One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Downtown LA streetcar project passes another milestone
Image depicting a proposed streetcar to run in downtown L.A.
(
goLAstreetca
)
Map of proposed downtown LA streetcar route.
(
MTA
)
A new multi-million dollar streetcar system for downtown Los Angeles has cleared another hurdle.
On Tuesday, the L.A. City Council unanimously approved the nearly 4-mile route for the proposed line, as well as the project’s environmental impact report.
The project would send streetcars on a 3.8-mile loop through the Civic Center, by the Convention Center and through the Fashion District.
Councilman Jose Huizar has championed the streetcar project as a part of his Bringing Back Broadway campaign to revitalize the historic Broadway corridor.
“The streetcar goes with the traffic, so it doesn’t really add to congestion on the street, but it actually may help!” Huizar told KPCC. “People will be more willing to ride the streetcar, hop on the streetcar, than to take their cars.”
One estimate puts the cost of the project at about $280 million. It would be funded by a combination of sales taxes, federal grants and support from the private sector.
In the past, funding sources for the project have been up in the air. But the passage of Measure M, a countywide sales tax that will fund billions of dollars in transportation projects, helped accelerate the streetcar project’s development. The measure’s language includes $200 million earmarked for the streetcar project.
The EIR, meanwhile, is an important step in the development process of major transportation projects. It outlines the ways a development can impact, either negatively or positively, the area around the proposed construction site.
Sponsored message
If the streetcar wins final approval, construction could begin in 2018 and be completed in 2020.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
