Each day, several hundred thousand people make the tedious trek from the San Fernando Valley to L.A.’s Westside. Most of them pack onto the 405 Freeway, with commutes averaging 40–80 minutes one way. That comes out to 59 hours a year in traffic delays.
For decades, Angelenos have dreamed of a better alternative. So there was audible applause on Thursday, when the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) unanimously approved the Locally Preferred Alternative (Modified Alternative 5) for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project. The vote followed years of deliberation, including multiple community meetings and over 8,000 public comments, according to L.A. Metro officials.
The approved plan calls for an underground, high-speed rail system to be built beneath the Sepulveda Pass. The 14-mile Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project would initially run from Van Nuys to Westwood with a direct stop at the UCLA campus. The average commute time for its estimated 124,000 daily riders would be 20 minutes.
According to Deputy Executive Officer of Communications Jennifer Butler, the plan had support from around 90% of community members.
Stakeholders praised the decision.
“A direct rail connection through the Sepulveda Pass will connect people to jobs, schools, airports and entertainment faster than ever,” L.A. Metro Board Chair Fernando Dutra said in a statement. “This project will cut travel time, reduce air pollution and is the kind of bold, forward-looking investment that moves Los Angeles County into the future.”
“This is a generational investment in the future of Los Angeles County… Today’s action moves us closer to a real solution for one of the most congested corridors in the country,” said County Supervisor and Metro Board member Lindsey P. Horvath. “This project is about giving families time back, cutting pollution, and creating a transit system people want to use.”
City Councilmember and L.A. Metro board member Katy Yaroslavsky offered a dose of realism:
“There’s still a lot to do until we get shovels in the ground, let alone open this thing,” she said. “Dreaming big matters, but honesty matters too. We can’t afford to approve transformative projects without being clear about the path to funding and delivery.”
The cost of building the route is currently estimated at $24.2 billion, though that figure could grow. Metro says it has secured funding for about 14% through existing tax measures, including voter-approved Measure M (2016). The project would generate up to $40 billion in economic output and over $16 billion in labor income countywide, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
The plan has its critics. Homeowner groups in Sherman Oaks and Bel Air have voiced strong opposition, fearing years of tunneling could disrupt quality of life, neighborhood character, and property values. Significant short-term construction disturbances are expected. In the interim, this could mean even longer commute times for valley residents who work on the West Side.
Opponents also point to challenges related to earlier, less ambitious projects like the Metro D Line (Purple Line) Extension, which ultimately went over budget, took longer than projected, and had trouble attracting riders because of serious public safety concerns. (Safety has since improved on the D line thanks to increased security and other measures.)
Anyone expecting a quick process will be sorely disappointed. Additional environmental analyses must now be conducted under state (CEQA) and federal (NEPA) law, with a Final EIR/EIS, community outreach, and funding strategies yet to be completed. For the first phase alone, opening is currently projected for the early 2030s — likely between 2033 and 2035.