VAN NUYS TRANSIT STUDY: A CHANCE FOR RAIL TO WESTSIDE?
Measure R, the half-cent sales tax approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2008, earmarks funds for North-South “Rapidways” in the East San Fernando Valley. Four corridors are under study: Van Nuys, Sepulveda, Lankershim / San Fernando, and Reseda.
Planning for these Rapidways is in the early stages. This is the CRITICAL TIME when choices are being made about what to build. Local meetings are scheduled Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to gather input about which “alternatives” should be submitted for environmental study in the Van Nuys corridor.
The options are:
(1) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
(2) Light Rail Transit (LRT)
(3) Streetcar
(4) a “No Build” alternative
(5) a Transportation Systems Management (TSM) alternative, aimed at better managing the flow of traffic along the corridor (synchronized signals, for example)
There is a separate study of rapid transit alternatives in the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor. This transit line would link the San Fernando Valley to Westside Los Angeles (Westwood, UCLA, and transit lines in the basin). Although the Sepulveda Pass solution would be built out much later, there is a strong argument for LINKING THE SEPULVEDA PASS AND VAN NUYS CORRIDOR *STUDIES*, even though the Van Nuys Boulevard portion would be built out first.
Why link the two? Because Light Rail through the Sepulveda Pass or through a tunnel from the end of Van Nuys Boulevard will finally give us a fast way to make it “over the hill”. It will finally give the Valley the rail solution we lost decades ago because of local squabbling over routes.
With combined studies, using Light Rail as the preferred Van Nuys corridor alternative opens the possibility of a light rail system that runs all the way from the Sylmar Metrolink and High Speed Rail terminal to Westwood. The economic boost to Panorama City and other areas along this route would be HUGE.
The light rail alternative to the Westside was proposed by The Transit Coalition in February of this year:
http://www.thetransitcoalition.us/LargePDFFiles/TC-Articles-409-2011-02-23.pdf
The light rail alternative is being vigorously contested by a woman from Van Nuys.
YOU have the chance to make YOUR opinions heard over the next three days.
VAN NUYS CORRIDOR RAPIDWAY COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will conduct three local meetings to gather community input on the best ways to connect the Van Nuys Boulevard corridor to the regional transportation network.
Monday, October 24, 2011, 6 to 8 p.m.
Panorama High School
8015 Van Nuys Boulevard
Panorama City, CA 91402
Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 6 to 8 p.m.
Pacoima Neighborhood City Hall
13520 Van Nuys Boulevard, Suite 209
Pacoima, CA 91331
Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 6 to 8 p.m.
Van Nuys Civic Center
Marvin Braude Constituent Service Center
6262 Van Nuys Boulevard, Room 1B
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Spanish language translation will be provided at these meetings. If you miss these meetings, you can still send your input direct to Metro.
Mail:
Walter Davis, Project Manager
Metro
One Gateway Plaza, 99-22-3
Los Angeles, CA 90012
E-mail:
vannuys@metro.net
Phone:
818.276.3233
You can go online to get a copy of the Fact Sheet, either in English or in espanol. The Fact Sheet includes a map.
English: http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/van_nuys/images/Van_Nuys_Bl_Rpdway_eng.pdf
Espanol: http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/van_nuys/images/Van_Nuys_Bl_Rpdway_spn.pdf
There is even a Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/MetroVanNuys
The Sylmar Neighborhood Council has passed a resolution to support the Valley-Westside Rail Tunnel Project. Click here to read the full text of it.
