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LA City Council unanimously approves $55 million for new rail stops on Crenshaw/LAX line
The L.A. City Coucil approved $55 million in funds to new stations along the proposed Crenshaw/ LAX line.
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Ashley Myers-Turner/KPCC
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The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the use of $55 million in Measure R funds to help build two rail stops along the proposed Crenshaw/LAX transit corridor.
According to a report from the city administrative officer (below), $40 million would go to a new rail station in Leimert Park, while $15 million would go to building one in Westchester.
The money would only partially fund the construction of the new stops. The Leimert Park station, for instance, carries a $130 million price tag, but the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is expected to contribute the remainder sometime in the future, according to Jaime de la Vega, general manager for the Department of Transportation.
De la Vega told the city council that LADOT had managed to find available cash with the help of the city administrative officer. Paying cash instead of issuing bonds would save the city at least $50 million in the long run, de la Vega said.
"Colleagues, this is a beautiful moment for us to set a historic step in the right direction to have those two stops, which will make that Crenshaw line effective for bringing people downtown and the stops along the way," Councilmember Bill Rosendahl said just before the vote.
Measure R created a half-cent sales tax to help fund transportation projects when it was approved by voters in 2008.
The Crenshaw/LAX transit corridor project would extend the new Exposition Line by 8.5 miles to connect with the Green Line at the Aviation/LAX station. The new line is scheduled to open in 2018.
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City of LA CAO report on Leimert Park station funding
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