City of Commerce
2535 Commerce Way,
Commerce, CA 90040
City of Montebello
1600 W. Beverly Blvd.
Montbello, CA 90640
City of Pico Rivera
6615 Passons Blvd.
Pico Rivera, CA 90660
May 31, 2025
The Honorable Janice Hahn
Chair, Board of Directors
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) One Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Mr. Tom Richards
Chair, Board of Directors
California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR)
770 L Street, Suite 620
Sacramento, CA 95814
Subject: Joint Support for Rail Optimization and the Metro Station Relocation Alternative along the LA-to-Anaheim Railroad Corridor
Dear Chair Hahn and Chair Richards:
As vested stakeholders within the Los Angeles-to-Anaheim railroad corridor, the Cities of Commerce, Montebello, and Pico Rivera (Cities) commend the leadership and commitment of each respective agency and transportation authority working to optimize freight and passenger rail service in this vital corridor. With key mainline connections to the national rail network and major intermodal yards in the Gateway sub-region, the Cities recognize the corridor’s critical role in both the local and national economy. The corridor is also well served by Metrolink and Amtrak, providing vital transit alternatives across Southern California. Our cities understand that this corridor is in dire need of significant improvements to relieve rail congestion, streamline operational efficiencies, and build ridership demand.
LETTER: Joint Support for Rail Optimization and the Metro Station Relocation Alternative along the LA-to-Anaheim Railroad Corridor
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This joint letter expresses general support for proposed capital investments insofar that they also align with local priorities. For example, the Cities agree that the Commerce Flyover Project should be prioritized to deliver rail efficiencies and regional goods movements benefits, despite requiring relocation of the existing Commerce Station. However, the proposed relocation site conflicts with local General Plans, misaligns with regional transportation policy, and undermines State-level community and economic development goals. The Cities and the surrounding sub-region would be better served by relocating the station to a planned transit-oriented community where maximum ridership growth is also a strategic and deliberate outcome. Therefore, the cities strongly urge LA Metro and California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) to prioritize relocation of the Commerce Station to the City of Pico Rivera.
Commerce Flyover & Station Relocation
Each city has reviewed and provided comments for the Preliminary Engineering for Project Definition Report (PEPD) prepared by CAHSR as part of the CEQA and NEPA environmental clearances. The PEPD Preferred Alternative proposes a new flyover viaduct in the City of Commerce to address a significant bottleneck in the Southern California railroad network while building capacity for high-speed passenger rail service in the future. In furtherance of the State Rail Plan, the California State Transportation Agency’s (CalSTA) identified the Commerce Flyover Project as a high-priority, high-value project and made preliminary investments through the Port and Freight Infrastructure Program (PFIP). While the Commerce Flyover Project improves operational flexibility, it also necessitates demolishing and relocating the existing Commerce passenger rail station.
As a mitigation, CAHSR proposes to relocate the station approximately 0.85 miles east to a new site within the City of Montebello (1550 S Maple Ave, Montebello, CA 90640). Surrounded by heavy industrial land uses, the new station site conflicts with local, regional, and State-level goals and policies related to transit-oriented community development.
City of Montebello – Local Plans & Goals
On April 10, 2024, the City of Montebello adopted a Downtown Specific Plan, a Bicycle Master Plan, and the 2040 General Plan update. Due to inadequate outreach by CAHSR, these comprehensive, multi-year, community-oriented plans do not reference or account for the proposed new station. As a result, the proposed station site is entirely inconsistent and misaligned with the city’s newly adopted Land Use, Mobility/Circulation, and Housing Elements.
The identified area is designated for heavy industrial uses, is located near an existing brownfield site, lacks basic multimodal infrastructure, and is not well suited for a mixed-use, transit-oriented community. Furthermore, Montebello’s Capital Infrastructure Program does not consider perpetual maintenance and operational costs tied to the proposed station. The City of Montebello is also not LETTER: Joint Support for Rail Optimization and the Metro Station Relocation Alternative along the LA-to-Anaheim Railroad Corridor
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in concurrence with the proposed impact on local businesses and the surrounding industrial area associated with the proposed station site.
The City of Montebello strongly urges CAHSR and Metro to re-evaluate the station relocation mitigation plans and identify an alternative location that better aligns with local, regional, and Statelevel goals.
City of Commerce – Local Plans & Goals
The City of Commerce understands the overall significance of the Commerce Flyover Project and acknowledges that the existing Commerce passenger station creates operational conflicts and hinders both freight and passenger rail services from reaching its fullest potential in the corridor.
Although the proposed new station site is technically within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Montebello, it is located immediately adjacent to the Commerce city limits. According to the Zoning Map in the Commerce 2020 General Plan, the area surrounding the proposed site is zoned M2 – Heavy Industrial and far removed from current or proposed residential and commercial land uses. The City of Commerce does not intend to accommodate residential, mixed-use, or transitoriented development in the proposed station area and maintains an interest in preserving its land use priorities.
The City is aware that due to incompatible surrounding land uses, limited transit service, lack of active transportation amenities, and complicated train operations in this segment of railroad, boardings and ridership demand at the existing Commerce station is relatively low, especially when compared to other stations along Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner route, which is often touted as the 2nd busiest commuter rail corridor in the nation. To maximize ridership potential, CAHSR and LA Metro should prioritize a station site that can be fully integrated with housing and mixed-use development in accordance with urban planning best practices and modern transit-oriented community development.
Furthermore, as the owner and operator of the existing Commerce station, the City of Commerce seeks to ensure that it is equitably considered throughout the planning and decision-making process of the Flyover Project. The City of Commerce also seeks to recoup previous capital investments and maintenance expenditures related to the existing station.
City of Pico Rivera – Local Plans & Goals
The City of Pico Rivera is implementing the PR 2035: Community Revitalization Program to proactively leverage major transportation investments that are converging in the city’s central core.
LA Metro’s Eastside light rail line (E-Line) along with CAHSR’s LA-to-Anaheim PEPD and the Rosemead/Lakewood Boulevard BRT Corridor (RoseWood BRT) has prompted the city to master LETTER: Joint Support for Rail Optimization and the Metro Station Relocation Alternative along the LA-to-Anaheim Railroad Corridor
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plan a holistic, multimodal, mixed-use urban downtown; a vibrant uptown; and dynamic riverfronts in Pico Rivera.
Embracing this next stage in the city’s evolution, Pico Rivera is embarking on a comprehensive General Plan update that will support the strategic implementation of higher density housing, multiple mass transit lines, first/last mile connections, an active transportation network, climate adaptation initiatives, new energy efficient neighborhoods, a sports and entertainment district, a micro-EV manufacturing zone and innovation business cluster, a 570-acre passive park on the Rio Hondo, and significant capacity enhancements to critical utilities. Equally important, the city is currently studying and striving to enact a wide range of revenue generating alternatives including special assessment districts and value capture mechanisms to help finance future infrastructure needs and sustain long-term growth. A regional rail station in downtown Pico Rivera would significantly support local and regional efforts to foster a more urban, multimodal live-work-play environment that is economically viable and climate resilient.
Metro Feasibility Study – Pico Rivera Regional Rail Station In 2024, LA Metro initiated the Pico Rivera Regional Rail Station Feasibility Study to explore and identify a viable station relocation alternative that not only optimizes rail operations but also enables dense transit-oriented development. After conducting technical analysis, capturing community input, coordination with rail operators (e.g. LOSSAN Agency, Metrolink, and CAHSR), and consultation with city officials and staff, Metro identified a suitable location for a regional rail station in the City of Pico Rivera.
The preferred location is adjacent to the Rio Hondo, facilitating access to the Class-I bikeway system and promoting regional active and multimodal transportation. The station location is also in proximity (approximately 1-mile) of two Metro light rail stations along the 9-mile Eastside (E-Line) Extension and the Rosemead/Lakewood Boulevard (RoseWood) BRT corridor. Recognizing that Pico Rivera is transitioning to a multimodal future, the city is fully embracing transit-oriented community development. As such, the preferred station location is well aligned with the City of Pico Rivera’s plans to develop a vibrant and bustling transit-oriented downtown community that encompasses a sports and entertainment district, a Micro EV Tech Hub and Innovation District, riverfront parks and trails systems, and people-oriented cultural placemaking. A regional rail station is a critical element to accommodate higher volumes of dense, urban-style housing and mixed-use developments – objectives that cannot be realized at the site proposed by CAHSR.
Conclusion
In reviewing the proposed rail improvements outlined in CAHSR’s PEPD Report, the Cities of Commerce, Montebello, and Pico Rivera have identified significant misalignments between the proposed Montebello station relocation site and local General Plans, regional transportation LETTER: Joint Support for Rail Optimization and the Metro Station Relocation Alternative along the LA-to-Anaheim Railroad Corridor
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priorities, and community development objectives. More broadly, the site proposed by CAHSR contradicts key state policies, including the California Transportation Plan 2050, the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure, and the State Rail Plan. These inconsistencies raise serious concerns about the suitability and strategic soundness of the proposed Montebello station relocation.
Based on local consensus, technical evaluations, regional collaboration, and community input, the Pico Rivera station site identified in Metro’s Feasibility Study offers the greatest regional benefit and helps achieve goals related to economic vitality, climate resilience, housing development, and multimodal connectivity. The cities urge CAHSR and LA Metro to prioritize and advance the Pico Rivera station location into implementation. The Cities also recognize the importance of the Commerce Flyover Project and stand ready to support its successful implementation.
The Cities of Commerce, Montebello, and Pico Rivera reaffirm their commitment to working in partnership with CAHSR, Metro, and other regional partners to plan and design, environmentally clear, secure necessary funding, and ultimately construct these priority railroad projects in the LAto-Anaheim rail corridor.
Thank you for your leadership and dedication to advancing a more efficient, integrated, and sustainable transportation network for Southern California.
Sincerely,
x______________________
Ernie Hernandez
City Manager
City of Commerce
[email protected]
x______________________
Raul Alvarez
City Manager
City of Montebello
[email protected]
x______________________
Steve Carmona
City Manager
City of Pico Rivera
[email protected]
Cc:
Bob Archuleta, California Senator, District 30
Lisa Calderon, California Assemblymember, District 56
Toks Omishakin, Secretary of Transportation, California State Transportation Agency Ian Choudri, CEO, California High-Speed Rail Authority
Stephanie Wiggins, Los Angeles Metro