Metro Extension From East LA To Whittier Moves Forward

An extension of the Metro E Line cleared a key hurdle this week after the agency's board approved a final environmental impact report for the project.

Plans are to extend the line, which now ends at Atlantic Boulevard in East Los Angeles, in two phases — first from East L.A. to Montebello, then eventually to Whittier.

It’s the second Metro project for East and Southeast L.A. to move forward in recent weeks. In April, the board approved a final environmental impact report for the Southeast Gateway Line , which will run through Southeast L.A. County to Artesia.

Both lines will serve neighborhoods and cities that for the most part are predominantly Latino in a region of L.A. County that is underserved by public transportation.

“Certification of the environmental documents for the Eastside Extension and Southeast Gateway Line represents a significant milestone in our mission to achieve transportation equity in Los Angeles County, particularly for these historically underserved public-transit deserts,” said L.A. County supervisor and Metro board director Hilda Solis in a statement to LAist.

Much of the E Line extension route is in Solis’s First District.

The first phase of the extension to Montebello will include three new stations, including a stop at the Atlantic and Whittier Boulevard commercial district and one at the Citadel Outlets center in Commerce. The current Atlantic Boulevard station in East L.A. will be moved underground as part of the project. Metro’s targeted opening for this phase is 2029.

The second phase, which could take 10 years or more, is set to run through Pico Rivera and Santa Fe Springs to Whittier.

Metro officials said the next step is to apply for federal funding: Right now there is about $3 billion set aside in Measure R and Measure M money, but more will be needed to complete the first phase. Construction could begin as early as 2025.