This morning in Washington DC, federal and Los Angeles officials joined together to announce full funding for the initial phase extending Metro's Purple Line Subway. This funding had been hinted at earlier, but today it's a done deal. Barring any kind of governmental shutdown.
Metro will receive $1.35 billion in federal grant funding, plus another $0.86 billion in federal infrastructure loans. Today's $2 billion completes the $2.8 billion budget for extending the subway 3.9 miles west underneath Wilshire Boulevard, to a terminus at Wilshire and La Cienega. Construction is anticipated to start this summer and be completed in 2023.
Metro is already installing on-bus cameras. Soon comes testing, outreach, then warning tickets. Wilshire/5th/6th and La Brea will be the first bus routes in the bus lane enforcement program.