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PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 15, 2026
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Motion by:
DIRECTORS PADILLA, DUTRA, BASS, HORVATH, DUPONT-WALKER, AND YAROSLAVSKY
Assessment of New Van Nuys Service Center for San Fernando Valley Riders Motion
The San Fernando Valley is home to nearly two million residents and represents one of Metro's largest and most transit-dependent markets, generating some of the highest bus ridership in Los Angeles County. Valley riders are disproportionately low-income, transit-dependent, and in need of accessible, in-person customer service to navigate fare programs, reduced fare eligibility, and TAP enrollment. Ensuring these residents can access the system they rely on is a matter of basic transit equity.
Over the coming decade, the Valley will see transformative new transit investments, including the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project and the Sepulveda Transit Corridor. Van Nuys sits at the convergence of these corridors and is positioned to become the Valley's premier multimodal transfer hub, a regional anchor connecting light rail, bus rapid transit, and local service for millions of riders. That future demands customer service infrastructure commensurate with its scale.
Metro also owns significant property in and around Van Nuys. A reimagined customer service presence here represents more than a service restoration, it is an opportunity to maximize the use of Metro-owned assets, consolidate Valley-based Metro staff operations, and serve as a catalyst for mixed-use, transit-oriented development that generates long-term economic returns for the region. This can be done in a way that is not additional overhead, but instead, transformational investment.
While Metro previously operated a Customer Center in Van Nuys, its closure left a gap that retail partners, TAP vending machines, mail-based services, and the LIFE program administrator have only partially filled. Given the Valley's size, ridership, and the scale of investment on the horizon, the current patchwork of service access points warrants a serious, strategic reassessment, one that matches service delivery to actual demand rather than defaulting to the lowest-cost option.
Metro is currently undertaking an exploratory process to reimagine how the agency delivers customer service systemwide, evaluating the role, location, and format of customer service centers. The Valley should be a central consideration in that process, not an afterthought. Different communities require different service models, and a high-ridership, high-growth corridor like Van Nuys merits a full-service flagship presence, not a kiosk.
Subject
SUBJECT: ASSESSMENT OF NEW VAN NUYS SERVICE CENTER FOR SAN FERNANDO VALLEY RIDERS MOTION
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RECOMMENDATION
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APPROVE Motion by Padilla, Dutra, Bass, Horvath, Dupont-Walker, and Yaroslavsky that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. Evaluate current and projected demand for in-person customer service in the San Fernando Valley, including reduced fare applications, TAP card services, lost and found, and fare media purchases, with particular attention to underserved and transit-dependent communities;
B. Evaluate Metro's prior Customer Center at Sherman Way and Van Nuys Boulevard, including historical usage, services provided, and the circumstances of its closure;
C. Develop an inventory and geographic analysis of the existing network of TAP vendors, retail outlets, and service points in the Valley, including gaps in coverage;
D. Assess Metro-owned properties in and around Van Nuys and their potential to support a customer service facility, staff consolidation, and/or mixed-use transit-oriented development, in coordination with Metro's real estate and planning functions;
E. Evaluate the LIFE program office's current role in the Valley and how an expanded customer service presence could better integrate fare assistance, eligibility support, and community outreach; and
F. Identify options to improve customer service access, including a full-service flagship center at or near Van Nuys station, expanded TAP vendor partnerships, mobile service events, community-based partnerships, with anticipated costs and implementation timelines for each. Report back within 180 days with an assessment of customer service access in the San Fernando Valley and a concrete plan to enhance in-person customer support.