CommentsALPERN AT LARGE--It's not the first time, nor will it be the last time, that the concept of "that will neeeeeever happen" has been proven, but it bears repeating.
As with the Expo Line (done), and the LAX/Metro connection (not if, but precisely when it will soon be done), the Sepulveda Transit Line is being planned.
It will happen. Not known when or precisely how, or where, or the route, or even above or below ground, but it will happen. It's what everyone from the Valley to the Westside to the South Bay has been talking about as a "sooner or later" project just as they did the Wilshire Subway ... which is being fast-tracked with both local, state, and federal funds.
While many Democrats and most Republicans have issues with the CA High-Speed Rail Project, they have no argument with this north-south Sepulveda Line, just as they have no argument with the east-west Wilshire Line.
In fact, many proclaim opposition to the CA High-Speed Rail Project precisely because it diverts state funds away from projects like the Wilshire and Sepulveda Transit Corridors. Gavin Newsom will inherit that debate/conundrum from his predecessor as newly-elected governor in Sacramento.
Currently, the Sepulveda Transit Corridor has $5.7 billion allocated for the portion between the San Fernando Valley to the Westside and is expected to open by 2035. $3.5 billion is allocated to extend that service from the Westside to LAX with a 2057 opening date.
As with the Wilshire Transit Line (a.k.a., the Purple Line) the money and opening date will invariably be moved UP because political will and traffic are also going UP.
The latest/next opportunities for Metro to present, and for us to provide feedback, are as follows:
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Westside Wednesday, January 30, 2019 6-8pm Westwood Presbyterian Church Hoffman Hall 10822 Wilshire Bl Los Angeles, CA 90024
San Fernando Valley Saturday, February 2, 2019 10-12pm Marvin Braude Constituent Service Center 6262 Van Nuys Bl Van Nuys, CA 91401
LAX Area 6-8pm Aviator Room |
These are indeed opportunities for us to plan our future. The economic, environmental, and quality-of-life impacts of this major piece of infrastructure is too much for us to ignore.
(Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D. is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father to two cherished children and a wonderful wife. He is also a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Outreach Committee, and currently is Co-Chair of both its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure and Planning Committees. He was co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee and chaired the nonprofit Transit Coalition and can be reached at [email protected]. He also co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
-CW