Price tag swells to $291M for Downtown Los Angeles streetcar

A new report for the Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar has revealed an even larger budget for the project—just under $291 million. That’s about $16.5 million more than an estimate for the project given last year.

But the report, first spotted by the Downtown News, doesn’t anticipate any further delays.

As the projected cost has ballooned over the last 10 or so years, the timeline has been pushed back multiple times. But the report from the city’s engineering bureau says the streetcar could begin construction next year, with completion still expected in 2021.

The rail line will have a whopping 23 stops along its 3.8-mile loop through Downtown, with roughly a stop per block in most cases.

The route will begin at First and Broadway, and travel down Broadway to 11th Street. From there, the streetcar will turn to Figueroa, where it will travel to Seventh Street. There, it turns north on Hill Street and goes up to First Street to complete the loop.

Via Bureau of Engineering

A possible Grand Avenue extension of the streetcar would add a stop at Grand near Second Street, but it would also tack on nearly $16 million to the project costs, so it wouldn’t be included unless additional funding became available.

Some money for the project will come from local business owners, who voted in 2012 to tax themselves for part of the project’s costs.

The streetcar is scheduled to get $200 million of Measure M funding. But it’s not at the top of the project list, so that money isn’t slated to come through until 2053.

• Downtown Streetcar Would Have 23 Stops, Cost Up to $306 Million [Downtown News]
• Downtown LA streetcar opening may be pushed to 2021 [Curbed LA]
• City Council settles on a route for the Downtown Streetcar [Curbed LA]
• Downtown’s Street Car Will Go 6 MPH [Curbed LA]