East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project

The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project (formerly the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Project) is a transit project constructing 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.^[2]

East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project
Overview
Status	Under construction
Locale	San Fernando Valley
Termini	Sylmar/San Fernando Van Nuys
Stations	14
Website	https://www.metro.net/projects/east-sfv/
Service
Type	Light rail
System	Los Angeles Metro Rail
Rolling stock	P3030 LRV[1]
History
Planned opening	2031 (2031) (G Line to Van Nuys/San Fernando)
Technical
Line length	6.7 mi (10.8 km) (G Line to Van Nuys/San Fernando) 9.2 mi (14.8 km) (full line)
Number of tracks	2
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 Legend ■ Antelope Valley Line to Lancaster Sylmar/San Fernando Maclay SR 118 Paxton Phase 2 (TBD) Phase 1 (2031) Van Nuys/San Fernando ■ Antelope Valley Line to L.A. Union Station Laurel Canyon I-5 Arleta Woodman Nordhoff Roscoe Van Nuys/Metrolink Sepulveda Corridor to the E Line (Planned) Maintenance and Storage Facility Sherman Way Vanowen Victory Van Nuys/MOL   All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit

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.^[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 without tunneling, making it a part of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system.^[2] In December 2020, Metro approved the Final EIR with the option to build the rail line in segments.^[6]

On December 2, 2022, Metro officially began advanced utility relocation for the line.^[7] The tentative completion date for the first phase of the project is 2031.^[8]

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.^[9] 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.^[10]

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^[update] 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,^[11] and the final clearance was granted by the Federal Transit Administration in February 2021.^[12]

By 2020, funds were 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.^[13] In 2022, the Federal Transit Administration issued a Letter of Intent to provide $909 million to fund the project.^[14] In 2024, this turned into a signed agreement for an $893 million federal grant from the United States Department of Transportation. This grant was received by Metro on September 6, 2024.^[15] 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.^[16] The capital project cost for the first phase is estimated to be $3.635 billion.^[17]

History

Six initial alternatives were developed during the environmental review process:^[11]

DEIR Alternative	Description	New trips[18]	Estimated cost (billions)[18]
Alternative 1	No build	N/A	N/A
Alternative 2	Transportation system management	N/A	N/A
Alternative 3	Curb-running bus rapid transit (BRT)	30,900	$0.294
Alternative 4	Median-running BRT	31,500	$0.402
Alternative 5	Median-running light rail transit (LRT) with low-floor vehicles	35,800	$1.3
Alternative 6	Median-running LRT with high platform stations and some underground portions	47,400	$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.^[19]

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.^[20]

Phase	Date opening	Station	City/Neighborhood	Connecting services[21]
2	TBA	Sylmar/San Fernando	Sylmar	Metrolink:      Antelope Valley Line
		Maclay	San Fernando
Paxton	Pacoima
1		2031[8]	Van Nuys/San Fernando
	Laurel Canyon
	Arleta		Arleta
	Woodman
	Nordhoff		Panorama City
	Roscoe
Van Nuys/Metrolink	Van Nuys	Amtrak: Pacific Surfliner & Coast Starlight, Metrolink:      Ventura County Line Possible future terminus of the Sepulveda Transit Corridor[22]
Sherman Way
Vanowen
Victory
Van Nuys/MOL	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.^[23] 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.^[12][24] Groundbreaking occurred in December 2022, with operations to begin in 2031.^{[25][26][8][27]}

References

1. "P3030 Light Rail Procurement". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
2. Chiland, Elijah (June 28, 2018). "Metro greenlights new light rail line in the San Fernando Valley". CurbedLA. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
3. "East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor". www.metro.net. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
4. "Draft EIS/EIR". www.metro.net. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
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. 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.
7. 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.
8. @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.
9. 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
10. "ESFVTC: Alignment Map, Station Locations & Project Description".
11. "The East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor: Rendered". Urbanize LA. November 17, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
12. "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.
13. Sharp, Steven (June 18, 2018). "Metro Staff Recommends Light Rail for Van Nuys Boulevard". Urbanize LA. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
14. 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.
15. Granda, Carlos (September 6, 2024). "Light rail project connecting Van Nuys to Sylmar gets $893 million federal grant". KABC-TV. ABC Owned Television Stations. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
16. 2023 TRANSIT AND INTERCITY RAIL CAPITAL PROGRAM. EXISTING TIRCP PROJECTS LEVERAGING FEDERAL AND LOCAL FUNDS RESERVE. JANUARY 31, 2023.
17. "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.
18. "East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Takes Another Step Towards Reality". Urbanize LA. September 1, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
19. 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.
20. "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.
21. "Bus and Rail System Map" (PDF). Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
22. Hymon, Steve (January 29, 2019). "Here are the four new refined concepts for Sepulveda Transit Corridor". metro.net. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
23. "We're building light rail for the Valley" (PDF). Metro. 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
24. "East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project Now Eligible For Federal Funding". MyNewsLA.com. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
25. Metro, L. A. (December 2, 2022). "Groundbreaking held for advance utility work on East San Fernando Valley light rail project". The Source. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
26. "East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project".
27. Scauzillo, Steve (July 28, 2024). "Metro gets rolling on San Fernando Valley light rail construction". Los Angeles Daily News. MediaNews Group. Retrieved August 2, 2024.

External links

• Official website