Both Mayoral Candidates Open to Tunneling Under the 405

With the 405 widening project going so well (only a year behind schedule!) LA's mayoral candidates have turned their attention to future plans for moving people through the Sepulveda Pass. Making a play for the city's "stuck in traffic" constituency, both Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti agree that adding yet more lanes to the freeway's perma-jam is no solution, but it wouldn't be much of an election if they agreed on what to do instead. Greuel's "relief project for the 405," she announced yesterday, includes "Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Light Rail, dedicated lanes and prioritizing the city's bike plan," according to Streetsblog. She's even open to tunneling through the hills to make it happen, which Metro started looking into last year. Garcetti, however, is going big; he wants to see heavy rail connect the northern reaches of the Valley to LAX in the south. But before you get too excited about either possibility happening in your lifetime, note that Measure R transpo tax funding wouldn't be available for a 405 project for nearly 15 years unless voters pass a new tax plan (like last year's failed Measure J). Still, it's a nice idea.
· Heavy Rail, or a Light Rail/BRT Mix? Garcetti and Greuel Discuss Options for Sepulveda Pass [Streetsblog]