The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) released its proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
The L.A. Metro Board of Directors will consider the budget as part of their May round of meetings. The board will hold a budget hearing on May 19, and the full bard will consider the budget at their meeting on May 27.
Some highlights from the budget:
- The proposed $8-billion budget for FY22 is balanced and focuses on recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through an equity lens.
- Service restoration is a priority as L.A. Metro looks to restore bus and rail service to pre-pandemic levels with the NextGen Bus Plan fully implemented in FY22 to support ridership recovery.
- The Crenshaw/LAX and Regional Connector projects are poised to begin pre-revenue operations and testing that will ultimately lead to the offering of more transit options across Los Angeles County.
- The introduction of new initiatives for public safety and homelessness including increased L.A. Metro staff presence at facilities and on vehicles, elevator attendants at stations, a call point security program with blue light call boxes and efforts to address the unhoused on L.A. Metro’s transit system.
- Continued investment in the region’s future including the ongoing construction of the D Line (Purple) Subway extension, the L Line (Gold) Foothill Extension, the Airport Metro Connector, Interstate-5 North Capacity Enhancements and other projects throughout the region.
Critical to the development of the FY22 Budget, and the planned restoration of service, has been the support provided through the federal Coronavirus Relief and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Thanks to the accelerated roll out of COVID-19 vaccinations and an anticipated gradual but steady economic recovery, L.A. Metro says agency finances are in better shape than a year ago this time.
