This morning, Southern California leaders gathered to celebrate recent federal funding for L.A. County transit. The press event [watch], at Exposition Park's L.A. Memorial Coliseum, framed the federal funding as key to implementing infrastructure in support of the upcoming Olympics.
Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins praised teamwork and partnerships "reshaping, transforming and reimagining mobility," and ensuring "our region is prepared to welcome the world for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games."
"The federal funding Metro recently received is a perfect example of what happens when local, regional, and federal partners work together," Wiggins proclaimed.
"It's not just for the Olympics," noted Senator Alex Padilla, "the people of Los Angeles will see the benefits before, during, and well after the Olympics."
Padilla cited several Metro projects, enthusiastically touting future East San Fernando Valley light rail. "Can you tell I'm from the San Fernando Valley?" he asked.
Much of the federal funding will come as little surprise to Streetsblog readers tracking L.A. transportation issues. Early last month, President Joe Biden's Federal Transportation Administration recommended $912 million for four L.A. County transit projects.
- Two of Metro's under construction D (Purple) Line subway extension mega-projects will continue to receive FTA New Starts funding, totaling $646 million in the coming year. This includes $165 million for WPLE section 2, and $478 million for WPLE section 3.
- Under the FTA's Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program, Metro's partially under-construction East San Fernando Valley light rail project will receive $66.9 million.
- Not Metro, but will connect to the Metro K Line, the city of Inglewood's peoplemover - the Inglewood Transit Connector - will receive an initial $200 million, the first portion of its FTA New Starts grant.
Last month, congress approved the FY 2024-25 appropriations bill which includes those FTA funds. Biden approved that bill on March 23.
Also last month, seven additional L.A. County transit/transportation projects received an additional $162 million for Reconnecting Communities (RCN) grants, funded via the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The lion's share of L.A. County RCN funding goes to Metro's ambitious "Removing Barriers" project which includes new bus lanes, other bus corridor enhancements, station first-last-mile walk/bike improvements, bike-share, and more.
The newly approved FY2024-25 federal funding coming to L.A. County totals $1.07 billion. Metro projects account for $860 million of that.
