Another round of funding issued by the California State Transportation Agency is a boon for a number of transportation agencies serving Southern California.

“California is making a multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment to transform and modernize our transportation infrastructure, creating jobs, alternatives to driving, and reducing pollution,” said Governor Gavin Newsom in a news release. “Our state is placing a high priority on investing in public transportation projects that aim to shift away from fossil fuels while making public travel more rider friendly. Today’s announcement not only provides better travel alternatives but also helps to speed up our transition to a cleaner, healthier transportation future for all Californians.”

The projects you may be interested include:

Platform view at Mariposa StationWikimedia Commons

Metro has been awarded $95 million for upgrades to stations and other infrastructure used by the K and C Lines, including the extension of passenger platforms to accommodate three-car trains at the Aviation/LAX, Mariposa, Douglas, and Redondo Beach Stations. Plans also call for new traction power substations, new catenary wire, and the replacements of track ties. Completion of the full project, which will cost an estimate $141 million, is expected in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Eastside Gold (L) Line route and potential initial operating segmentsMetro

The proposed extension of the Eastside branch of the L Line was awarded for project planning and development. The money is expected to allow the 4.6-mile extension to better complete for Federal funding. However, the exact timeline for when Metro will build the full extension is subject to funding - current expectations are for a phased implementation.

A Pacific Surfliner trainWikimedia Commons

OCTA, alongside the agency in charge of the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor, has secured $5.5 million for the potential realignment of an 11-mile segment of passenger rail right-of-way which runs along a crumbling coastal bluff in San Clemente. This corridor was responsible for a recent shutdown of Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service, and is expected to be replace by an inland rail tunnel

Other awards of note include:

  • Antelope Valley Transit Authority and Victor Valley Transit Agency received $3.9 million to purchase four zero emission buses to provide a commuter service between Antelope Valley and Victorville;
  • the City of Pasadena received $14.4 million to purchase 40 zero-emission buses, as well as supporting fueling infrastructure;
  • the City of Santa Monica has received nearly $23 million to upgrade service on its Route 3 and Rapid 3 bus lines on Lincoln Boulevard to run every 10 minutes;
  • the City of Simi Valley was awarded just over $7 million for the construction of a new transit center;
  • Culver City received $3.2 million to implement a new circulator service station which would connect to its Metro stop, as well as a microtransit service serving its Downtown neighborhood;
  • the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority is set to receive $8 million toward a proposed high-speed rail segment connecting Palmdale and Victor Valley - a key link between the future Brightline and California High-Speed Rail systems;
  • OCTA has been awarded $39.4 million in funding to purchase 33 hydrogen fuel-cell buses, the replacement of 10 gas-powered paratransit vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, new bike storage at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, and signal priority for buses along the 12-mile Brave! 543 route;
  • the Riverside County Transportation Commission and Metrolink have been awarded $15.5 million toward the construction of a new segment of mainline track between Moreno Valley and Perris - an important component for the SCORE program; and
  • Metrolink has been awarded $10 million to study strategies for improving safety and reliability on its existing equipment, while also exploring how to reduce emissions.

The latest round of awards is significantly more modest than the last announced in February, which saw more than $1 billion awarded to projects in L.A. and Orange Counties.

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