Santa Clarita Mayor Marsha McLean is encouraging residents to join her in supporting added train service for those commuting anywhere along the Antelope Valley Line.
On Wednesday, she advocated before the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Planning and Programming Committee for the line’s study — a year-long effort to improve rail service — to be presented to the full Metro Board.
“The study identifies strategic improvements that can be constructed and phased in overtime to deliver regular and reliable service to the communities, like Santa Clarita, which are served by the Antelope Valley Line,” McLean said in a city news release Friday. “I am delighted to see that opportunities exist to provide bi-directional, 30-minute weekday service between Union Station and Santa Clarita in the near future.”
The 76.6-mile-long line has the third-highest ridership in Metro’s system with about 7,000 passengers daily utilizing up to 42 trains per day. Due to the mountainous terrain in the northern portion of the route, the average speed is approximately 40 mph, an estimated travel time of about two hours between Los Angeles Union Station and Lancaster.
In April, the North County Transportation Coalition received updates on the AV line study, which offers three different scenarios to make service more frequent: one additional late evening train; two additional off-peak, round trips to provide hourly mid-day service; and improved peak service and semi-hourly, off-peak service.
“Enhancements to this line will make public transit more accessible and efficient for our residents,” said McLean, who is asking that Metro prioritize the scenarios in the study to further identify funding that could reach $175.1 million in capital projects, according to an NCTC staff report.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Planning and Programming Committee approved the study to move forward to the full board, which is slated to receive the presentation on the study at the meeting Thursday, July 25.
The meeting is scheduled at 10 a.m. at One Gateway Plaza, 3rd Floor, Metro Board Room in Los Angeles.
