Los Angeles County transportation officials will break ground Monday on a 6.7-mile light rail line along Van Nuys Boulevard, bringing the San Fernando Valley closer to its first new local rail service in decades.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Van Nuys Civic Center, 14410 Sylvan St., with Mayor Karen Bass, other elected officials and Metro representatives expected to attend.
The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project will feature 11 stations along Van Nuys Boulevard, connecting the Metro G Line busway in Van Nuys with San Fernando Road in Pacoima.
The line will run primarily in the center of Van Nuys Boulevard, serving communities including Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima.
Metro officials said the project will improve access to approximately 150,000 job opportunities, along with schools, medical facilities and local businesses.
The line will also provide connections to Metrolink and Amtrak, as well as the Metro G Line, allowing passengers to transfer to other parts of the regional transportation network.
Trains are expected to operate every seven to 10 minutes during peak travel periods, according to Metro.
The project will include improvements to surrounding streets, including sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, safer pedestrian crossings, station shade structures and roadway modifications.
Metro estimates that construction and operations will generate more than 18,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The project received an $893 million federal grant in September 2024 to help finance construction.
The funding agreement was the first awarded under the Federal Transit Administration’s Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program, which was established to accelerate major transportation projects.
The Metro Board approved a project budget of approximately $4 billion in May 2026, up from a previous estimate of $3.57 billion. Funding also comes from local transportation sales taxes, state sources and federal infrastructure funding.
Metro previously began utility relocation work along the corridor to prepare for construction of tracks, stations and supporting infrastructure. The agency’s current project schedule calls for completion in early 2032.
The project includes the purchase of 33 light rail vehicles and construction of a maintenance and storage facility to support operations.
Some parking spaces along Van Nuys Boulevard will be removed to accommodate the project, and Metro has been working with the city to identify alternatives.
Construction will also require phased traffic modifications and lane reductions along portions of the corridor.
The light rail line is the first phase of a larger proposed transit corridor extending north through the eastern San Fernando Valley.
Metro is studying a possible 2.5-mile extension from San Fernando Road to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station, which would add three stations and provide additional connections for residents of Pacoima, Sylmar and San Fernando.
Metro officials said the project will bring local rail service back to Van Nuys Boulevard for the first time in more than 70 years.
Additional information about the project is available at metro.net/projects/east-sfv/.