Sepulveda Corridor subway plan advances after LA Metro vote

Los Angeles Metro has moved the Sepulveda Corridor subway plan forward, giving the green light to a heavy-rail project meant to link the San Fernando Valley with LA’s Westside, as described on the official LA Metro Sepulveda Transit Corridor project page.

The concept is a 13-mile, seven-station subway line under the Sepulveda Pass, positioned as an alternative to the traffic-clogged 405 Freeway — a point also referenced in coverage by Railway Supply.

Metro officials say the route could make the trip between the Valley and Westside about 20 minutes, far less time than the rush-hour drive.

LA Metro board of directors approval and early cost estimate

At its Thursday meeting on Jan. 22, the board delivered formal LA Metro board of directors approval for the proposal. The initial estimated cost was placed at about $25 billion, with officials noting that the estimate is expected to change as the project is finalized, as reported by Trains.

A share of the financing is expected to come from Measure M half-cent sales tax funding, approved by voters in 2016, though Metro has said a significant amount of funding is not yet secured.

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“We have tried widening freeways and building over mountains, and we’ve spent billions doing it. The approach has failed,” Metro board member Katy Yaroslavsky, an LA City Council member, said in comments reported by KCBS-TV. “This project represents a fundamentally different strategy.”

Environmental review and project development steps

With the vote in place, Metro will continue into further design and the development of an environmental impact report for the Sepulveda Corridor subway.

Route connections, tunnel depth, and automated heavy rail

The plan calls for tunnels at least 500 feet underground and the use of automated heavy-rail equipment. On the south end, the line would connect to the still-under-construction D Line subway in Westwood and terminate at the light rail E Line Expo/Sepulveda station.

On the north end, it would connect to Metrolink’s Van Nuys station and the future G Line light rail station planned for the East San Fernando Valley.

Metro picked the heavy-rail concept over other alternatives, including a monorail system over the Sepulveda Pass. More details on the proposal are available through LA Metro.

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