The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors took a step closer to realizing the long-discussed Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project, a two-phase plan to connect the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The first phase will link the Valley and the Westside, with later plans to extend the line to LAX. On Feb. 25, the Board received and filed recommendations from Metro staff to explore two private proposals, including a monorail line running along the center of the 405 freeway and a heavy rail line running beneath Sepulveda before emerging above-ground in the Valley.
The venture’s genesis dates back to Measure M, the 2016 one-cent sales tax increase that provides funding for transportation infrastructure in the county. The use of private input this early in the process is a new strategy for the transit agency–one that it hopes will reduce costs for what promises to be one of the most expensive undertakings in its history. The public will have until March 25 to give feedback on the proposals before the Board of Directors votes on whether to enter into Pre-Development Agreements (PDA) with the contractors. Following that vote, Metro will begin the environmental review process while PDA teams simultaneously refine their plans–a process that Metro says incorporates ample opportunity for public response.
