LACMTA awards contract to study rail along Sepulveda Pass Corridor

LACMTA

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board of Directors' approved a contract with Sepulveda Mobility Partners to study options for its Sepulveda Pass Corridor at the board's final meeting of 2017.  

The approved $6.5-million contract will allow Sepulveda Mobility Partners to prepare a Sepulveda Transit Feasibility Study and Technical Compendium regarding transit options along the 11-mile north/south travel corridor.

“The 20-month study will analyze a variety of options for adding new rail transit service between the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX),” according to the staff report. “The results of the study will support initiation of the environmental review process and further consideration of a Public Private Partnership delivery method.”

Board member Sheila Kuehl said she hopes cut-and-cover methods are not used to build the project because of disruptions to neighbors, LACMTA said.

LACMTA had issued a Request for Proposals to study the feasibility of various transit modes and alignments through the congested Sepulveda Pass in late April of 2017.

As of April, transit modes that were to be evaluated included bus rapid transit, light rail, subway and other transit technologies not already in use by LACMTA. The transportation authority had said the study was expected to take about 14 months to complete.

The board also approved a motion intended to encourage LACMTA contractors to hire more women for transportation-related construction jobs.

The board will meet next on Jan. 25, 2018.