UCLA students support proposed Metro expansion but wary of cost

This post was updated Feb. 23 at 3:39 p.m. to include a statement from a Metro spokesperson.

A proposed Los Angeles Metro expansion to UCLA could increase access between the university and more areas of LA, but students said the project’s timeline and cost raise concerns.

According to Metro’s website, the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project aims to connect Westwood with existing transit links in the San Fernando Valley, where approximately 10% of UCLA students reside. Metro is currently conducting feasibility and environmental studies on the project. Metro also hosted community open houses to get public feedback in January.

Community members are free to submit additional comments through an online form.

Plans under consideration entail either a direct stop at UCLA or a connection to a stop at the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard. The Undergraduate Students Association Council passed a resolution in January calling for the university to endorse potential expansion paths, particularly in support of a heavy rail.

The inclusion of a stop on campus could open up opportunities for students to travel outside of Westwood, particularly to areas with lower housing costs, said Scott Anglim, a fourth-year political science transfer student.

Anglim, who is also the president of Abundant Housing LA at UCLA, said he believes the expanded system could also provide inexpensive transportation for students who are looking to lower their cost of living.

“If you’re outside of Westwood looking for an affordable place to live, then it’s pretty obvious that you’re going to be looking for an affordable way to get to school,” Anglim said.

Commuting to UCLA often requires spending a significant amount of money on gasoline, which can add up when stalled on the congested Interstate 405, said Justin Lu, a second-year civil engineering student.

He added that a Metro rail expansion to Westwood could provide commuters with a consistent alternative to driving and traffic, which is also an issue experienced by current bus lines to UCLA.

“It’s a line that has a potential to serve a lot of commuters, especially from the Valley, that are coming to the Westside,” Lu said.

Laine Ford, a second-year economics and public affairs student, said she wants to work in LA in the next couple of years but feels she would need to get a car in order to do so. She said she believes the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project would allow her to access a wider range of job opportunities in LA.

Ford added that she believes the potential financial boons of the proposed transit line would not be limited to students living off campus. She added that the Metro project would give many students, regardless of their housing status, the opportunity to reach internships and jobs within the greater LA area.

However, some students expressed concern about the cost of the new line, which is between $6.1 billion and $10.8 billion, according to the LA Daily News. That amount is higher than previous estimates made by Metro. A number of other city infrastructure projects have recently run beyond their budget, such as the Purple Line beneath Wilshire Boulevard, according to the LA Times.

Olive Long, a fourth-year civil engineering student, said he was concerned upon reading about the price, as the proposal could cost upward of $15 billion. He added that he was worried about whether this cost would be passed onto passengers.

In addition to high costs, students also said they were concerned about the project’s time frame, which suggests expansion completion by 2032 to 2035, according to the LA Daily News.

Ford expressed disappointment at how long the project would take, saying current students would experience construction-induced traffic increases without getting the benefit of the new connections.

Anglim also said the time frame was unfortunate for current UCLA students, all of whom will be graduating before the project’s completion.

“This thing is probably not going to be built until all of us are left and done with our MDs and Ph.D.s and law degrees and bachelor’s,” Anglim said.

A Metro spokesperson pointed to a list of frequently asked questions when presented with questions about students’ concerns.