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Metro Board to Vote on Ending Light Rail Train in Pacoima
Posted on 11/29/2025
Sylmar Neighborhood Council (SNC) Background -
The SNC has previously written a letter of support for building the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Phase 2 to Sylmar/San Fernando Station. Per the article below, the Metro Board is voting to kill Phase 2 to Sylmar on December 4th
See Item #7 -
https://metro.legistar1.com/metro/meetings/2025/12/3215_A_Board_of_Directors_-_Regular_Board_Meeting_25-12-04_Agenda.pdf).
The decision to kill the phase was made by the Planning and Programming committee previously. If any stakeholders wish to comment, you may do so in person or online, or email the board clerk at ([email protected]) by 5 PM no later than Wednesday, December 3rd, and/or email our Los Angeles County Supervisor, Lindsey Horvath, who sits on the board and represents our district (3rd) [email protected].
Article / UPDATE
Metro Board to Vote on Ending Light Rail Train in Pacoima
If approved, the light rail will not be extended through the City of San Fernando
Article credit - The San Fernando Valley Sun
Rendering of proposed Pacoima Metrolink Station at the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road. (Courtesy of Metro)
The Metro Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority is set to vote Dec. 4 on a proposal to shorten the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Train. If approved, it will kill a second segment that would have run from Pacoima through the City of San Fernando to the Sylmar Metrolink Station.
The initial East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit (ESFVLRT) is currently under construction along Van Nuys Boulevard. This project will connect the communities of Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima. With an estimated cost of $3.6 billion, the light rail will span approximately 6.5 miles and include 11 new stations, starting at the Metro G Line in Van Nuys.
A second phase would have extended for 2.5 miles from Pacoima to Sylmar at an estimated cost of $1.2 billion. It would have shared the right-of-way with Metrolink’s Antelope Valley Line tracks.
A Short-Sighted Decision
The news of the potential end of light rail in the City of San Fernando outraged local business owners.
“It’s a short-sighted decision not to complete the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Train,” said John David Rivera, owner of the local production company Las Palmas Media, in an interview with the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol.
He criticized the San Fernando City Council for opposing the introduction of light rail in the city, which he believes could have better connected the City of San Fernando and Sylmar with the rest of the San Fernando Valley and the city and county of LA. “They have made a multigenerational mistake by rejecting Maclay Station,” Rivera stated, referring to the only Metro Station that was planned to be built in the City of San Fernando.
“The light rail project would have eventually linked our communities to the future Sepulveda Line, facilitating access to LAX,” Rivera added, referring to a proposed train route intended to connect the valley with the LA Basin through the Sepulveda Pass. “Our children will pay for that mistake.”
Lack of Support
Tom Ross, the owner of Tekwerks, an internet service provider in the City of San Fernando, was also critical of the San Fernando City Council for its lack of support for light rail development. “I believe that the second phase of the light rail project should have received serious consideration from the City of San Fernando, given how much potential investment it could bring to the community.”
In late August, the San Fernando City Council unanimously rejected a proposal to introduce light rail to the city. This proposal would have required the construction of four train lines, significantly impacting safety, traffic, and local homes and businesses, as previously reported by this newspaper. The plan included street-crossing gates at six intersections operating every six minutes during peak hours.
Instead, the City Council granted conditional support for a measure to complete the light rail line at the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road in Pacoima, subject to several mitigation measures. This proposal includes plans to build the Pacoima Metrolink Station and a “Mobility Hub” to facilitate transfers between ESFVLRT and Metrolink trains. Additionally, it provides for the construction of a second Metrolink track, doubling the number of trains currently running through the City of San Fernando, with an estimated cost of $200 million.
Chamber of Commerce Option
In a last-minute attempt to preserve some light rail in San Fernando, the local Chamber of Commerce proposed an alternative plan to the City Council. The suggestion was to extend the light rail from Pacoima to the edge of the city at Wolfskill Street, adjacent to the Cesar Chavez Memorial, where a new station could be built.
“It may have required relocating the Cesar Chavez Memorial, but the plan included incorporating its artwork and displays into the station, which would be named after Chavez,” Ross explained. “This would not only create an attractive destination but also provide functional light rail transport right at the edge of San Fernando, benefiting the entire city. It seemed like a fantastic idea.” That proposal was never formally considered by the City Council or Metro.
City councilmembers could not be reached for comment. Metro declined to comment through a spokesperson.
Ross said canceling the light rail project for the City of San Fernando would be a missed opportunity to foster essential economic development in the city’s struggling downtown. “You don’t know what it is that you might have lost,” he said.
The Metro Board meeting will take place Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. at One Gateway Plaza in LA.
Article credit - The San Fernando Valley Sun
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