LA Metro: Sepulveda Corridor could cut rush-hour traffic in half

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's developing Sepulveda Transit Corridor project is anticipated to cut rush-hour travel times by more than 50%, L.A. Metro officials announced last week.

The commute time projections would save trips via personal vehicle and could cut travel time for 63,000 to 124,000 commuters daily, depending on the selected project alternative, L.A. Metro officials said in a press release.

All five alternatives would offer a rail transit option for those traveling through Sepulveda Pass, a low mountain pass through the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles. The cost of the project is expected to be $15.4 billion to $24.4 billion, while yearly operations and maintenance would cost $130 million to $157 million.

Cost projections are preliminary, L.A. Metro officials said. The project is at 15% of design, and projections will improve as it advances, they added.

Depending on which alternative is selected, travel times between the Van Nuys Metrolink Station to the Metro Expo Line would be 18 to 33 minutes, while time between Van Nuys and Century City and Santa Monica would range 25 to 36 minutes and 32 to 50 minutes, respectively.