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L.A. Metro awarded $704M in state gas tax funding for major projects

The funding will go to Metro’s program of projects which include highway, transit and goods movement elements.

May 17, 2018
L.A. Metro awarded $704M in state gas tax funding for major projects

Metro will combine SB-1 gas tax funds with its own locally generated transportation sales tax contributions to continue transforming L.A. County’s transportation system and delivering Measure M and R projects. Photo: Metro

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Metro will combine SB-1 gas tax funds with its own locally generated transportation sales tax contributions to continue transforming L.A. County’s transportation system and delivering Measure M and R projects. Photo: Metro

The California Transportation Commission approved $703.6 million in SB-1 funding for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) as part of its transportation funding allocations for agencies statewide.

The California Transportation Agency (CalSTA) also recently announced its SB-1 award for funding Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Improvements, with more than $1 billion designated for Metro. With today’s award of $703.6 million from the CTC and the award of $1.088 billion from CalSTA, the State has made a commitment to fund more than $1.8 billion in projects for Metro over a number of years.

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SB-1 is the state’s “gas tax” and vehicle fee transportation funding program approved by the Legislature in 2017 and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The awards represent the largest allocation of SB-1 funds in California to date. Metro received approximately 26 percent of total funding available statewide, underscoring the magnitude of needed transportation improvements for the congested L.A. region. The funding will go to Metro’s program of projects which include highway, transit and goods movement elements.

The county’s annual transit ridership is four times that of any other county in the state. Metro also has the highest annual passenger miles of any other operator in California. L.A. County has seven of the state’s 10 most congested highway corridors and its ports handle 86 percent of all containers for California.

Metro will combine SB-1 gas tax funds with its own locally generated transportation sales tax contributions to continue transforming L.A. County’s transportation system and delivering Measure M and R projects.

Metro’s projects were selected as some of the best solutions to transform the county’s urban bus and rail system, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled and improve overall mobility in the region, according to agency officials.

Metro transportation projects announced for SB-1 funding in several program categories include:

Local Partnership Program
Solutions for Congested Corridors Program

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  • Airport Metro Connector 96th Street Transit Station Project: $150 million

Trade Corridor Enhancement Program

  • Interstate 5 Golden State Chokepoint Relief Project: $247 million

  • SR-57/60 Confluence: Chokepoint Relief Program: $22 million

  • America’s Global Freight Gateway: Southern California Rail Project: $128.6 million

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  • Interstate 605/State Route 91 Interchange Improvement: Gateway Cities Freight Crossroads Project: $32 million

  • State Route 71 Freeway Conversion Project: $44 million

The CalSTA’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Improvements Program seeks to modernize transportation infrastructure, improve safety and grow rail ridership. The Transit Capital projects that were awarded multi-year funding include:
Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program - $1.088 Billion

  • Gold Line Foothill Light Rail Extension to Montclair

  • East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor

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  • West Santa Ana Branch Light Rail Transit Corridor

  • Green Line Light Rail Extension to Torrance

  • Orange/Red Line to Gold Line BRT Transit Corridor

  • Vermont Transit Corridor


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