Letter to The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation

Letter

Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) urged Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to support a grant application submitted by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to develop alternatives to improve transit through the Sepulveda Pass, connecting the San Fernando Valley and the Westside of Los Angeles.

"The Sepulveda Pass Corridor is the vital link between the housing-rich San Fernando Valley and the jobs-rich Westside of Los Angeles, yet our region lacks a rapid transit option for thousands of commuters hoping to bypass traffic in this heavily congested corridor," said Congressman Sherman. "The alternatives should include a rapid transit system linking the Orange Line with the proposed Westside Subway Extension, and eventually extending those connections north and south along the 405 freeway between the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)."

Funding of $1 billion was allocated for this corridor in the "Measure R" sales tax measure that was approved by the voters of Los Angeles County in November 2008. The Sepulveda Pass Corridor is one of twelve transit projects funded by "Measure R" and is included as part of the America Fast Forward Initiative, which will help major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles accelerate construction of transportation improvement projects through federal financing tools.

Several project alternatives are also being considered, including rail transit and bus rapid transit. The Alternatives Analysis will also explore elevations and routes for multimodal options through the Sepulveda Pass.

The full letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation is below

April 24, 2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Re: Sepulveda Pass Corridor Alternatives Analysis

Dear Secretary LaHood:

I am writing to express my support for the application submitted by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to prepare an Alternatives Analysis for the proposed Sepulveda Pass Corridor project. Metro is embarking on a bold plan to improve transit connectivity between the housing-rich San Fernando Valley and the jobs-rich Westside of Los Angeles via the Sepulveda Pass and link the Metro Orange Line (busway) with the planned Westside Subway Extension, as well as other regional transit corridors within the study area.

The Sepulveda Pass is the main corridor linking the San Fernando Valley with the Westside of Los Angeles, as well as two of the most heavily congested freeway interchanges in the nation (US 101/I-405 and I-10/I-405). The study corridor is approximately 30 miles in length and extends from the I-5/I-405 Junction to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

I urge the U.S. Department of Transportation to consider Metro's application for federal funding to prepare the Sepulveda Pass Corridor Alternatives Analysis. Your contribution to this project will help accelerate our regional goal of linking the San Fernando Valley and the Westside of Los Angeles with a rapid transit option, while developing innovative methods to finance construction and operations of a viable alternative and improving traffic flow along one of the busiest highway corridors in the nation.

Thank you for your ongoing efforts in improving mobility for millions of residents in Los Angeles County.

Sincerely,

BRAD SHERMAN
Member of Congress

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