Let\u2019s stop pretending this is complicated. The Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project isn\u2019t just a good idea \u2014it\u2019s a long-overdue necessity.<\/p>\n
Anyone who\u2019s ever sat, sobbed or screamed on the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass knows exactly why.<\/p>\n
Metro\u2019s exploring five rail transit options to connect the Valley to the Westside \u2014 finally offering an alternative to soul-sucking gridlock. What they should not be exploring is the unofficial, backstabbing sixth option: \u201cDo nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spoiler: doing nothing is exactly how we got decades of bottlenecked misery in the first place.<\/p>\n
Imagine zipping from Ventura Boulevard to Westwood in 10 minutes.<\/p>\n
Sounds like a fever dream, right? But it\u2019s possible. And we deserve it \u2014 especially the San Fernando Valley, which always seems to be an afterthought in L.A.\u2019s transportation planning, like the side salad no one ordered but keeps paying for.<\/p>\n
The data doesn\u2019t lie. The 405 is one of the most congested corridors in the world.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not hyperbole \u2014 it\u2019s a public health hazard.<\/p>\n
Geography funnels drivers through a mountain pass with no viable alternatives. Widening the freeway? LOL. We\u2019ve run out of room, time and patience.<\/p>\n
The Valley has been begging for relief since at least 1980, when voters approved a transit tax \u2014 Proposition A\u2014 that included a promise for a rail line through the Pass.<\/p>\n
That was 45 years ago.<\/p>\n
In 2016, Measure M passed with 71.5% of the vote, thanks in part to that same rail dream. Metro has received over 3,100 public comments and conducted polls showing overwhelming support.<\/p>\n
And yet \u2026 crickets. The people have spoken \u2014 loudly, repeatedly and clearly \u2014 but leadership is still deciding whether we really mean. Maybe the 405 needs to literally catch fire before they act.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s talk economics, since that seems to get attention. A decent public transit system is not a luxury \u2014 it\u2019s economic infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The American Public Transportation Association estimates that 87% of public transit trips directly benefit the economy by connecting people to jobs and businesses. It\u2019s not just about getting to work \u2014 it\u2019s about accessing healthcare, education and opportunity.<\/p>\n
For the estimated 27,000 car-free households near the proposed Sepulveda line, this project is transformative. It could mean actual access to employment at places like UCLA, without a car loan-sized Uber bill. For everyone else? It could mean needing one car instead of two. Or finally ditching that clunker altogether.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the average cost of car ownership in California is over $28,000 in 2025. Electric vehicles won\u2019t save us \u2014 thanks to rising utility rates, EVs just come with a different kind of monthly pain.<\/p>\n
Spoiler: California now has the second-highest electricity bills in the country.<\/p>\n
And let\u2019s not forget the environment. Rail transit produces drastically fewer emissions per passenger mile compared to cars \u2014 up to 76% less for subways. That\u2019s not just good for the Earth, it\u2019s good for our lungs.<\/p>\n
Poor air quality drives up healthcare costs, increases disability, and contributes to billions in lost productivity.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just about convenience\u2014it\u2019s about the kind of region we want to live in. One where the Valley is finally connected to the rest of the city in a meaningful, equitable and sane way. One where we prioritize progress over paralysis.<\/p>\n
Metro\u2019s Draft Environmental Impact Report is out.<\/p>\n
Now is the time to show up, speak up, and demand the obvious: build the damn train.<\/p>\n
Every year we delay is another year of economic stagnation, environmental decline, and regional neglect.<\/p>\n
The Valley deserves this. We\u2019ve earned it. It\u2019s our money. Now let\u2019s build it.<\/p>\n
Stuart Waldman is president of the Valley Industry Commerce Association.<\/p>\n
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