Sepulveda Pass Corridor Van Nuys Boulevard Corridor
Huh? Two separate transit projects? The Rapid 761 bus currently travels through both of these corridors. The people suffering on the 405 Freeway don't see themselves as traveling through two separate corridors.
These two separate studies should be combined into one regional corridor study that looks into a light-rail project connecting Sylmar to LAX through the Valley, via the Sepulveda Pass, through the Westside. One only needs to look at the always clogged 405 Freeway to see the potential ridership of this project.
Here are some maps of what that project might look like, as suggested by the Transit Coalition:
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Beyond the simple regional benefit of this project, there is another reason for transit advocates, politicians and the business community in the San Fernando Valley to enthusiastically get behind combining these two transit corridors to study a Valley-Westside rail project. The San Fernando Valley just isn't getting its fair share of Metrorail. The San Gabriel Valley will be getting at least two Gold Line light-rail extensions.
Gold Line Foothill Extension Gold Line Eastside Extension
Why this disparity? Because the San Gabriel Valley communities, its politicians, business leaders and transit advocates are enthusiastically lined up to get these extensions. Unfortunately, the San Fernando Valley political structure is not as organized or lined up the same manner.
The real danger here for the San Fernando Valley and the region is that Metro will "go cheap" and build two separate discordant bus projects, one on Van Nuys Blvd. and one through the Sepulveda Pass, leaving and countless people commuting between the Valley and Westside with no viable rail alternative.
The issue of financing a rail project always comes up, as it should. Measure R provides limited money for these two studies. However, Measure R as wonderful as it is should not be considered the end of transit expansion in Los Angeles County. We need to plan beyond Measure R too, and think it terms of financing beyond Measure R.
The east-west Orange Line busway was thwarted in the attempts to create a light-rail project initially because of the actions of a corrupt State Senator and a bunch of NIMBYs. (Note: The Orange Line bridges are safe enough for light-rail should this corridor be converted to light-rail as it should have been built in the first place.)
However, those actions from twenty years ago shouldn't condemn the San Fernando Valley and its stakeholders for having to settle for measly and inadequate bus projects while the rest of Los Angeles County gets the option of possibly expanding and hooking into Metrorail.
So if you commute in, through, to, from the Valley and/or Westside, and want to ride Metrorail somewhere between Sylmar and LAX, now is the time to get busy before you have two separate bus projects dumped on you while Metro gets busy expanding rail elsewhere.
ACTION ITEM:
Let Metro know that you want the Sepulved and Van Nuys corridor connected between Sylmar and LAX via RAIL.
berlinr@metro.net Renee Berlin, Executive Officer, TDI
vannuys@metro.net Walter Davis, Project Manager
boardsecretary@metro.net Metro Board of Directors
10 comments:
here here!!! Thank you for this post. The best measure of a transit system is not the number of stops but rather the degree of connectivity. Not connecting these corridors would just repeat the mistakes of the past and perpetuate an ineffective and inefficient flow of people from the valley to the westside.
I should also say that I am not anti-bus. Far from it. We need MORE busways, transitways and streetcars to fill in the gaps that Metrorail will never reach.
I just strongly believe that the San Fernando Valley needs at least one Metrorail line running east-west between Warner Center and Pasadena and north-south between Sylmar and LAX.
My advocacy for rail should not in anyway be considered an anti-bus stance. We need MUCH more transit in all forms in Southern California.
I entirely agree with the post.
This corridor should be NO LESS than a fast rail option (either LRT or even subway, especially from Ventura Blvd through Westwood; the ridership along the 405 will be at least as high as the current ridership of the Red line subway, running pretty much parallel to the 101 fwy).
Let's be persistent and not allow the NIMBY's (and corrupt politicians) to take over this important project.
We don't need another lousy BRT.
Let's get real, and create a reliable, fast, efficient Rail corridor from Sylmar to Westwood.
I completely agree!
How do we get onboard and help get this approved? I agree that the project should be built as a continuous light rail line from Sylar through Van Nuys with a tunnel under the santa monica mountains to Westwood and hopefully beyond. Even though light rail is initially more expensive than a bus rapid transit line, the light rail project would help transform and redevelop Van Nuys Blvd and the area around it more than a bus line would. Plus Van Nuys Blvd is a major transit cooridoor through the San Fernando Valley.
Also is there any talk of extending the red line north from North Hollywood to the Burbank Airport or Metrolink?
I agree if the light rail valley route uses Van Nuys Blvd. on the south end of the valley, and Sepulveda Blvd. on the north end. It should follow the old red car route on Van Nuys and then down Parthenia to Sepulveda traveling north and then to Brand Blvd to the Metrolink station.
Personally I like using Sepulveda for the entire route. It's wide enough and probably the least expensive way to build it. The infrastructure and development will follow; it would get you to one end of the valley to other quicker (aside from building a subway or putting it on the 405).
GO METRO!
Thank you so much for posting this actionable analysis. Much appreciated. :)
I agree with your plan. However I would suggest combining the Crenshaw Corridor which includes the Crenshaw Line as one North/South line. Using already laid track limits the cost. Maybe Metro can look into this.
BUILD THIS IN 3 SEGMENTS=
#1 ORANGE TO EXPO
# 2 ORANGE TO SYMAR (METROLINK OR CHSR STATION)
#3 EXPO TO LAX
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LIGHT RAIL FROM SYLMAR TO VENTURA BLVD AT GRADE, WITH MAYBE A GRADE SEPARATION AT A REALL BUSY CROSS STREET LIKE SHERMAN WAY. THE AMOUNT OF $ SAVED BY BEING AT GRADE IN THE SFV, THEN ALLOWS YOU TO TUNNEL FROM VENTURA BLVD DOWN TO EXPO. THIS LINE ALSO NEEDS A STOP ON CAMPUS OF UCLA- I WOULD PUT IT ON THE NORTH END OF CAMPUS NEAR SUNSET BLVD TO ALLOW EAST-WEST BUS CONNECTIONS OFF SUNSET BLVD.
I agree, the route between the valley and the westside along the 405 definitely needs to be rail, hopefully an underground heavy rail subway, but if not it should be tied in with the Crenshaw line. Thanks to the NIMBYs in the valley, the red line was never extended to the Warner center. Metro should at least try and extend the red line to van nuys. The orange line is just too crowded and it is hard to get a bike on there. Unfortunately there is a lack of fund because measure j didn't pass. I often ride the red line from DTLA to the orange line to the warner center. Metro should have campaigned more for
Measure j and explained all of the projects that could be completed so much sooner if it were to have passed. They shouldn't give up and write a new measure and get it ready for the next election.
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