Daily News
Major Construction Begins on Metro’s East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Line
LA Metro has moved the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project into major construction. The 6.7-mile Van Nuys Boulevard line will add 11 stations, connect with the G Line and regional rail services, and is now targeted for completion in early 2032.
After years of utility relocation and planning, LA Metro is moving into major construction on a new rail line along Van Nuys Boulevard. The milestone also comes with a revised early-2032 completion target.
LA Metro has officially marked the beginning of major construction on the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, moving one of the region’s most important rail projects from preparatory work into full-scale construction.
Metro held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 19, 2026, for the 6.7-mile line, which will run along Van Nuys Boulevard from the G Line busway north to San Fernando Road in Pacoima. The project will add 11 light-rail stations serving Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima.
This was not the project’s first groundbreaking. Metro held an earlier ceremony in December 2022 when crews began relocating utility infrastructure. The new milestone is more consequential for riders: the major-construction phase covers the guideway, stations, traction-power substations, rail systems and a maintenance and storage facility.
From utility work to a new rail corridor
The project has spent several years in utility relocation, property acquisition, design and other early work. Metro’s current construction timeline shows major work continuing from 2026 through 2032, with phased traffic changes and K-rail installations expected along Van Nuys Boulevard.
When completed, trains are expected to operate every seven to 10 minutes during peak periods. The line will connect directly with the G Line and provide access to the Van Nuys Metrolink and Amtrak station. It is also expected to become an important transfer point for the future Sepulveda Transit Corridor and a planned Metrolink station in Pacoima.
The corridor already has a substantial transit market. Metro reported that bus Lines 233 and 761, which serve Van Nuys Boulevard, recorded nearly 20,000 boardings in September 2026. The agency also says approximately 19 percent of households in the project area lack access to a car, compared with about 8 percent countywide.
Those figures help explain why this project matters beyond its construction footprint. It is intended to give residents in some of the Valley’s most transit-dependent communities more reliable access to jobs, schools, healthcare and the wider regional transit network.
The opening target has moved to 2032
Metro’s current project page lists an estimated completion date of early 2032. That is later than the 2031 opening forecast the agency publicized when it celebrated an $893-million federal grant in September 2024. Earlier plans were more optimistic still: when utility work began in 2022, Metro said the first segment could open between 2028 and 2030.
The project’s financial scale has also grown clearer. In May 2026, the Metro Board established a life-of-project budget of approximately $3.999 billion and authorized the next phase of its progressive design-build contract with San Fernando Transit Constructors, a joint venture of Skanska and Stacy and Witbeck.
That authorization increased the construction contract’s value to roughly $2.431 billion. Funding for the larger project combines federal, state and local sources, including revenue from Los Angeles County’s Measure M transportation sales tax.
Rail returns to Van Nuys Boulevard
The East San Fernando Valley line will restore passenger rail to Van Nuys Boulevard for the first time since Pacific Electric ended streetcar service there in 1952. It will also become the first major new Metro rail project in the San Fernando Valley since the subway reached North Hollywood in 2000.
The historical parallel is significant. Van Nuys Boulevard once developed around electric railway service before the region shifted heavily toward automobiles and buses. Metro is now rebuilding rail in the same broad corridor, but as part of a modern network designed to connect local riders with bus rapid transit, regional rail and future high-capacity projects.
The current project ends in Pacoima. Metro continues to study a separate 2.5-mile northern extension that would reach the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station. That extension is not included in the segment now entering major construction.
For riders, the October groundbreaking does not mean trains are imminent. Several years of disruptive and technically complex work remain, and the schedule has already moved beyond earlier forecasts. Still, it represents a tangible transition: the East San Fernando Valley line is no longer primarily a planning exercise or utility-relocation program. Metro has begun building the infrastructure that will carry trains.
That makes this a major step in Los Angeles County’s long effort to restore frequent rail transit to communities that lost it generations ago—and another chapter in The Long Track Back.
Primary sources
- LA Metro: Major construction will soon be underway
- LA Metro project page: East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit
- LA Metro Board meeting, May 28, 2026 — project budget and contract authorization
- LA Metro: $893 million federal grant announcement, September 6, 2024
- LA Metro: Advanced utility-work groundbreaking, December 2, 2022
This article is part of The Long Track Back, STM Daily News’ continuing coverage of how Los Angeles is rebuilding and expanding a passenger-rail network after decades of automobile-centered grow
Last Updated on November 13, 2026 by Daily News Staff
STM Daily News | November 12, 2026
Graffiti Cleanup Transforms Oceanwide Plaza
LOS ANGELES — The unfinished skyscrapers known as downtown Los Angeles’ “Graffiti Towers” have reached a visible milestone: most of the exterior tagging has been removed, although completing the long-stalled Oceanwide Plaza development remains a separate challenge.
City officials celebrated the cleanup November 12. According to the mayor’s office, crews cleared graffiti from roughly 250 balconies across the three-tower complex opposite Crypto.com Arena and near the Los Angeles Convention Center. Remaining work has included touch-ups on windows and other exterior areas.
Oceanwide Plaza was envisioned as a mixed-use destination with residences, a luxury hotel, shops and restaurants. Construction stopped in 2019 after Beijing-based developer Oceanwide Holdings could no longer finance the project.
In early 2024, trespassers covered the unfinished towers with graffiti, turning them into an internationally recognized sight. The property also attracted dangerous stunts and heightened concerns about security.
The development entered bankruptcy in February 2024. This July, a bankruptcy court approved a purchase arrangement involving KPC Square, a joint venture between KPC Group and Lendlease. Graffiti removal began while the acquisition was still pending.
What Comes Next for LA’s Graffiti Towers?
The partnership is targeting a January 2027 closing, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. Financing, a construction contract and required approvals remain important steps before the development can be completed.
For downtown residents and businesses, the cleanup marks tangible progress at a prominent property. However, it does not mean the towers are ready to open, and no firm opening date has been announced.
Sources
- Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, November 12, 2026: https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/mayor-bass-celebrates-graffiti-removal-oceanwide-plaza-clearing-way-full-restoration-and
- Los Angeles Business Journal, November 9, 2026: https://labusinessjournal.com/real-estate/cleaning-up-oceanwide/
- City News Service / MyNewsLA, November 12, 2026: https://mynewsla.com/life/2026/11/12/graffiti-cleanup-milestone-marked-at-oceanwide-plaza-in-downtown-la/
Forgotten Genius Fridays
David Crosthwait: The Engineer Behind Indoor Comfort
David Crosthwait helped solve the challenges of heating large buildings, including Radio City Music Hall. Explore his inventions and lasting engineering legacy.
Forgotten Genius | STM Daily News
When audiences enter New York’s Radio City Music Hall, they notice the stage, the lights, and the sweeping auditorium. The engineering that keeps the building comfortable rarely receives applause.
One of the people behind that comfort was David Nelson Crosthwait Jr., a Black engineer and inventor whose work helped advance heating, ventilation, and temperature control in large buildings.
His career offers a reminder that some of the most useful inventions work quietly around us.
Solving the Problem of Heating Large Buildings
Heating a large building takes more than producing enough heat. Different areas can have different needs: one side may face bitter wind while another receives warming sunlight. Delivering the right amount of heat throughout the building requires careful control.
Crosthwait devoted much of his career to those challenges. A Purdue University engineering graduate, he worked for the C.A. Dunham Company, developing equipment and systems for heating and ventilation.
His inventions included improvements to boilers, thermostat controls, and vacuum pumps. These components helped engineers manage the movement and regulation of heat in larger buildings.
One example appears in U.S. Patent No. 1,727,965, granted in 1929. The patent describes a vacuum steam-heating system designed to serve different sections of a building at different steam pressures. That allowed the system to address varying heating needs while using a shared steam source.
Behind the technical drawing was a practical question: How could one building provide comfortable conditions in spaces that needed different amounts of heat?
His Connection to Radio City Music Hall
Crosthwait’s best-known projects included designing the steam-heating system for Radio City Music Hall at Rockefeller Center.
It was a fitting assignment for an engineer whose expertise centered on the demands of large buildings. While performers entertained audiences, the systems behind the scenes helped make the experience comfortable.
His contributions extended across a substantial body of work. The National Inventors Hall of Fame credits him with 39 U.S. patents and 80 international patents, spanning heating, refrigeration, controls, and other technologies.
Sharing Knowledge and Breaking Barriers
Crosthwait also helped other engineers learn. He wrote technical material, contributed to engineering guides, and later taught steam-heating theory and control systems at Purdue.
In 1971, he became the first Black Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Purdue awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1975, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame inducted him in 2014.
His legacy rests in the practical details of engineering: controlling pressure, improving equipment, and making complicated systems work together.
The next time you settle into a comfortable auditorium on a cold evening, consider the ingenuity behind that warmth. David Crosthwait helped make indoor comfort an engineering achievement worth remembering.
Discover more inventors and innovators through the Forgotten Genius series in The Knowledge at STM Daily News.
Related Links
- National Inventors Hall of Fame: David Crosthwait — Biography covering his inventions, patent totals, Radio City Music Hall work, teaching, and professional honors.
- Rockefeller Center: A Rock Center Innovator — Highlights his role in designing Radio City Music Hall’s steam-heating system.
- Original 1929 Patent: U.S. Patent No. 1,727,965 — Technical drawings and Crosthwait’s description of a steam-heating system serving different building sections at different pressures.
- Purdue University Libraries: Historical Timeline — Documents his 1913 graduation and contributions to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
Sources: National Inventors Hall of Fame, Rockefeller Center, Purdue University Libraries, and U.S. Patent No. 1,727,965.
Family
The House That Hosts: When Your Home Becomes Your Holiday Entertaining Partner
The House That Hosts: There’s a special pleasure in opening your home for the holidays to share the menu you’ve imagined, welcome guests to the glow of a room ready for company and enjoy the anticipation of familiar faces at the door. This year, make sure the house itself can lend a hand.
The House That Hosts: When Your Home Becomes Your Holiday Entertaining Partner
(Feature Impact) There’s a special pleasure in opening your home for the holidays to share the menu you’ve imagined, welcome guests to the glow of a room ready for company and enjoy the anticipation of familiar faces at the door. Every detail is an opportunity to make the loved ones you’ve invited feel especially welcome.
This year, make sure the house itself can lend a hand.
From the kitchen to the living room to the guest bathroom, residential technology offers new ways to turn a host’s imagination into a memorable experience. The best innovations don’t take over the occasion. They help the person bringing everyone together make it extraordinary.
Nor does a home need an elaborate network of connected gadgets. A few well-chosen technologies can make a difference. Explore these ideas from the bathroom design and technology experts at TOTO to level up the different hosting areas of your home as you prepare to gather with family and friends this holiday season.
The Kitchen: Bringing Something Extraordinary to the Table
The holidays invite a little culinary ambition, and today’s kitchens are borrowing a few tricks from professional chefs.
Imagine presenting a beef tenderloin cooked to a perfect rosy pink from edge to edge, thanks to the precision of sous vide cooking. Or bringing a platter of roasted root vegetables to the table, their edges beautifully caramelized and their centers tender, prepared in a steam-convection oven. On an induction cooktop, precise, responsive heat helps turn fresh mushrooms into a golden, savory accompaniment.
These technologies put sophisticated techniques within reach of adventurous home cooks, opening the door to new preparations and dishes worthy of special occasions. Experiment with new flavors and rich cuisines that fill your home with enticing aromas and your guests with awe at the first bite.
Nothing says “happy holidays” quite like watching guests discover what you’ve created for them.
The Living Area: Setting the Stage for Connection
Holiday gatherings have a rhythm all their own. The first arrivals are greeted with excitement, conversations pick up where they left off months (or years) prior, and before long, the room is filled with laughter and the pleasure of being together.
Today’s smart lighting systems allow hosts to create and schedule scenes that shift from the sparkle of a festive welcome to the softer, golden glow of an intimate evening. Multiroom wireless audio systems can bring lively music into the kitchen while keeping it a gentle accompaniment to conversation in the living area. Digital art displays can turn a television screen into a gallery of artwork chosen to complement the celebration, bringing holidays past to life as loved ones mingle in the present.
Successful holiday entertainment engages people not merely as observers, but participants. A short film could start an inspiring conversation, the right music might get people dancing and atmospheric visual-audio experiences, like a crackling fireplace or soft snowstorm, can create a relaxing seasonal backdrop for shared activities.
With the atmosphere changing quietly in the background, no one needs to interrupt a favorite story to adjust the lights or lower the music. The host can simply enjoy the company they’ve brought together.
The Bathroom: The Art of Personal Comfort
The most gracious hosts think beyond the rooms where guests gather. Fresh towels, fragrant soaps and a few unexpected comforts can make the guest bathroom feel every bit as welcoming as the rest of the home.
Technology adds a new dimension to that hospitality. Consider a TOTO WASHLET bidet seat, which offers the welcome warmth of a heated seat, the refreshing pleasure of warm-water cleansing and the soothing comfort of warm-air drying. It’s an unexpected luxury that makes an everyday experience feel special.
Hosts can choose an option that complements their home’s character. The S2 offers inviting simplicity with convenient side-panel controls. The sleek S5 pairs contemporary elegance with a wireless remote. Meanwhile, the S7A adds a touch of theater with a lid that opens automatically, a softly glowing nightlight and personalized cleansing settings.
Even the housekeeping benefits from a little ingenuity through automatic PREMIST and EWATER+: One mists the toilet bowl before use to help keep it cleaner, while the other cleans the cleansing wand and, on select models, the bowl itself with electrolyzed water.
It’s another way a thoughtful host can anticipate guests’ needs and make them feel wonderfully welcome.
Long after the last guest has departed, what lingers isn’t the sophistication of the house. It’s the meal that inspired compliments, the conversations no one wanted to end and the little surprises that made everyone feel at home.
Those are the moments that make holiday entertaining special. Behind each one is a host whose warmth, creativity and attention to detail made it possible, with a little help from the house. Explore more sophisticated bathroom upgrade ideas for the holidays and beyond at TOTOUSA.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (holiday table)
SOURCE:
TOTO
