East San Fernando Light Rail Transit Project

East San Fernando Light Rail Transit Project
Overview
Status	Planned
Locale	San Fernando Valley
Termini	Sylmar/San Fernando station Van Nuys station
Stations	14
Service
Type	Light rail
System	Metro
History
Planned opening	2028 (2028)
Technical
Line length	9.2 mi (14.8 km)
Number of tracks	2
Character	median-running at grade
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC overhead catenary
hide Route map Legend Metrolink to Lancaster Sylmar/San Fernando Maclay Pacoima Wash SR 118 Paxton Van Nuys/San Fernando Laurel Canyon I-5 Arleta Pacoima Diversion Channel Woodman Nordhoff Roscoe ( planned) Saticoy Street Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor to the E Line (planned) Pacoima Wash Sherman Way Vanowen Victory Van Nuys    show Detailed diagram Metrolink to Lancaster Sylmar/San Fernando Maclay Pacoima Wash SR 118 Paxton San Fernando Road Van Nuys/San Fernando Van Nuys Boulevard Laurel Canyon I-5 Arleta Pacoima Diversion Channel Woodman PE San Fernando Nordhoff ( planned) Roscoe Saticoy Street Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor to the E Line (planned) maintenance and storage yard Pacoima Wash PE Owensmouth Sherman Way Vanowen Victory Van Nuys Boulevard    Van Nuys PE Owensmouth This diagram: view talk

The East San Fernando Light Rail Transit Project (formerly the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Project) is a proposed light rail transit corridor in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, running on a north/south route along Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road.^[1] Metro selected its preferred route as light rail without tunneling, "Alternative Six". The final Environmental Impact Report is currently in progress and the light rail line is scheduled for construction in 2022 with a completion of 2028.^[2]

The project is being planned by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The line 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.^[3][4] The project's timeline was accelerated under the Twenty-eight by '28 initiative.^[5]

In June 2018, Metro staff recommended the corridor be built as an at-grade rail line, 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.^[6]

Overview[]

Rail system map included in the official 1980 Proposition A election pamphlet – the corridor is seen at the upper left

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.^[7] 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 Pass Transit Corridor to the Westside. The Metro staff recommendation included 14 stations for the 9.2-mile (14.8 km) line.^[8]

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 2020 are route 744 on Van Nuys Boulevard and route 794 on San Fernando Road, with additional Metro Local lines supplementing both. Planning for the line will take into consideration other major planned infrastructure projects, including a Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor rail link and the conversion of the G Line from bus rapid transit to light rail.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report was completed and released in September 2017,^[9] and the final clearance was granted by the Federal Transit Administration in February 2021.^[10]

History[]

Six initial alternatives were developed during the environmental review process:^[9]

Route Selection: Alternative Six[]

In June 2018, Metro staff recommended a modified version of Alternative 6, using high-floor light rail vehicles like those on other Metro Rail lines but entirely on the street and entirely at-grade. The underground section between Sherman Way and Roscoe stations was eliminated, due to high costs of tunneling.^[12]

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 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.^[13]

Phase	Station	Date opening	City/Neighborhood	Connecting services[14]
Phase Two	Sylmar/San Fernando	TBA	Sylmar	Metrolink: Antelope Valley
	Maclay		San Fernando
	Paxton		Pacoima
Phase One	Van Nuys/San Fernando	2028
	Laurel Canyon
	Arleta		Arleta
	Woodman
	Nordhoff		Panorama City
	Roscoe			Possible future interchange with
	Saticoy Street Van Nuys Metrolink/Amtrak		Van Nuys	Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner & Coast Starlight, Metrolink: Ventura County Possible future terminus of the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor[15]
	Sherman Way
	Vanowen
	Victory
	Van Nuys			G Line

Construction[]

The line is planned to be built in two phases: the first running from the Van Nuys G Line station to San Fernando Road with the remaining segment to be completed later.^[10][16] Groundbreaking is scheduled for early 2022 with operations anticipated to begin in 2028.^[2] Funds are being acquired, 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.^[17]

References[]

External links[]

Route map:

• Official website