Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JULY 25, 2019
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS BARGER, NAJARIAN, KREKORIAN AND SOLIS
Related to Item 5: Antelope Valley Line Motion
Two recently completed MTA studies, the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line (AVL) Study and the LA-Burbank- Glendale Feasibility Study, recommend both short and mid-term goals to ultimately increase frequency to 30-minute headways with bi-directional service throughout the day. Short term improvements require $41.8 million in capital improvements and $4 million more in annual costs. Mid-term improvements would require approximately $180 million in capital costs, mainly for double-tracking identified in the AVL study as 4 projects. To get these projects through environmental clearance and shovel ready, staff has estimated that $12.75 million is required. Shovel-ready is an important benchmark to position these projects for grant funding opportunities. Implementation of Scenarios 1 through 3 in the Antelope Valley Line Study will significantly improve service, as detailed in both studies.
The AVL plays a critical role in connecting North Los Angeles County, Union Station and cities in between. It carries the third highest ridership in Metrolink's commuter rail system, and growing, reducing the equivalent of one lane of traffic from major freeways during peak commute hours, and removing approximately 1,000,000 weekday automobile trips per year.
Since the implementation of a now permanent fare reduction program in 2015, the AVL is the only rail transit line in Los Angeles County that has seen consistent, month-over-month ridership growth. As of last year, revenues from this ridership growth surpassed Metro's cost to subsidize the program. In many ways, the AVL is a model for the current regional rail system and it will play a critical role in unlocking regional mobility, as outlined in the State Rail Plan and Metrolink's SCORE program. It also faces serious physical constraints that limit its opti...
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