LA Metro Sepulveda Corridor Phase 1 Alternatives

These are the official proposed alignment options for Phase 1 of the critical Sepulveda Corridor project for the Los Angeles Metro. They are currently soliciting public comments. Note: the "Existing" groups are segments of transit lines that are either in operation or are currently under construction, and are included to show how the transfers would work. This project will build the second urban rail connection to the San Fernando Valley (after the B Line under the Cahuenga Pass), and the first connection between the SFV and the Westside. The notoriously gigantic and traffic-choked Interstate 405 also runs along this corridor. With projected daily ridership in the six-figures, this is possibly the most significant urban transit project underway in North America. All of the alternatives start at the Van Nuys Metrolink station at the northern and and run south to connect to the E Line for the end of Phase 1, some 14 miles away. Alternative 1 $15.4B. This alignment is the first of three (now two) monorail options. It is entirely elevated and placed in the median of the 405, and includes a bus connection from the station at Wilshire to the D Line and to UCLA. Proponents tout the inclusion of a stop at the Getty, but a Metro study found that that station would serve only 1,200 daily riders. The major criticisms of this alignment are that: 1) Monorails have insufficient capacity for projected demand for the corridor. 2) Stations in a freeway median mean that useful destinations are generally a long walk away. 3) The connections to existing transit lines require long walking connections of over a quarter mile along surface streets, making transfers cumbersome and depressing ridership. 4) There is no direct connection to UCLA, arguably the most important destination in the study area. Instead, we get a half-baked bus connection which is not isolated from traffic. Alternative 2 This alignment is the second of three (now two) monorail options. This alternative was removed by Metro due to the infeasibility of a frankly absurd automated people mover connection between the Wilshire monorail stop and UCLA. It is not included on the map as it is no longer under consideration. Alternative 3 $20.4B. This alignment is the last of three (now two) monorail options. It is elevated and placed in the median of the 405, until it passes the Getty Center, at which point it goes underground and turns southeast toward a stop at UCLA, before continuing below grade back towards the 405 and surfacing above the median once again. The major criticisms of this alignment are that: 1, 2, 3) Same criticisms as 1-3 for Alternative 1. 4) The out-of-the-way underground connection to UCLA is expensive and nullifies the only benefit of the monorail options — cost. Alternative 4 $20B. This heavy rail alignment, my preferred alternative, runs entirely underground along Sepulveda Boulevard on the Westside and then under the mountains, before elevating into elevated rail for the SFV section above Ventura Boulevard. It would use automated driverless trains. It is an excellent combination of sky high ridership due to efficient transfer connections and stops at all major destinations, and some cost savings due to elevating the northern section of the route where there is sufficient space for a viaduct. This alternative is opposed by rich NIMBYs in Bel Air due to them being scared of trains deep underneath their neighborhood for some reason, and by rich NIMBYs in Sherman Oaks due to them being scared of elevated rail in their neighborhood for some reason. (The real reason is that both of these groups want to kill the project or have the least effective option built.) Alternative 5 $24.2B. This heavy rail alignment is identical to Alternative 4, but attempts to appease Sherman Oaks NIMBYs by continuing underground for the whole section along Ventura Boulevard. It has strong ridership potential given its identical station placement to Alternate 4, but incurs an additional 20% in costs due to the extra tunneling and underground stations. This alternative is also opposed by rich NIMBYs in Bel Air for the same reason as before. The rich NIMBYs in Sherman Oaks ostensibly are okay with it, but also secretly hope it will get killed by the price tag. Alternative 6 $24.4B. This is the final heavy rail option, which uses traditional rolling stock like the B and D lines. It is below grade for the entire length of the alignment, which differs significantly from Alternatives 4 and 5. Instead of traveling down Sepulveda Boulevard on the Westside, it jaunts over to Bundy Drive via Santa Monica Boulevard before continuing south to the E Line. On the northern end, it runs underneath Van Nuys Boulevard, including underneath around three miles of the under-construction East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit project, which is at grade. This is a strong alignment with useful station locations, but its weaknesses lie in its high cost and duplicated coverage of the ESFV Line. We only have once chance to build mass transit for the Sepulveda Pass, so it is absolutely imperative that we do it right. TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES THAT ONLY HEAVY RAIL IS ACCEPTABLE, AND THAT ALTERNATIVE 4 IS YOUR PREFERRED OPTION! Go to the meetings! Annoy these officials with your persistence!