California lawmakers sound the alarm about urgent need for $2B for Olympics transportation

Federal lawmakers representing the Los Angeles region warned that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games could be a congestion nightmare if the federal government doesn’t fulfill a request for billions of dollars for transportation projects.

Rep. Laura Friedman said Wednesday the lack of financial assistance could increase traffic, result in fewer buses and worsen public transit reliability during the Games.

“That will be a terrible result, not just for Los Angeles, but for the whole nation,” Friedman said.

Friedman convened a panel in West Hollywood, where she and some of her Democratic colleagues in Congress questioned regional transportation officials about L.A.'s readiness to seamlessly move the millions of visitors expected for the fast-approaching Games.

What emerged was agreement among the lawmakers that time is running out to secure funds for transit plans from a so-far uncooperative federal government.

“ Our local partners can't do this alone,” said Rep. Judy Chu. “Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is an opportunity for the entire country, and Los Angeles should have a strong federal partner help us prepare.”

A panel of five U.S. Congressmembers asked local transportation officials about the region's readiness for the 2028 Games.

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The office of U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman

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What’s the federal funding ask?

L.A. Metro has asked the federal government for a total of $2 billion. Half of that money would be used to temporarily acquire, operate and store nearly 1,750 additional buses — the centerpiece of the region’s Olympics transportation plan.

The remainder of the federal funding ask, if granted, would be used for pedestrian improvements and designing a network of roads for Games vehicles, among other uses.

What’s the status of the ask?

L.A. Metro’s Board and California Democrats have repeatedly appealed to the federal government to provide dollars for the region’s "transit-first" Games, including trying to get the Trump administration to add the money to its annual budget request.

The budget request did not include any mention of L.A. Metro.

This summer, lawmakers included $875 million for Olympics-related transportation needs in a spending bill that still needs to move through the appropriations process.

“ We shouldn't have to wait this dang long begging for this money that we deserve,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who told LAist she has been cajoling her Republican colleagues to try to get some of the funds.

Jennifer Vides, the chief customer experience officer for Metro, said Wednesday that the agency is still working out how it would use the $875 million if it's approved, but the temporary Olympics bus system was the top priority.

Metro officials said at a January Metro Board meeting that the agency would need a chunk of funding available by this summer to find and prepare the real estate where those additional buses would be staged. When asked if Metro had a new timeline, Vides said the agency is “continuing to work with its partners to generate the funding that we need.”

LAist has reached out to the White House for comment.

Big questions remain

In addition to questions over the feasibility of Metro’s bus plan, the lawmakers questioned how security perimeters would impact access to the scattered Olympic venues in Southern California.

Rep. Ted Lieu said that if other forms of transportation get fans closer to the venues than public transit, then there wouldn’t be an incentive to take Metro buses.

“Then you're just gonna have more traffic," Lieu said.

Chief Bill Scott, who oversees Metro’s Department of Public Safety, said the goal is to limit the walking time from transit drop-off locations to the venues to 10 to 15 minutes.

The panel raised another major issue still to be determined: where rideshare companies and automated vehicles will be permitted to pick up and drop off fans during the summer Games.

Laura Rubio-Cornejo, the general manager of L.A. City’s Department of Transportation, said the city designated certain areas for rideshare drivers during the World Cup.