Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Metro calls on businesses to help speed along Measure M projects
Listen
• 0:57
A freeway entrance sign stands near the Burbank Boulevard ramp on Interstate 405.
(
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
)
For those impatient to see the fruits of the Los Angeles County half-cent sales tax increase known as Measure M to fund billions of dollars in transportation projects, some good news.
Phil Washington, the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO, said the transit agency is taking proposals under a private partnership program to accelerate three major projects:
• Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor: A possible subway under the Sepulveda Pass that could finally offer a mass transit alternative to the dreaded 405 freeway. Under the current Measure M timeline, the project is slated to open in 2033 and is allocated $5.7 billion in Measure M revenue. A feasibility study is underway to estimate the cost for various options, from a heavy subway to an underground light rail.
• West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor: A light rail connecting Artesia to downtown L.A. through the dense, transit-reliant neighborhoods of the Harbor Gateway area. The project has a price tag of $4.6 billion and was set to be completed in two phases by around 2045.
Support for LAist comes from
• Express toll lanes: An expansion of the toll lanes to sections of the 105, 605 and 405 freeways that would amount to about $500 million but be offset by revenues.
L.A. County voters approved Measure M last November, setting the stage for a $120 billion infusion of transportation funds over 40 years.
Metro has promoted private partnerships as a way for the public to get more for its money, using business expertise to streamline the process and companies to absorb some of the risk.
But unlike public transit agencies, the private industry is driven by profit, which can leave taxpayers on the hook if an investment doesn't pay off.
Metro plans to review several different proposals before it moves forward on any project.
This request for proposals grew out of a Metro program to take unsolicited proposals from the private sector to collaborate on any of the agency's big, upcoming projects. After reviewing 75 proposals, the three projects were chosen as the most promising to pursue.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist