share Anticipated Costs for Five Possible Approaches to Project, Seek Public Input
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) this week released new details about its Sepulveda Transit Corridor project, including the benefits, anticipated costs and construction schedule. Shared during the first of five community meetings, these details provide important context that will be considered as the project advances and decisions regarding alternatives are made.
If the project is built, travel times between the Van Nuys Metrolink Station to the Metro Expo Line would be between 18 to 33 minutes, depending on alternative selected, while travel times between Van Nuys Metrolink Station to Century City and Santa Monica would range from 25 to 36 minutes and 32 to 50 minutes, respectively.
These commute projections represent significant time savings over the same trips via personal vehicle and could cut travel times by more than half during rush hour. Ridership projections for the alternatives under consideration range from 63,000 to 124,000 daily boardings.
All five alternatives offer a fast, reliable rail transit option for those traveling through the Sepulveda Pass, a valuable benefit over unreliable traffic conditions that make travel planning exceedingly difficult.
Each weekday, more than 400,000 people cross the Sepulveda Pass, and a typical San Fernando Valley commuter loses 59 hours per year to traffic delays just from the evening drive home on I-405 between Wilshire Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard. Currently, only 2% of people who travel through the Sepulveda Corridor do so on public transit via bus.
In addition to providing residents and visitors with an alternative to sitting in traffic on the I-405, the project stands to improve air quality, public health, traffic safety and the region’s economic productivity.
The cost to build the project is estimated to be between $15.4 billion and $24.4 billion, while yearly operations and maintenance of the system would cost between $130 million and $157 million. Cost projections are preliminary, as the project is only at 15% of design and will continue to be refined as it advances through the development process.
This week’s virtual meeting was the first of five meetings Metro will host in May as it prepares for the upcoming release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). A recording of the virtual meeting is available on Metro’s website. Upcoming in-person meetings will be held at the following locations and times:
- 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.
Live Spanish interpretation will be available at all community meetings. All Metro meetings are accessible to persons with disabilities. Other ADA accommodations and interpretation are available by calling 213.922.4710 at least 72 hours in advance.
The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), which will be released soon, will contain detailed analysis of the environmental impacts of the five alternatives. The official public comment period will begin with the release of the DEIR. The alternatives vary by technology, alignments, termini, stations and connection to UCLA. A future decision on which alternative to advance will take into account findings from the DEIR, public comments received during the comment period, technical analyses, stakeholder input, and other factors such as project objectives, cost and expected ridership.
Additional information about the Sepulveda Transit Corridor project can be found at metro.net/projects/sepulvedacorridor/.
About Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility through its Vision 2028 Plan. Metro is the lead transportation planning and funding agency for L.A. County and carries 1 million boardings daily on a fleet of 2,000 low-emission buses and six electric rail lines.
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