The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board voted to move forward with a 14-mile automated subway project in the Sepulveda Corridor, one of the region’s most congested travel routes.
The project will construct a north–south underground rail line connecting the San Fernando Valley and the Westside, with service planned between Van Nuys and Santa Monica. The alignment will pass under the Santa Monica Mountains and connect with existing light rail, subway, bus, and commuter rail services. Metro selected an underground heavy-rail alternative over other options, including a monorail.
Project costs are estimated at approximately $24 billion. Funding will come from a combination of local, state, and federal sources. Los Angeles County sales tax measures approved in 2008 and 2016 provide initial funding, and the agency is evaluating additional funding options. Metro is also exploring a public-private partnership structure for future phases.
The project is in the environmental review and engineering phase. A draft environmental study has been completed, and Metro will continue technical and funding development before advancing major construction.
Metro estimates the line could carry more than 120,000 riders per day once operational, with peak-period service planned at intervals of about 2.5 minutes. The agency plans to use a single-bore tunnel to limit surface disruption during construction.