The proposed easterly extension of a Metro light-rail line from East Los Angeles to Montebello got a boost from the state transportation agency earlier this week.
California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) on Monday, April 24, awarded the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2, which will eventually extend the Metro L (Gold) Line in phases from East Los Angeles to Whittier, $35 million for the next phase to Montebello.
The segment approved as the preferred route by the LA Metro board last December would extend the light-rail line 4.6 miles east from the current terminus at Atlantic Station in unincorporated East Los Angeles to a new Greenwood Avenue Station in Montebello.
The cost of the segment to Montebello is estimated to cost about $7.5 billion, according to Metro. In December based on funding available by 2029, the segment was short $3.5 billion. The project will build four new train stations, giving access to more stations from unincorporated East Los Angeles.
“I am excited to see us move one step closer to breaking ground on delivering this transportation option for our residents, as it will vastly increase access to opportunities to learn, earn, and grow,” said Los Angeles County First District Supervisor Hilda Solis in a prepared statement.
By receiving the state grant, the project may be in a position to receive Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) funding.
Project completion for this phase is expected in 2025, CalSTA reported.
“Our state is placing a high priority on investing in public transportation projects that aim to shift away from fossil fuels while making public travel more rider friendly,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a prepared statement.
The award was part of $690 million given to 28 new public transportation projects in disadvantaged communities. The money closes out the first wave of state funding to expand transit and passenger rail service throughout the state and was included in the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP). It followed $2.54 billion released in January for a total state investment of more than $3.2 billion in public transportation in the first four months of 2023, Newsom’s office reported.
Other local grants included:
• The city of Pasadena will receive $14.4 million to buy 40 zero-emission buses
• The city of Simi Valley will receive about $7 million to build a new transit center
• LA Metro will receive $95 million for rehabilitation and expansion of the K (Crenshaw/LAX) Line and C (Green) light rail lines that are necessary to allow the operation of three-car trains. Also, the grant will pay for two new traction power substations and the replacement of 30-year-old overhead catenary systems on the C Line.
