High-speed Metro project promising 20-minute commute between the Valley and Westside moves forward

A heavy-rail transportation project that Los Angeles city leaders call "transformational," allowing commuters to travel between the Valley and the Westside within 20 minutes, is moving closer to reality.

"Sitting in traffic on the 405 is not our only choice anymore," LA Councilmember Nithya Raman said, as she and others gathered Wednesday to urge the Metro Board to move the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project forward. The Metro Board of Directors is expected to vote Thursday on design plans for the project.

The project involves a heavy-rail subway through the Sepulveda Pass, connecting the Van Nuys Metrolink station, the G-Line, and the East San Fernando Valley rail line, which is currently under construction, to serve the community of Van Nuys.

"Metro didn't rush this," Councilmember Imelda Padilla said. "The Draft Environmental Report included thousands of pages of technical analysis, a 90-day public comment period, 15 meetings and hearings, and over 8,000 public comments." She said more than 90% of those comments supported the project.

Metro reports that high-speed transit is projected to significantly reduce travel times, attract tens of thousands of daily riders, and cut hundreds of thousands of vehicle miles traveled—supporting improved mobility, cleaner air, and long-term regional resiliency.

The preliminary capital cost for the project in 2023 was $24.2 billion, with funding largely coming from Measure M. 

Metro anticipates that more funding and financing will be needed for the project, including from federal, state and local sources, as well as private investment.

The Metro Board will hear the proposed project at its Jan. 22 meeting.