Traveling from Van Nuys to UCLA on an underground subway would take about 12 minutes, compared to a ride on an aerial monorail that would take more than twice as long, according to new data released by LA Metro regarding its proposed Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project.
The data also showed that of six options, the underground subway — outlined as alternatives 4 to 6 — would carry a maximum of about 120,000 weekday boardings, much more than the monorail alternatives numbered 1 to 3.
An underground rail would carry nearly twice as many riders as two of the monorail options, mostly because two of the three monorail options would not include stations at UCLA, a prime destination that is projected to be the busiest station. Instead, the first two monorail alternatives require transfers to get to UCLA, one to a shuttle bus and the other to an automated people mover, adding travel time and reducing ridership, Metro reported.
The data was released last week in presentations focused on the six alternatives under consideration for the first rail transit to connect the San Fernando Valley with the Westside, to be built either over or under the Santa Monica Mountains as an alternative to the busy 405 Freeway.
On the table at presentations held in Westwood and online by LA Metro were six configurations, with Alternatives 1 to 3 mostly monorail, and Alternatives 4 to 6 heavy rail. The six alternatives are:
Alternative 1: (15.3 miles) Monorail with aerial alignment on 405 corridor and electric bus connection to UCLA.
Alternative 2: (15.8 miles) Monorail with aerial alignment on 405 corridor and aerial automated people mover connection to UCLA.
Alternative 3: (16.2 miles) Monorail with aerial alignment on 405 corridor and underground alignment between Getty Center and Wilshire Boulevard. This would allow for an underground station at UCLA.
Alternative 4: (14 miles) Heavy rail with underground alignment south of Ventura Boulevard and aerial alignment generally along…
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