Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
OCTOBER 22, 2026
Preamble
Motion by:
PADILLA, BASS, AND SANDOVAL
Improving Connectivity and Reliability for the East Valley Metrolink System
The East San Fernando Valley is one of the fastest growing, most transit dependent parts of Los Angeles, yet its link to regional rail remains incomplete. Sylmar, the future infill station at Pacoima, and Sun Valley anchor Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line through the San Fernando Valley, connecting these neighborhoods to Union Station, downtown Los Angeles, and the broader Southern California rail network, but none of the three functions today as a real multimodal hub. Sun Valley sits in an industrial area with some of the line's lowest boardings. Sylmar was once planned as the northern terminus of the East San Fernando Valley (ESFV) Light Rail Transit Project; the Board has since adopted a new Metrolink infill station at Pacoima instead, approving $6.9 million to begin its design. The Brighton to Roxford Double Track Project will add a second mainline track through Sun Valley and Pacoima, expanding capacity along the corridor.
How well the Antelope Valley Line connects to housing, jobs, and daily life in the East Valley will shape ridership and equity outcomes for decades, which is why the details still being worked out matter. The Pacoima station's platform configuration remains undecided, and Brighton to Roxford's right of way overlaps, on a much longer horizon, with the California High-Speed Rail Authority's still uncertain Palmdale to Burbank alignment through Sun Valley. This work supports Metro's Vision 2028 goals for community access, regional collaboration, and equity focused communities, and reflects the Board's Measure M commitment to East San Fernando Valley rail investment. This work supports Metro's Vision 2028 goals for community access, regional collaboration, and equity focused communities, and reflects the Board's Measure M commitment to East San Fernando Valley rail investment. Reliable, well connected service across all three stations is central to the corridor's long term value.
Subject
SUBJECT: IMPROVING CONNECTIVITY AND RELIABILITY FOR THE EAST VALLEY METROLINK SYSTEM MOTION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE Motion by Padilla, Bass, and Sandoval to direct the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. Prepare a First/Last Mile plan for the Sun Valley Metrolink Station, building on the City of Los Angeles's 2023 motion to study station relocation and a second platform, and coordinated with the Brighton to Roxford Double Track Project. Report back to the Planning and Programming Committee within 60 days on a scope and schedule;
B. Direct staff to establish early coordination on the design and construction schedule of the Brighton to Roxford Double Track Project with the California High-Speed Rail Authority's Palmdale to Burbank SR14A alignment through Sun Valley. Develop recommendations that preserve design flexibility and experience for riders;
C. Evaluate options for additional parking around the future Pacoima Metrolink Station and Mobility Hub, including Metro and City controlled parcels;
D. Confirm whether the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project's First/Last Mile Plan for the former Sylmar LRT station remains applicable to the Sylmar Metrolink Station and eligible under Metro First/Last Mile Guidelines for local return and 3% local contribution;
E. Prioritize Sylmar, Pacoima, and Sun Valley, and their related first and last mile improvements, as essential regional rail infrastructure for competitive state and federal grant funding and Metro's own grant-making capacity, including the Metro Active Transport program, to construct the improvements identified under Items A, and D; and
F. Report back to the Planning and Programming Committee on the above items B - E in 180 days.