L.A. streetcar project faces $200 million funding gap
The original estimate $125M estimate to build the four-mile line did not include the cost of utility work, as well as other costs, which could create a funding gap of almost $200M.

Rendering of L.A. streetcar system in Pershing Square. Courtesy Los Angeles Streetcar Inc.

Rendering of L.A. streetcar system in Pershing Square. Courtesy Los Angeles Streetcar Inc.
LOS ANGELES — Building a proposed streetcar line in downtown Los Angeles may cost more than twice the original estimate, an adjustment that raises serious questions about the project's funding and future, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The original estimate to build the four-mile line, about $125 million, did not include the cost of utility work, as well as other costs, which could create a funding gap of almost $200 million, which must be resolved before officials apply for federal transportation grants, the paper said.
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