L.A. Metro just gave us a fresh look at the future Sepulveda Transit Corridor, a major rail project that’s been in the works for years. The goal? To create a fast, reliable way to travel between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside, two areas that are currently connected mainly by the 405 Freeway… One of the most congested roads in the country.
The latest update is that Metro is looking at five possible ways to build the line (and even considering a no-build option). Each one would start at the Van Nuys Metrolink Station and head south, connecting riders to major spots like Westwood, UCLA, and other train lines like the D and E Lines, and the G Bus Rapid Transit line.
Two options, from a group called LA SkyRail Express, would be monorails. The aerial monorail would mostly run down the middle of the 405 and use a shuttle bus to get to UCLA. The other would go underground near the Getty Center to reach UCLA and the D Line directly.
Two other options, from Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners, would use heavy rail (like a subway). One runs above and below ground in the Valley, while the other would be completely underground. Both would have eight stations and run automatically.
There’s also a Metro-led option that would be about 13 miles long and fully underground. It would go below Van Nuys Boulevard, then head west toward the Expo/Bundy Station in Sawtelle instead of staying on Sepulveda.
Travel times for the different options range from 18 to 33 minutes. The subway-style routes would be the fastest. Daily ridership could hit anywhere from 63,000 to 124,000 people. Building the line could cost between $15.4 and $24.4 billion, with yearly operating costs up to $157 million.
Nothing’s final yet, but Metro is holding community meetings and sharing updates online, so the public can weigh in. You can follow the project’s progress at this link.