The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors approved a $6.1-billion budget for fiscal year 2018 following a recent public hearing and extensive public outreach and input. The adopted budget represents a 1.45 percent increase from the FY17 budget — less than the 1.75 percent rate of inflation set by the Consumer Price Index.
“The adoption of the budget demonstrates Metro’s commitment to fiscal discipline and tight budget controls,” said Metro Board Chair John Fasana. “Through an aggressive transportation initiative focused on construction, bus and rail operations and making sure our system is in a state of good repair to maintain and protect our assets, we are working diligently to anticipate long term transportation needs.”
During the entire FY18 budget process, the public has had the opportunity to provide comments by visiting the Interactive Budget Tool at metro.net/finance. This interactive tool includes a short survey to guide future budgets, where the public can set their transportation priorities, allocate the dollars and provide feedback on Metro’s budget.
The FY18 balanced budget is for the fiscal year that begins July 1 and runs through June 30, 2018. Metro’s budget includes an increase of 129,000 rail revenue service hours, an increase of 11.6 percent over FY17, with the addition of more rail cars to meet the growing demand on the Expo and Gold lines, as well as adding more service for special events.
“As we work to deliver the promises of Measure R and Measure M, it is Metro’s duty to exercise careful planning and to responsibly spend every dollar the voting public has entrusted us with,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “This budget continues the transportation revolution already in progress and prepares our region for the next century and beyond.”
The budget calls for no fare changes with a renewed emphasis on right-sizing bus service levels along lines that parallel the Expo Line and to reallocate those resources to improve Metro’s late night Owl Network and increase peak hour frequencies on selected bus lines.
Budget highlights include: $1.706 billion for bus and rail operations; $2.224 billion for various capital projects including major construction activity for the Regional Connector Project, the Crenshaw/LAX Line and extensions of the Purple Line subway. It also includes $1.510 billion in funding for other transit agencies in L.A. County, as well as local funding for the county’s 88 cities and unincorporated areas, a $205 million increase over FY17 as a result of Measure M.
In FY18, Metro will continue to focus on maintaining its fleet, rail lines, transit stations and facilities in a state of good repair. Bus acquisition activities for FY18 include procurement of two types of buses, including 53 new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to replace existing CNG buses scheduled for retirement. This will reduce the average age of the fleet and make bus service more efficient.
To test new technology, 10 new electric buses will be tested on the Metro Orange Line and the Metro Silver Line. In addition, Metro will take delivery of 48 new light rail vehicles during FY18, as well as ramp up heavy rail vehicle procurement for the Purple Line Extension, replacing an aging heavy rail fleet.
Aggressive construction work will continue on three major transit projects that include the Regional Connector, Crenshaw/LAX Line and the Purple Line Extension. Metro is expected to break ground on two additional Measure M projects: the Airport Connector project, securing real estate acquisitions, completing final design efforts and beginning early construction mobilization for the 96th Street Station, and beginning work on the Gold Line Foothill Extension Phase 2B to Claremont.
Plans for highway delivery in FY18 include improvements in North County with the completion of final design for the I-5 North Managed Lanes project. Once completed, the effort will widen both sides of the I-5 to accommodate High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, auxiliary lanes and truck lanes from the SR-14 interchange to Parker Road. Capacity enhancement will continue around the SR-138 and include interchange improvements.
The FY18 highway program also plans several projects in the I-710 South region for intersection improvements in various cities, sound wall noise studies, street improvements and projects in support of the I-710 Environmental Document. The final EIR/EIS is expected for release in the summer of 2018. Work will also continue on the I-605 Hot Spots project, with various public hearings, environmental studies and project planning development at affected locations within the project area.
