Building public transit through the notoriously-congested Sepulveda Pass was targeted for completion in 2033.
A train from Union Station to Artesia was set to open in 2041.
A Gold Line extension to Whittier or El Monte was scheduled to open in 2035.
Now, Metro will attempt to finish all three of those projects by 2028 under a plan that won approval from Metro’s Board of Directors on Thursday in an unanimous vote.
That plan is Mayor Eric Garcetti’s “Twenty-eight by ’28” initiative, essentially a big list of goals that will guide Metro’s construction spending and the agency’s search for more funds over the next decade in anticipation of the 2028 summer Olympic games.
Not every one of the 28 projects on the list will necessarily be accelerated—some are were already scheduled to be completed before 2028—but many others will be.
Many of the 28 projects are funded by Measure R and Measure M, two voter-approved ballot measures that raised the sales tax countywide to pay for transportation projects. But Metro is looking for other revenue sources to accelerate construction beyond the financial resources allotted by those measures.
Along with potential state and federal grants, Metro is also aggressively pursuing potential public private partnerships that could be used to accelerate construction on several of Metro’s so-called “megaprojects.”
Three projects included on the list—improvements to the Washington/Flower light rail junction, a proposed microtransit system, and ExpressLanes on the 10 freeway in East Los Angeles County—do not currently have any funding allocated.
Here are some of the major projects Metro wants to accelerate and finish by 2028:
Light Rail To Southeast LA County/Gateway Cities
This light rail line will one day run between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and the city of Artesia, in Southeast Los Angeles County. Under the Measure M expenditure plan, the rail line was scheduled for completion in 2041.
Gold Line Extension to East County
This extension of the Gold Line would run from the train’s current terminus in East Los Angeles to either South El Monte or Whittier. If the train runs to South El Monte, it will add four new stations in Monterey Park, Montebello and South El Monte. If the train is built to Whittier, it will add six new stations, mostly along Washington Boulevard, in Monterey Park, Montebello, Pico Rivera, and Whittier. Under the Measure M expenditure plan, the extension was scheduled for completion in 2035.
Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor
Though we don’t yet know whether the Sepulveda Pass project will be a bus line, a light rail line, or a heavy rail train, we do know that it will run a 10-mile, North-South route between Van Nuys and Westwood, where it will connect to the Orange and Purple lines, respectively. Under Measure M, the first phase of the transit expansion was scheduled for completion by 2033.
A second phase of this project, an extension south from Westwood to LAX, is not included in the Twenty-eight by ’28 initiative, and is scheduled for completion by 2057.
South Bay Light Rail Extension
Metro is currently studying a southern extension of the Metro Green Line to the South Bay. Once built, it will add stations to the cities of Lawndale, Redondo Beach, and Torrance. Under Measure M, this extension was scheduled for completion by 2030.
Microtransit
Metro is in the early stages of developing a “microtransit” program for Los Angeles County, that will likely end up looking something like a publicly operated ride-hailing app. Where buses and trains follow fixed paths, microtransit vehicles can, in theory, go anywhere.
Metro hasn’t released much information about what it wants this microtransit system to look like. But it will likely focus on improving first- and last-mile connectivity near its stations. Metro wants some form of microtransit operational by 2019.
Washington/Flower “wye” intersection
Part of the reason service on both the Expo and Blue Lines can be so slow is the overburdened junction at Washington Boulevard and Flower Street. Aside from being a busy intersection for cars, it’s also where the Blue and Expo Lines merge to a single track before entering Downtown LA. At peak times, more than 40 trains flow through the intersection every hour.
Metro is in the early planning process for dramatically overhauling the junction by separating the trains from cars. Including this project in Twenty-eight by ’28 means Metro will shoot to complete the project by 2028.
Completing the LA River bike path
Right now, you’re out of luck if you want to ride your bike along the whole length of the Los Angeles River. Though a portion of the river between Griffith Park and Downtown has a bike path, as does another section between Vernon and Long Beach, the path is fragmented and disconnected from itself.
Metro wants to close the gaps, and provide a “seamless” 32-mile corridor that runs from the West San Fernando Valley to Long Beach, all along the river. Under Twenty-eight by 28’, Metro will try to do this by 2025.
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