The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project (formerly the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Project) is a transit project constructing a light rail line on the east side of Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, running on a north–south route along Van Nuys Boulevard.[2]
The project is being planned by Los Angeles Metro and has been given high priority by Metro in its long-range plan, and funding for the project is included in Measure R and Measure M.[3][4]
The project's timeline was accelerated under the Twenty-eight by '28 initiative.[5]
In June 2018, Metro staff recommended the corridor be built as an at-grade rail line without tunneling, making it a part of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system.[2] In December 2020, Metro approved the Final EIR with the option to build the line in two phases.[6] The second phase, which ran along the MetrolinkAntelope Valley Line's right of way, would eventually be replaced by a proposed infill interchange station with the latter in December 2025.[7][8]
On December 2, 2022, Metro officially began advanced utility relocation for the line.[9] The tentative completion date for the first phase of the project is 2031.[10]
The Pacific ElectricSan Fernando Line ran a north–south line between Downtown Los Angeles and San Fernando, partially on Van Nuys Avenue, from 1911 to 1952 before being dismantled and converted to bus service. The project route was portrayed in the project map included in the 1980 Proposition A documentation. Metro Rapid bus lines that serve the route as of 2022[update] are route 761 on Van Nuys Boulevard, with additional Metro Local lines supplementing both. Planning for the line will take into consideration other major planned infrastructure projects, including a Sepulveda Transit Corridor rail link, the conversion of the G Line from bus rapid transit to light rail, and double tracking of the MetrolinkAntelope Valley Line.
The Draft Environmental Impact Report was completed and released in September 2017,[13] and the final clearance was granted by the Federal Transit Administration in February 2021.[14]
By 2020, funds were being acquired, with $800million coming from Measure M, $200million from Road Repair and Accountability Act gas tax, and $200million from other state-level sources.[15] In 2022, the Federal Transit Administration issued a Letter of Intent to provide $909million to fund the project.[16] In 2024, this turned into a signed agreement for an $893million federal grant from the United States Department of Transportation. This grant was received by Metro on September 6, 2024.[17] In January 2023, the project was awarded another $600million out of the state's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, originating from the state's budget surplus in prior years.[18] The capital project cost for the first phase is estimated to be $3.635billion.[19]
History
Six initial alternatives were developed during the environmental review process:[13][20]
Median-running light rail transit (LRT) with low-floor vehicles
35,800
1.3
4
Median-running LRT with high platform stations and some underground portions
47,400
2.8
Route selected: Modified Alternative 4
In June 2018, Metro staff recommended a modified version of Alternative 4, but entirely at grade. The underground section between Sherman Way and Roscoe stations was eliminated due to the high costs of tunneling.[21]
Metro approved the project with $1.3billion in funds, initiating the final EIR. The northern terminus will be the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station. The light rail train will run southeast for two and a half miles (4.0km) on San Fernando Road to Van Nuys Boulevard. It then heads south on Van Nuys Boulevard for five miles (8.0km) reaching the Van Nuys Metrolink station. Its southern terminus will be the Van Nuys G Line station near L.A.'s Van Nuys City Halltwo miles (3.2km) further south.[22]
By 2023, Metro initiated a new study of the northern phase of the project to better plan for how to share the right of way with an expanded Antelope Valley Line.[25] Since development of the ESFVLRT began, Metrolink had released plans to double track their line, which was not adequately accounted for in the initial plans. Metro staff would recommend that the second phase be canceled in lieu of adding a new infill station to the Metrolink line at Pacoima to provide connections to the Van Nuys/San Fernando station.[26] On November 22, 2025, Metro staff prepared a report recommending Phase 2 be replaced with the Metrolink infill station.[27][28] The report was first presented to Metro's Planning and Programming Committee at their November 19, 2025 meeting,[29] followed by Metro's Executive Management Committee at its November 20, 2025 meeting, with both committees approving it.[30] At its December 4, 2025 meeting, Metro's board of directors unanimously voted to approve the change.[7][8]
Construction
The line is planned to be built in two phases: the first runs from the Van Nuys G Line station to San Fernando Road with the remaining segment to be completed later.[14][31] Groundbreaking occurred in December 2022, with operations to begin in 2031.[32][33][10][34]
