What to know about Metro's plan to connect the San Fernando Valley with the Westside

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in the early stages of a transit project to connect the San Fernando Valley to West L.A.

The Sepulveda Transit Corridor aims to alleviate congestion on the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass, an area some locals jokingly call the "world's biggest parking lot" for the time spent stuck in traffic.

The plan is to build a fully automated rapid transit line to connect the San Fernando Valley to the Westside. The line would connect with Metro's current and future stops, including a stop in the heart of the UCLA campus. It would go as fast as 70 mph.

"That would connect Van Nuys all the way down to the Expo Line in 20 minutes," said Yusef Robb, a spokesperson for Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners. "It would connect Westwood to Ventura Boulevard in six and a half minutes. We're proposing that trains run every two and a half minutes."

Metro says the project is something as big as the D Line extension project, which will connect downtown L.A. with the Westside.

The Sepulveda Pass transit plan does not have a price tag yet. Metro says it would be funded by Measure R and M from tax proceeds, and it's looking to tap into federal funding.

As of now, the project is in the hands of Metro's environmental review team. The board could vote on the project late next year if all goes according to plan.