Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 15, 2026
Preamble
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...
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