With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
With New Federal Aid, LA Metro Says It Will Restore Service To Pre-Pandemic Levels By September
(Chava Sanchez/ LAist)
()
The American Rescue Plan will provide U.S. public transit agencies more than $30 billion to keep buses and trains moving. About $1.6 billion of that aid will go to public transit agencies in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
That funding will be divvied up by the Southern California Association of Governments to county transit agencies, including the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Those agencies will then allot some of that aid money to municipal transit departments, such as LADOT and Foothill Transit.
With this new federal aid, L.A. Metro will be able to restore service to pre-pandemic levels by this September, according to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who chairs Metro's board. That's a full year earlier than initial projections, he said.
Great to join @MetroLosAngeles & @LADOTofficial to celebrate a transformative investment for L.A.: $1.6 billion from @POTUS' American Rescue Plan for our region's public transit––putting more buses on our roads, more trains in our stations & restored service ahead of schedule. pic.twitter.com/tsg3tfR5rI
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) March 19, 2021
Support for LAist comes from
In the early months of the pandemic, ridership on the county's transit system fell roughly 70%, and the agency was expecting it could take two years before ridership returned to pre-pandemic levels. The agency was also bracing for a $1.8 billion revenue shortfall, due mostly to a dramatic drop in sales tax revenue.
As a result, Metro cut bus and rail service by 20%, and ridership has been hovering at about 50% since the summer. The agency has been able to avoid layoffs, though it did offer employees a buyout, which "a small number of employees took," officials said.
Apart from the ARP funding, Metro officials said the agency is also set to receive more than $275 million for some major transit projects: $59 million for the Regional Connector and more than $218 million for the multiple phases of the Purple Line extension.
Speaking at a media briefing Thursday afternoon, Metro CEO Phillip Washington said that funding "will help us keep those projects on track and even accelerate them a bit," though it's not clear yet if that means they'll open earlier than expected.
The CARES Act last spring alloted roughly $1.1 billion for transit agencies in Southern California, and Metro ended up receiving $772.6 million, according to officials.
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
Best of LAist