Officers

President
Richard H. Close
Vice President
Matt Epstein
Vice President
Jules Feir
soha
SHERMAN OAKS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors
Bob Anderson
Chuck Betz
Richard H. Close
Matt Epstein
Jules Feir
Tom Glick
Treasurer John Isen
Chuck Betz
POST OFFICE BOX 5223 Marshall Long
Secretary SHERMAN OAKS, CALIFORNIA 91413 Nancy Sogoian
John Isen Information: (818) 377-4590 Jay Weitzler
www.shermanoaks914.com
Founded in 1964
www.facebook.com/soha914

September 19, 2017

Mr. Walt Davis, Metro Project Manager

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority
One Gateway Plaza, MS 99-22-3
Los Angeles, CA 90012
eastsfvtransit@metro.net

Subject: SOHA Recommendations and Concerns on the East San Fernando Valley Transit
Corridor Draft Environmental Impact Report

Reference 1: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority, Draft Environmental Impact
Statement/Draft Environmental Impact Report for the East San Fernando Valley Transit
Corridor, August 2017
Reference 2: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority, Sepulveda Pass Transit Feasibility
Study and Technical Compendium, Metro RFP PS40442, April 26, 2017
Reference 3: SOHA Letter to Walt Davis, Metro, SOHA Comments on East San Fernando Valley Transit
Corridor Study, May 6, 2013

Dear Mr. Davis,

The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association represents 2,300 politically active families in a large,
southern San Fernando Valley community that is home to the Sepulveda Pass, the infamously crowded
101 freeway, and one of the most congested street intersections in the country (Ventura at Sepulveda).
SOHA is very concerned about the future of transportation in our community and the San Fernando
Valley. We support effective rapid transit across Los Angeles County and want to ensure an equitable
distribution of effective rapid transit across all areas of the county, including the San Fernando Valley. To
these ends, we have participated in a broad range of community meetings, reviewed multiple Metro
documents, and submitted significant written recommendations to Metro over the last five years.
SOHA has thoroughly reviewed the entire East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Draft
Environmental Impact Report (ESFVTC DEIR, Reference 1). Although no part of the ESFVTC project is
located within Sherman Oaks, the project borders on Sherman Oaks. Our community will be impacted by
many facets of the project, such as the ESFVTCs southern interface with Metros proposed Sepulveda
Pass Corridor project and the negative automobile traffic impacts resulting from all four ESFVTC
Alternatives. SOHA submits four recommendations on the ESFVTC DEIR as detailed in this letter.

Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association (SOHA) 1 of 5

 SOHA Recommendations ESFVTC Draft Environmental Impact Report September 19, 2017

SOHA Recommendation 1 The DEIR is flawed because it does not realistically address the
ESFVTC southern terminus connection to the Sepulveda Pass Corridor northern terminus, and
SOHA recommends that the ESFVTC DEIR must be updated to address the connection and
interface before proceeding further.
The DEIR Executive Summary makes the following statement on page ES-24 concerning connection with
the Sepulveda Pass Corridor project:
Along with planning for this proposed project [the ESFVTC], Metro is also studying how best to
provide improved transit service through the Sepulveda Pass connecting the San Fernando Valley and
the Westside (e.g. Westwood, Brentwood, West LA, Culver City). Selection of a preferred alternative
for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Project will recognize the Sepulveda Pass Project
and consider any potentially feasible and advantageous points for connecting the two corridors
In April 2017, Metro issued a Request for Proposals (RFP, Reference 2) for a 14-month feasibility study
of the Sepulveda Pass Corridor project. Figure 1 shows the feasibility study area. The ESFVTC project is
shown as a blue dotted line in the figure, and several miles of the projects southern section are included
in the Sepulveda Pass feasibility study area.

Figure 1 - Project Study Area

Figure 1. Sepulveda Pass Transit Feasibility Study Area Showing ESFVTC Route (blue dashed line)
Sepulveda Pass Transit Feasibility Study and Technical Compendium
(Metro Sepulveda Pass Corridor RFP, Reference 3, Exhibit A, Scope of Services, page 5)
Scope of Services
5

Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association (SOHA) 2 of 5

 SOHA Recommendations ESFVTC Draft Environmental Impact Report September 19, 2017

The Sepulveda Pass Corridor project feasibility study will look at multiple rail and bus alternatives. The
studys Scope of Services includes the following study guidelines (Reference 2, Exhibit A, page 13):
The northern and southern terminal station [of the Sepulveda Pass Corridor] shall connect to a
separate fixed guideway transit station, and the terminal station may have either a below- or above-
grade profile; the site for the northern terminal shall be located at the Van Nuys Orange Line Station
Yet, although these guidelines allow a northern terminus station either with a below-grade or above-grade
profile, the ESFVTC DEIR studied only an above-grade station profile at the Orange Line Van Nuys
station. The DEIR also never considered possible more effective alternate locations for the station or more
effective connections between the ESFVTC and the Sepulveda Pass Corridor project.
In a May 2013 letter to Metros Walt Davis (Reference 3), SOHA indicated our support for the ESFVTC,
but recommended an integrated transit solution whereby the designs of the ESFVTC project and
Sepulveda Pass Corridor project were integrated to ensure interoperability and connectivity. This has not
happened. Instead, the ESFVTC design is proceeding while the Sepulveda Pass Corridor project
feasibility study is just beginning and wont be completed until well into 2018.
Instead, all DEIR studies of the ESFVTC projects four alternatives were prepared using a placeholder
southern terminus at Van Nuys Boulevard station on the Orange Line, as stated on DEIR page 6-13:
Additionally, because the alignment of the future Sepulveda Pass Transit Project has not yet been
determined, including the location where such a transit line would connect to existing transit lines in
the San Fernando Valley, it was decided that this transit corridor [the ESFVTC] should not preclude
the location of the connection. Therefore, the southern terminus for this corridor was modified to be at
an existing transit line, the Metro Orange Line.
In other words, the DEIR ignored potential realistic locations for the critical connection between the
ESFVTC southern terminus and Sepulveda Pass Corridor northern terminus. The DEIR further ignored
whether this terminus station would be above-grade or below-grade. This connection is critical to proper
alignment of both projects, and effective design and analysis of the ESFVTC project. This connection also
has serious ramifications on Sherman Oaks and its residents, because the Sepulveda Pass Corridor project
will travel through Sherman Oaks from Mulholland Drive to the Orange Line.
Because of these flaws, SOHA recommends that the ESFVTC DEIR be updated to realistically address
possible locations, including above-grade or below-grade locations, for the terminus station connecting
the ESFVTC project and the Sepulveda Pass Corridor project at or near the Orange Line. The DEIR can
be neither complete nor realistic until this is done.

SOHA Recommendation 2 The DEIR is flawed because it does not realistically address the future
grade separation for the Orange Line at Van Nuys Boulevard, which will impact the ESFVTC
southern terminus location and design, and SOHA recommends that the ESFVTC DEIR must be
updated to address the impacts.
The ESFVTC DEIR Executive Summary makes the following statement on page ES-23 in the Issues To
Be Resolved section concerning connection with the Orange Line:
The Metro Orange Line intersects the southern terminus of the alignment (shown in Photo ES-7).
Currently, the Metro Orange Line is a BRT that operates in a dedicated right-of-way with an average
of 30,000 boardings per day. The Metro Orange Line Van Nuys Station is also a major transfer point.
In planning this project [the ESFVTC], special consideration should be given to how this project
intersects with the Metro Orange Line and how to best facilitate transfer to/from both services.
SOHA agrees with Metro that this is a critical intersection worthy of special consideration, especially
since Metros Measure M Orange Line BRT Improvements project will add a grade separation (underpass
or overpass) to the Orange Line at Van Nuys Boulevard by 2025. In addition, the Orange Line will be
converted to light rail by 2057 as part of Measure Ms Orange Line Conversion to Light Rail project.
Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association (SOHA) 3 of 5
 SOHA Recommendations ESFVTC Draft Environmental Impact Report September 19, 2017

Yet, the DEIR ignored both the Orange Line grade separation and light rail conversion when locating the
ESFVTC placeholder southern terminus station on the Orange Line at Van Nuys Boulevard. Because of
these flaws, SOHA recommends that the ESFVTC DEIR be updated to realistically address the impacts of
the Orange Line grade separation at Van Nuys Boulevard and the future conversion of the Orange Line to
light rail. The DEIR can be neither complete nor realistic until this is done

SOHA Recommendation 3 The ESFVTC should provide the most robust and highest-capacity
transportation option, and SOHA recommends that Metro select Alternative 4 Light Rail Transit
(LRT) with its partial subway but, further strongly recommends that, if public-private or other
funding becomes available for the ESFVTC project, Metro immediately begin work on a better,
faster, and less-intrusive ESFVTC total subway alternative.
The DEIR notes that four ESFVTC project alternatives are being considered two bus rapid transit
EAST%SAN%FERNANDO%VALLEY%TRANSIT%CORRIDOR%DEIS/DEIR%
options and two light rail options, as compared in Figure 2. The least costly Alternative 1 isCOMPARISON*OF*
Executive%Summary%
a curb-
ALTERNATIVES*
running
* bus rapid transit system. The costliest Alternative 4 is an on-grade median-running light rail
system with
Figure ES-8: a 2.5-mile below-grade
Com parison subway segment in Panorama City and Van Nuys.
of Alternatives

Source: Metro, 2015.

Figure 2. Comparison of ESFVTC Project Alternatives
SOHA* feels that the ESFVTC will provide much needed rapid transit over a route where it is desperately
needed, even though all alternatives have significant negative impacts on auto traffic and parking along
Rail *
the route (e.g., less lanes, less turns, ) and eliminate bike lanes. We recommend Alternative 4 LightPage*ES320
Transit which has by far the highest capacity and lowest travel times of the four alternatives.
SOHA understands that our recommended alternative is the costliest at $2.67 to $2.79 billion. We feel
that Metro should do all possible to obtain the funding necessary for this light rail alternative. And in fact,
DEIR section 1.1.3.2 (page 1-3), Southern Terminus Connection with the Sepulveda Pass Transit
Corridor, states:
Transit improvements along Van Nuys Boulevard will need to consider a future connection to a
transit line in the Sepulveda Pass. Options in that corridor range from BRT in HOV/Express Lanes in
the 1-405 Freeway to a full transit/highway tunnel extending under the Pass from the MOL to the

Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association (SOHA) 4 of 5

 SOHA Recommendations ESFVTC Draft Environmental Impact Report September 19, 2017

future Metro Purple Line and/or Metro Expo Line Stations in West Los Angeles. Per Board direction,
the East SFV Corridor is being analyzed for Public Private Partnership delivery method in conjunction
with the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor Project.
So, Metro has already opened an avenue to obtain the necessary funding for Alternative 4, and we
applaud their approach.
Furthermore, by designing Alternative 4 with its below-grade subway segment, Metro has demonstrated
that a below-grade subway is feasible for the ESFVTC project. SOHA has to ask the obvious question:
why wasnt this below-grade alternative considered for the entire ESFVTC project? It would certainly be
faster and less intrusive on autos, pedestrians, and bikes.
SOHA therefore also strongly recommends that, if public-private or other funding becomes available for
the ESFVTC project, Metro should immediately begin work on a better, faster, and less-intrusive
ESFVTC total subway alternative. This additional alternative would be below grade over the entire route,
providing the lowest travel times and alleviating negative traffic and parking impacts on surface streets
along the route. We understand that it would be costly, but the Valley deserves it. This should be Metros
highest priority, instead of finishing a DEIR for a lesser alternative.

SOHA Recommendation 4 The Sepulveda Pass Corridor project will pass through Sherman Oaks
from Mulholland Drive to the Orange Line, and SOHA recommends that the entire Sepulveda Pass
Corridor route be a below-grade subway, including the entire portion through Sherman Oaks to
the connection with the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor.
As noted for the prior recommendation, Metro has already started considering the East SFV Corridor
for Public Private Partnership delivery method in conjunction with the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor
Project. SOHA is very concerned that the entire Sepulveda Pass Corridor segment within Sherman Oaks
boundaries be a below-grade subway (from Mulholland Drive to the ESFVTC northern terminus at the
Orange Line), and recommends that Metro make this happen.
Sherman Oaks currently experiences some of the worst rush-hour traffic in the country, especially on
Sepulveda Boulevard where any at-grade light rail would run. It is essentially impossible for any segment
of the Sepulveda Pass Corridor project to run along Sepulveda Boulevard without massive impacts to our
already horrific traffic. We will fight to ensure that this never happens.

If you have questions, please contact me at BobHillsideOrdinance@roadrunner.com or 213-364-7470.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Bob Anderson
Chair, Transportation Committee
Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association

cc: Councilmember David Ryu, CD4

Councilmember Paul Krekorian, CD2
Justin Orenstein, Senior Legislative Deputy, CD4
Doug Mensman, Transportation Policy Director, CD2
Karen Swift, Metro

Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association (SOHA) 5 of 5