Metro Board approves new rail line through Sepulveda Pass to ease 405 congestion

Article Credit: KTLA NEWS - by: Lily Dallow

Continued Information By: Sylmar Neighborhood Council dated 5/31/20 - https://www.sylmarneighborhoodcouncil.org/page/viewNews/8967/

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday unanimously approved a high‑speed rail plan linking the San Fernando Valley and the Westside through the Sepulveda Pass, a project aimed at easing congestion along one of the region’s most gridlocked corridors.

The proposal — known as the Sepulveda Transit Corridor project — is designed to give commuters an alternative to sitting in traffic on the 405 Freeway, where roughly 400,000 drivers travel between the Valley and the Westside each day, according to Metro officials cited in the broadcast. It has a target completion date of 2033.

Supporters say the rail line could cut travel times between the two regions to about 20 minutes, a dramatic reduction compared with rush-hour drives over the pass. Metro officials have said Valley commuters alone lose an average of 59 hours a year to traffic delays just on evening trips between Wilshire and Ventura boulevards.

The project dates back to 2016, when voters approved Measure M to fund major transportation improvements, including a Valley-to-Westside transit connection.

A rendering of the proposed Sepulveda Transit Corridor project. (Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners)

The plan, known as Locally Preferred Alternative Alternative 5, calls for an automated underground heavy-rail line spanning about 14 miles between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside. Stations would connect to the Metro E, D and G lines, with an additional stop at UCLA. The proposal replaces earlier monorail concepts and excludes a Getty Center station, opting instead for a subway-style route designed to move riders through the Sepulveda Pass more quickly and with less surface disruption.

“This is an important and exciting moment for Los Angeles,” said Katy Yaroslavsky, city councilwoman and board member. “There’s still a lot to do until we get shovels in the ground, let alone open this thing — but I’m not sure that there’s been a project this transformative since the L.A. Aqueduct.”

Despite broad support from regional leaders, major funding questions remain. The L.A. Times reports that while about $3.5 billion has been secured through Measures M and R, billions more will be needed to build the full project. Cost estimates have climbed significantly since 2016, and Metro has not released an updated price tag for the current proposal.

Map of the proposed Metro line from Van Nuys to the Sepulveda Station. (LA Metro)

Still, local officials speaking in Van Nuys ahead of the vote emphasized the project’s potential benefits for students, workers and families who currently rely almost entirely on cars to cross the pass.

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Continued InformationBy: Sylmar Neighborhood Council dated 5/31/25 - https://www.sylmarneighborhoodcouncil.org/page/viewNews/8967/