More than 50 community members and small business owners received the latest news about the southern segment of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, which will run from Van Nuys to Pacoima with 11 stops. The project is slated for completion by 2031.
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) held the Nov. 12 community meeting at the Alicia Broadous-Duncan Multipurpose Senior Center in Pacoima.
The meeting included artist renderings of the project; information about the plans to include art and cultural components; job and vendor opportunities; small business mitigation programs; and an overview of current and future construction work.
Major construction along the 6.7-mile route, which connects with bus lines, the Metro G line and the Van Nuys Metrolink/Amtrak Station, is not expected to begin until late spring of 2026. Dave Sotero, communications director for Metro, said underground utility adjustments are now underway and will continue through 2027.
“This work supports the final design of utility relocations related to the light rail train guideway, such as the power duct bank, and modifications to drainage systems,” said Sotero, noting that the utility relocation work is taking place on Van Nuys Boulevard and Telfair Avenue in Pacoima.
As a result, there will be intermittent full street closures of Telfair Avenue, east of Van Nuys Boulevard and a northbound Telfair Avenue street closure west of Van Nuys Boulevard, over the next four months. Van Nuys Boulevard will remain open at all times but will have some lane restrictions.
Regarding the second phase of the project – a northern 2.5-mile stretch that would run from Pacoima, through the City of San Fernando and end in Sylmar – is still being examined, but planning is currently underway, said Greg Gastelum, project manager and senior executive officer for Metro.
“During the environmental process there were a lot of questions that came up and so the board asked that we continue to study that,” said Gastelum, adding that he anticipates there will be a presentation some time in early 2025 with the findings and recommendations for phase two.
Truck Drivers Protest Project
While the Metro meeting was taking place inside the senior center, about two dozen owner-operators of dump trucks stood outside protesting against Metro and Skanska USA Inc., a construction company that is part of San Fernando Transit Constructors, which was contracted by Metro to design and build the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit project.
Bobby Evans Jr., COO of Anytime Dispatching Inc., which represents approximately 100 independent truck drivers in LA, including in the San Fernando Valley, said Skanska refuses to hire them for clean-up and haul-away jobs on the rail project – despite their work on previous Metro projects – due to Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), which was signed into law in 2020.
The legislation classifies some independent contractors as employees under California law, requiring companies to provide benefits and comply with stricter employment regulations.
“We have offered ways to still work as owner-operators and be compliant, but Metro and Skanska just don’t care enough,” Evans told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol. Because Metro has contracted with Skanska on the project, he believes “Metro is a big part of the problem.”
“A lot of owner-operators are the breadwinners for their homes, so for them to be pushed out of job opportunities as independent small business owners … can impact their whole family,” said Evans, who described it as “marginalizing the middle class.”
Metro declined to comment on the truck drivers’ protest, but Meghan Carvalho, communication manager for Skanska, provided the following statement via email:
“For over a century, Skanska has proudly partnered with owner-operator trucking firms. In response to the implementation of AB 5, Skanska remains dedicated to full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. While we continue to uphold California law, we are working closely with the AGC of California to share and develop compliance resources that address the concerns of owner-operator trucking firms, while ensuring adherence to current legislation.”
Metro Touts Support For Small Businesses
As the protest continued outside, Angela Winston, director of the Business Interruption Fund (BIF) and Business Solution Center (BSC) made a presentation on Metro’s business support programs. BIF, she said, provides financial assistance to small businesses – up to $60,000 per year – directly impacted by Metro projects.
“This program is to help mom-and-pop businesses continue to stay alive during construction and post-construction,” said Winston, adding that the BSC complements the BIF program by offering free business management coaching, and workshops on increasing access to technology and capital and other topics.
Winston also mentioned a new award program called the Presumptive Eligibility Award (PEA), which will provide up to $1,500 per impact year to the “smallest mom-and-pop businesses, including sidewalk and street vendors.”
“It has less restrictive requirements, and less documentation required,” she said. “We understand that even the smallest of businesses may not have all of the documentation, but they can still be impacted by construction. So this particular grant award is targeted to these micro businesses.”
Winston said the goal is to help them survive and thrive “just as the larger businesses.”
For more information about the East SFV Light Rail Project, community members and business owners can call 818-701-3844, email eastsfvtransit@metro.net, or visit www.metro.net/eastsfv.
For information about the Business Interruption Fund and how to apply, go to: www.metro.net/about/business-interruption-fund.
It is unfair For The city and county of los angeles, As well As skanska and metro To Deprive the very people that Take pride in being apart of the Building, construction and development of our great city. As owner operators of dirt dump trucks. It’s sad to see. How big corporations step on the Small independent owner operators when they to in fact Started small. My how we forget. As owner-operators, we will continue to stand by anytime dispatching inc. Until new developments Arise.
For the small business owner operator.