WATCH: Padilla highlights new funding for local rail transit to improve regional connectivity
September 9, 2024 - LOS ANGELES, CA — Last Friday, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.-29) joined the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), Acting Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Veronica Vanterpool, and a host of state and local officials at the Van Nuys Civic Center to celebrate the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) $893 million grant to LA Metro that will help build the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project.
“Growing up in Pacoima, bringing rail transit to the east side of the San Fernando Valley has been a priority of mine for decades,” said Senator Padilla. “Underserved Angelenos deserve more access to reliable, affordable transit to create opportunities for work and for a better life. This nearly $900 million federal investment that Representative Cárdenas and I pushed for will bring more customers and business to the San Fernando Valley, connect overlooked communities to the rest of Los Angeles County, and uplift hardworking families.”
“The $893 million federal investment in the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project will be transformational for my district,” said Representative Cárdenas. “This project has been decades in the making, and it’s more than just transportation — it’s a commitment to uplift our community by connecting families to better jobs, schools, and essential services. By breaking down barriers to opportunity, we’re ensuring that every resident has a fair shot at a brighter future.”
“This direct, rapid transit connection to our growing Metro system is going to make a huge difference in the lives of thousands of residents across our East San Fernando Valley communities, and it would not be possible without the federal support that Senator Padilla and Congressman Tony Cárdenas, among others, have worked so hard to secure,” said Metro Board Chair and LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I am thankful for their years of hard work to secure this critical funding for Metro.”
“I want to thank the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation for uniting behind this project and ensuring this federal grant moved forward and for the support of the Biden-Harris Administration,” said LA Mayor and Metro Board Member Karen Bass. “Through their dedication, the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail is taking another important step toward a reality that connects East San Fernando Valley communities to our growing transit network which means access to more opportunities, jobs and attractions across the region.”
“This $893 million grant will enable us to finally bring light rail back to the Valley, and we thank the Biden-Harris Administration and the LA County Congressional Delegation for making this critical investment in our region’s future,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “Thirty-five percent of households in the East San Fernando Valley depend on Metro for their transportation, and the East San Fernando Valley Line will give them faster and more efficient service than ever before. Now that this funding is in place, we look forward to breaking ground on this line in the coming months.”
LA Metro’s new 6.7-mile light rail line will travel along Van Nuys Boulevard, one of the Valley’s busiest corridors. It will connect the communities of Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta, and Pacoima and create new transit connections to local and regional bus and rail services, including the Metro G Line (which connects with the Metro B Line in North Hollywood), the Van Nuys Metrolink/Amtrak Station, and local bus lines. This transformational light rail project will bring new transit connectivity to the East San Fernando Valley by reintroducing rail service to the Valley. The last Pacific Electric “San Fernando Valley Line” urban electric railway rolled down Van Nuys Boulevard in 1952.
The grant will be delivered through a Full Funding Grant Agreement through the FTA’s Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program, which seeks to accelerate new fixed guideway capital projects. The program was reauthorized thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
In 2022, Senator Padilla, Representative Cárdenas, and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein applauded the DOT’s announcement that it will obligate over $900 million in federal funds for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Light Rail Transit Project. Padilla and Cárdenas also joined LA Metro to highlight federal funding to help improve local infrastructure and increase connectivity across the East San Fernando Valley region, including a $5 million federal investment for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project. Earlier this year, Padilla announced nearly $900 million in federal investments in LA Metro to improve mobility and upgrade transportation infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Source: Senator Alex Padilla
