At the corner of Ventura and Van Nuys boulevards there is no construction fence, no station entrance and no posted opening date. On paper, though, a heavy-rail station already sits at that corner. The Southern California Association of Governments placed it on its official SB 79 map on October 29, 2026, under the name "Ventura Boulevard."
Metro's train runs on one schedule and the land-use rules run on another.
Two Clocks Started on January 22
On January 22, 2026, the Metro Board unanimously chose "Modified Alternative 5" as the locally preferred alternative for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor. The plan is an underground, automated heavy-rail line in a single-bore tunnel. It runs from Van Nuys Metrolink to Expo/Sepulveda, with transfers to the G Line and the future East San Fernando Valley light rail, and peak trains are planned every 2.5 minutes.
The vote started two separate timelines.
| What happens next | The train | The zoning map |
|---|---|---|
| Status after the January 2026 vote | Planning and environmental review | Sepulveda stations kept and reclassified as Tier 1 on the City's revised draft map |
| 2026 milestones | Scoping period, with a comment deadline of November 18 | City ordinances effective June 30; SCAG map adds "Ventura Boulevard" October 29 |
| Next formal step | Recirculated Draft EIR, expected 2027 | Annual map updates by the City Planning Director |
| Long-range marker | Schedule and opening year being updated by Metro | Citywide SB 79 pause tied to the next Housing Element cycle, which City Planning estimates at about 2030 |
The Metro column is still in study. Metro's project FAQ says a Recirculated Draft EIR is expected in 2027 and that the project schedule and opening year are being updated. The zoning column moved forward in 2026 and has been in effect since.
How a Planned Station Gets onto the Zoning Map
SB 79, the state's transit-oriented housing law, took effect July 1, 2026. The law does not wait for a line to open before a stop counts. Its definition of a qualifying stop includes stops on a route for which a preferred alternative has been selected. Tier 1, the highest category, covers stops in an urban transit county served by heavy rail. Metro's Sepulveda plan is heavy rail.
LA City Planning applied that rule directly. Its implementation report says that because the Metro Board approved a locally preferred alternative for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor on January 22, 2026, "the stations have been retained, reclassified as Tier 1, and added to the revised draft map." SCAG's October 29 update then added the corridor's planned stations as mapped access points: Ventura Boulevard, UCLA and Santa Monica Boulevard.
Los Angeles Ordinances
The City's Phased Implementation Ordinance took effect June 30, 2026.
The same Council vote also adopted a second ordinance, the Low-Rise Ordinance. City Planning describes it as an affordable-housing incentive program.
The ordinance lets the City Planning Director update eligibility maps every year and when SCAG's maps change. SCAG's map changed on October 29.
The Station's Exact Location Is Still Being Refined
The station's exact position can still shift. The selected route runs under Van Nuys Boulevard, not Sepulveda Boulevard as earlier concepts did, and it combines parts of the Draft EIR's Alternatives 5 and 6. Metro lists the stations as Van Nuys Metrolink, G Line/Van Nuys, Ventura/Van Nuys, UCLA, Wilshire/Westwood, Santa Monica Blvd/Sepulveda and Expo/Sepulveda. An earlier Metro concept placed the Sherman Oaks stop at Ventura and Van Nuys boulevards. Metro says the property-level alignment and station locations will be presented in the Recirculated Draft EIR.
Metro has also proposed building in phases. Its project page describes an initial operating segment of about 8.4 miles between the G Line in Van Nuys and the D Line in Westwood. A January 2026 board report lists $5.7 billion in Measure M funding, in 2015 dollars, and says more funding is needed.
Metro's scoping page for the environmental review sets a public comment deadline of November 18, 2026. It lists a Sherman Oaks meeting on November 16, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd, Building B. The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association wrote in its October 2026 newsletter that its public records requests showed design work running to March 2027 and environmental work to the end of 2028. The association reported this from records it obtained. It is not a schedule Metro has published. The association also noted that the initial segment would include two Valley stations, at Ventura Boulevard and at Oxnard Street on the G Line.
This post is general information about published rules, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm how any ordinance applies to a specific property with a land-use attorney or the appropriate City office.
If you are weighing a home near Van Nuys Boulevard, Steve Shanks can put recent Sherman Oaks pricing in context. Request a Free Home Valuation to start.
