Dozens of community members attended a resource fair at San Fernando Recreation Park last week to learn about Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) projects, including a proposed 2.5-mile light rail from Pacoima to Sylmar.
Residents attending the event spoke with Metro representatives and viewed illustrations of Metro plans for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project; the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit (ESFV LRT) project, a 6.7-mile track along Van Nuys Boulevard; and the possible northern segment of the ESFV LRT, which could run through the City of San Fernando, along the same path as the existing Antelope Valley Metrolink rail line, ending at the Sylmar station.
Laurel Rodriguez, a longtime resident of the City of San Fernando, said she supports public transportation, often riding the bus and the Metrolink. She said, although she finds the Metrolink “very dependable,” the bus schedule can be “off a lot of times, if you miss one connection, you’re going to be late to work.”
Rodriguez attended the event to learn more about the ESVF LRT and whether it could provide better access for Northeast Valley riders.
Residents learned about Metro’s Shared Right-of-Way (ROW) Study of the northern segment, conducted at the urging of the City of San Fernando, due to concerns with traffic and safety in the area.
The study examined the six roadways that intersect with the train tracks and concluded that traffic would severely increase at all intersections if the light rail train were built. With an estimated 25 trains passing through per hour at peak times, five times as often as they currently do, the northern segment of the light rail would only be plausible if it were grade-separated, meaning the tracks would be elevated above street level or run underground.
Another option being considered by Metro is to build a Pacoima Metrolink transit station in place of the ESFV LRT northern segment. The proposed station at the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road would include a “Mobility Hub” to facilitate transfers between the light rail and Metrolink trains. It could also be designed to offer bike storage, restrooms, increased parking, access to bus transfers and open spaces for the community.
The biggest concern community members routinely express – both about the existing Antelope Valley Metrolink and potentially increasing service with the proposed northern ESFV LRT line connecting Pacoima to Sylmar – is public safety, said David Mieger, senior executive officer of transit corridor planning for Metro.
Mieger said they collaborated with the City of San Fernando to present the Conversations and Resources fair at the park to help encourage participation and input from the local community.
“It’s hard sometimes to get people to come to evening meetings in a government building,” explained Mieger. During the first half of the two-hour morning event, over 50 people showed up to browse the Metro displays outlining the transit projects and visit the resource tables – nearly double the number who attended the last Metro community meeting in the City of San Fernando.
“With an event like this, you get a lot more people that attend, people that wouldn’t normally come to a meeting, so we’re able to reach more people – and we’re reaching more people that are likely to be our riders on the [Metro] system,” added Mieger.
Metro will be hosting two community meetings this month, one virtual and one in-person, where residents can learn more about the ESFV LRT.
The next Virtual Community Meeting
Thursday, June 12 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Zoom link: bit.ly/ESFVROWMeeting
The next in-person Community Meeting
Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Alicia Broadous-Duncan Multipurpose Senior Center
1300 Glenoaks Blvd.
Pacoima, CA 91331
For more information about the ESF LTR, visit: https://www.metro.net/projects/east-sfv/.