The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) Board approved the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project, which will extend the Metro L (Gold) Line in phases from East Los Angeles to Whittier.
Staff recommended Alternative 3 for the project’s Initial Operating Segment (IOS), which will extend the Metro L Line further east from its current terminus at Pomona/Atlantic in East Los Angeles to Greenwood Station in Montebello.
The authority says the LPA best meets the communities’ needs by having fewer impacts related to construction, traffic, noise and property acquisitions. This alternative also has more environmental benefits and provides additional regional connectivity.
The board also approved the Lambert Station in Whittier as the terminus for the nine-mile project and authorized the preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the full project through the California Environmental Quality Act. L.A. Metro can now complete the EIR and make the project ready for construction by 2029 as programmed under the Measure M sales tax approved by L.A. County voters in 2016.
When built, the new line will serve the cities of Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier, and the unincorporated communities of east Los Angeles and west Whittier-Los Nietos. The Alternative 3 IOS approved by the board is approximately 4.6 miles long and includes four stations. The LPA also includes maintenance and storage facility site options.
Three build alternatives have been studied extensively in the project’s draft EIR. Build alternatives consider the full project to Whittier and IOS that would construct the project in phases:
- Alternative 1 Washington: Extends L Line east from its terminus at Pomona/Atlantic to Lambert Road in Whittier
- Alternative 2 IOS Commerce/Citadel: Extends L Line east from its terminus at Pomona/Atlantic to Commerce/Citadel
- Alternative 3 IOS Greenwood: Extends L Line east from its terminus at Pomona/Atlantic to Greenwood Station in Montebello
Design options were also studied, including an underground relocated station at Atlantic/Pomona or an underground open-air station. Other design options are aerial (elevated structure) or at-grade (or street-level) segments in Montebello, including an at-grade Greenwood Station.
The Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 is a rail extension anticipated to provide commuters in a high travel-demand corridor relief to the limited transportation systems currently available to them. In addition, the project will provide a connection to the regional transit network via the Regional Connector, a new L.A. Metro rail extension under construction in downtown Los Angeles that will open in the spring of 2023.
With the Connector, riders on the Eastside Gold Line will be able to ride the same train directly into the heart of downtown L.A. instead of having to ride to Union Station and then transfer to the B/D (Red/Purple) Line subway.
Measure M allocates $6 billion for this project in two funding cycles. Cycle 1 allocates $3 billion for the Washington Alternative beginning in 2029, and Cycle 2 allocates $3 billion for the second alternative beginning in 2053. The second alternative is being evaluated through the San Gabriel Valley Transit Feasibility Study).
“Our selection of the LPA represents a key milestone in the project’s planning phase and will now allow us to complete the environmental work needed to get this vital transportation improvement project into construction,” said Glendale City Council Member and L.A. Metro Board Chair Ara J. Najarian.
“The eastside has been waiting a long time for this connection to the L Line that will serve a densely populated area of the county, offering equitable access to jobs and educational opportunities and providing economic benefits to surrounding communities,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and L.A. Metro Board Member Hilda L. Solis.
“It is important we finally deliver this project all the way from east LA through Commerce to Pico Rivera and Whittier. This is just one more step in getting there, and we will make this project happen as soon as possible, to deliver a one-seat ride for these communities to downtown LA and beyond,” said LA County Supervisor and L.A. Metro Board Member Janice Hahn.
“We worked with all the communities along this corridor to ensure that we heard their concerns and needs and recommended the best possible alignment for the Eastside Transit Corridor. The locally preferred alternative will add rail connectivity and vastly improve transportation options in this corridor,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “We look forward to continuing the work to improve transit connectivity for our eastside communities.”
