Ticketmaster Founder Fred Rosen Sues to Halt $24 Billion LA Metro Tunnel Project Near Bel Air Home
Fred Rosen, founder of Ticketmaster and a Bel Air resident, has filed lawsuits to stop or delay a proposed $24.2 billion heavy rail tunnel under the Sepulveda Pass. The project aims to reduce travel time from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside from 90 minutes to 18 minutes. Rosen criticizes Metro's cost estimates, timeline, and safety, predicting the tunnel will be obsolete by completion.
HanSangYoon / Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)2 billion in 2023 dollars.
Fred Rosen, an 82-year-old Bel Air resident and founder of Ticketmaster, has launched legal challenges through the nonprofit Keep Bel Air Beautiful to block or delay the project. Rosen argues the tunnel route would run under residential areas, including Bel Air, and questions Metro's planning process. He has spent nearly seven figures on these lawsuits.
Project Details and Criticisms Metro selected the heavy rail option from five proposals, which included three heavy rail and two monorail alternatives.
The approved route minimizes surface construction and avoids a ventilation shaft in the Santa Monica Mountains, making it less costly than other options. The agency plans to build the project in phases as funding becomes available, though the full funding source remains unclear.
Rosen disputes Metro's cost projections, predicting the final price will reach $40 billion based on per-mile costs of other California transportation projects.
S. metro system. Rosen also forecasts completion no earlier than 2050.
Story Timeline
5 events- Recent — unspecified date
Fred Rosen files lawsuits through Keep Bel Air Beautiful to halt Metro tunnel project.
2 sourcesNew York Post · nypost.com - Recent — deposition
Metro Chief Planning Officer Ray Sosa testifies that Bel Air requires less evaluation.
1 sourceNew York Post - Recent — public clash
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lyndsey Horvath shares critical texts from Rosen on X.
1 sourceNew York Post - Prior approval
Metro approves heavy rail tunnel route under Sepulveda Pass.
2 sourcesNew York Post · nypost.com - Ongoing — planning
Metro develops five proposals, including heavy rail and monorail options.
1 sourceNew York Post
Potential Impact
- 01
Legal challenges delay Metro's tunnel construction timeline by years.
- 02
Project phases proceed only as funding secures, extending overall build time.
- 03
Metro explores monorail or freeway deck alternatives if tunnel blocked.
- 04
Bel Air residents gain more consultation input through court-mandated reviews.
- 05
Traffic congestion on 405 freeway persists without timely transit solution.
Transparency Panel
Related Stories
Nbc NewsRep. Tony Gonzales Announces Retirement from Congress Amid Ethics Probe Over Staffer Relationship
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced on Monday that he will retire from Congress following a House Ethics Committee probe into his relationship with a former staffer who died by suicide. The announcement follows his decision last month to drop his re-election bid. Separately, R…
reason.comUS Imposes Blockade on Strait of Hormuz Amid Tensions with Iran
President Trump has ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with the measure coming into force as the United States blocks vessels doing business with Iran. Trump warned that Iranian fast attack ships approaching the blockade will be eliminated. TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouy…
The Washington PostBrazil's Former Intelligence Chief Alexandre Ramagem Detained by ICE in the United States
Alexandre Ramagem, Brazil's former intelligence agency chief and congressman, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Orlando. He had fled Brazil after his conviction for involvement in an alleged coup attempt with former President Jair Bolsonaro. The d…