The 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass is an infamous stretch of roadway known around the world for all the wrong reasons. It’s a mountainous choke point that can bring traffic between the Valley and the Westside to a grinding halt at any time of day. Drivers attempting to connect to the 405 often find themselves trapped, and the main thoroughfares in the surrounding communities are often severely affected by traffic spillover.
The traffic nightmare we find ourselves in is why Los Angeles County voters approved Measure M back in 2016, which included provisions to partially fund a transit line through the Sepulveda Pass.
On Thursday, the Metro Board has the chance to approve a route and transit mode for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor that has faced much debate. The proposed solution would add a critical regional connection to the transportation network, link the San Fernando Valley with the Westside and provide a fast, safe and reliable alternative to the congested 405 Freeway. End-to-end travel times through the corridor are estimated at roughly 18 minutes or less, compared with about 40 to 90 minutes by car.
In addition to conducting a technical evaluation of five options, we sought the input of residents, riders and community leaders and ultimately received more than 8,000 comments on the draft environmental report. The result of all that work is a recommendation by Metro staff to approve a heavy rail transit option that would run underground between the Van Nuys Metrolink Station and the E Line Expo/Sepulveda Station, including a stop on UCLA’s campus. Additionally, this option would connect to the G Line and future East San Fernando Valley Light Rail at the G Line Van Nuys Boulevard Station.
The proposal includes the use of automated vehicles in a single-bore tunnel, a terminus at the E Line Expo/Sepulveda Station and trains running every 2.5 minutes during peak travel times. It avoids needing to construct a ventilation shaft in the Santa Monica Mountains, which would have been necessary for some of the options considered, and allows for shorter station construction sites while delivering an option that supports high ridership and frequent trains. Lastly, it offers connectivity along Van Nuys Boulevard instead of Sepulveda Boulevard, which reduces the project’s overall length and is anticipated to reduce project costs.
The forecasted reductions in vehicle miles traveled are astronomical at 775,100 miles each day. For comparison, the moon is 238,900 miles away. Those are daily miles not driven and, consequently, daily miles not spent pumping out pollution and diminishing air quality across the city.
Of course, none of this is free or without controversy. Over the decades, Los Angeles has developed far more quickly than the county’s transportation network, so Metro is now laying track, digging tunnels and building elevated rail in densely built urban areas.
The preliminary capital cost for the original 2023 proposal is $24.2 billion. Beyond the $2.54 billion included in Measure M, Metro anticipates the need for additional funding and financing for the project, including from federal, state and local sources, as well as from private investment through a potential public-private partnership. Those are eye-popping numbers to be sure, making the Sepulveda Transit Corridor L.A. Metro’s largest project to date.
But the investment is justified. Transit is a vital public infrastructure that provides the mobility necessary for thousands of Southern Californians to earn a living, further their education and access healthcare. We would all benefit from having the option to avoid — whether by choice or by necessity — the soul-draining, time-wasting chore of sitting in L.A. traffic. Great cities deserve great transit, and great transit helps make a city great.
This is a generational project that will take years to build and will deliver benefits for generations to come.
It’s important to get it right — for the many Angelenos who travel this corridor regularly, and for the many who would travel this corridor regularly if it weren’t so congested. The conversation about building a stronger, better transit connection between the Valley and the Westside has been going on for decades. We are now at a point where we have solid facts and can lock in decisions about specific modes of transit and routes.
Anyone who drives the 405 and the surrounding gridlocked thoroughfares knows we are already in a worst-case scenario on many days. Let’s change the Sepulveda Pass’ reputation as a global punchline into a model of the civic ingenuity and ambition that have long characterized Southern California.
Ray Sosa is chief planning officer for Metro.
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