Metro's record-setting $4.2-billion budget heavy on L.A. rail projects

Los Angeles transportation officials have unveiled the largest budget in the Metropolitan Transit Authority's history, a $4.2-billion plan that reflects the agency's heavy investment in rail projects around the region.

The budget includes money for a slew of rail lines, including the Crenshaw Line in South L.A. that should begin construction next year. The budget has operating funds for the Expo Line, which should open later this year.

There is also money for developing several more rail lines including the so-called "Subway to the Sea" and the "Regional Connector," which would link several existing rail lines through downtown L.A.

“Metro will be advancing one of the largest public works programs in the nation’s history in [fiscal year] 2012, with a dozen major transit and 15 highway projects in various stages of development,” Metro Chief Executive Art Leahy said in a statement.

Among the highlights:

• $22 million to operate the first phase of the Expo Line, which is expected to open in November and will run from downtown L.A. to the edge of Culver City
• $266 million to build the second phase of the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica
• $43 million to begin construction of the Crenshaw Line
• $39 million for the Regional Connector, which would run through downtown L.A.
• $50 million for the Westside Subway Extension, also known as the “Subway to the Sea”
• $77 million for the Orange Line Extension

Metro officials said the proposed budget is balanced and is the first in about a decade that does not have an operating deficit. There are no fare increases included in the plan, and there is a proposal to reduce the cost of a day pass to $5 from $6 for at least six-months.

The budget, released late Tuesday, is balanced partially because of a slew of bus service cuts planned for June. The cuts include eliminating several lines and an overall 5.2% reduction in the number of hours Metro provides service.

Metro officials said they were able to save millions because of those cuts and that there were alternative transit options available for those riders. Some groups, such as the Bus Riders Union, say those cuts are unnecessary and will hurt riders.

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-- Ari Bloomekatz

Photo: The Gold Line headed from downtown L.A. to Pasadena. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[tornadoes28]

Good. If Los Angeles wants to be a modern city it must rely on rail and less on old fashioned slow dirty buses.

[LAofAnaheim]

Stop saying "subway to the sea", the Mayor coined this phrase pre-Measure R, it's now the "Westside Subway Extension".

Good budget, now imagine if Measure R didn't pass in 2008 without the support of 68% of Angelenos!!! Let's get LA moving and continue improving our rail network!!!!

[Carl Temple]

Good! There should be a greater investment in rail and public transit in general in L.A. The freeways are at peak capacity. Gas is rising and L.A. still has the worst pollution in the U.S.A. Let's do this L.A.!

[bub78]

Finally some serious movement on Metro's part to advance rail projects. Using rail right of ways versus roads helps to ensure accurate timetables; minimize traffic disruptions and allows us to remove underutilized bus lines that are being served by light rail, subway or BRT lines.

Yesterday decided to take a bus when I normally take the train. Stood there for an hour; should have seen 5 buses. 1 hour 15 mins later four buses show up at once. Rails don't have to wait on all the other drivers to get where they need to get. Don't share roads or carpool lanes, and normally run on time. Aggravating to those of us who live on schedules, so bring on the trains!

And of course the whiny, outdated Bus Riders Union needs to be DISMANTLED and replaced with a Transit Riders Union; all they do is complain about high-polluting buses that don't even show up on time and do everything they can to halt light rail and subway projects. A great example is their continued complaints against MTA about lines 30 and 31 through East LA, which is now served by Gold Line and the El Sol county shuttle. Get over it and call the Dial-a-Ride if you need to.

Now let's see the Santa Ana - Los Angeles and Gold Line to Montclair projects in 2013 and bring on the $5 day pass!

[Bill D.]

I'm not a fan of burning $4+ gas sitting in traffic for hours. Adding another lane here and there isn't going to make that any better.

I'll gladly hop a train and put my earbuds in and let someone else drive.

[Vincent]

If Los Angeles wants to be the American city of the 21st century, transit projects such as this must be done. Good work, Metro.

[Chris L]

That's pretty impressive...all that $ for new projects, operating funds for the new Expo line, a $1 reduction in day passes, AND there's no deficit. I'd say cutting a few redundant bus lines was worth it.

Cue rage from Bus Riders Union in 3, 2, 1...

[Lou Bricano]

This is good. I will ride trains. I won't ride buses.

[Daniel]

I love this, exactly what LA needs.

[Kevin L Smith]

I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade but is there any money to fix the lights on the dozens of freeway signs that don't work?

[Ian Silverthorne]

Good- it is about time. Orange County needs to take action in setting up a light rail transportation system as well- there is no logical reason light rail trains or a similar track-based train system cannot be setup along the freeways where commerce and business tend to congregate, with the bus system reconfigured to simply run lines that loop, repeatedly from each individual station, placing people within an eight to a quarter of a mile of any possible walking location.

[Joel C]

For the record, much of the "historic" budget is funded specifically from Measure R, which was passed by over 2/3 of county voters.

[AimeeX]

Creative rail line names. I'm all for it! Trains are faster than buses, covering longer distances with less transfer points and a smoother ride, and don't get caught in gridlock. Elevated rail and subway are best if technologically advanced to withstand earthquakes and properly maintained. But don't reduce service hours for the trains; operate them 24/7. Cutting hours would defeat the purpose. Add Mr. Obama's high speed rail and we're up and running!

[jau]

What about the Gold Line?????

[Seacow]

Now I feel better about voting yes on Measure R. These are the type of projects I hoped would get started.

[Dennis Tisdale]

Good job Metro!! We need the rail transit much sooner, the sooner the better. Let's not listen to all the foreign interests and lobbyists who want us to be solely dependent on automobiles.

[Mikey K]

So this budget... do we have the money for it now???? Sorry, wasn't clear to me. I want all these projects done like yesterday!

[Spokker]

Critics said that Metro executives don't ride the buses and don't know what it's like out there.

So Metro CEO Art Leahy rode the buses and figured out that there are a lot of buses that are running empty and routes where bus bunching occurs. He and his staff rightly moved to cut service on some routes and instead focus on improving operations. It's the right choice.

I saw that the LA Times and some blogs that copy articles off the LA Now blog chose instead to focus on the rail spending. Fortunately, readers and commentators are rejecting this spin in droves and understand that this is not a bad budget.

[Markus]

How about an MTA app? So we can tell when a bus or train is coming....Other cities are doing why aren't we? Also, I echo other commentators here mentioning the missing "Gold Line" extension project that broke ground last year.