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≡ METRO PLANNING UPDATE ≡
A special meeting of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors called for Wednesday, 15 April, includes an update on Olympic preparations, with progress, but with a gaping hole in funding as 2028 draws closer.
The presentation on the “Mobility Concept Plan” progress to date notes that environmental review clearances for projects have been received or are expected to be received by the end of May and designs are being completed.
Funding is another issue, and Metro’s Memorandum of Understanding with the LA28 organizers is clear that the 2028 Games bus system will only be installed to the extent Metro gets outside money to fund it. So far, the report shows approvals for $236.62 million related to the capital projects:
● $59.62 million for light rail improvements
● $38.00 million for mobility hubs
● $139.00 million of “Reconnecting Neighborhoods and Communities” funding
There was also a grant of “$94,316,766 available for transportation assistance,” approved by the U.S. Congress in the Fiscal Year 2026 transportation funding bill (§165) in February, “including assistance with transit planning, capital projects, and operating assistance, for surface, commuter, and public transportation systems necessary to support the mobility needs of the international quadrennial Olympic and Paralympic events.”
However, this is far short of what Metro is asking for relative to funding for the 2028 Games. The presentation cites:
● “Requesting $2B in Games-related mobility funding in FY27 presidential budget request”
● “Requesting $379.29M in state funding to go towards Mobility Concept Plan projects”
There was no 2028 Games funding noted in Trump Administration’s summary of its Fiscal Year 2027 budget plan, either for transportation or security, and Metro lobbyists are working with the Congress – which has the actual budget authority – to include funding in the revision process.
Metro has said it has donations committed of 834 buses out of a projected fleet need of about 1,747 buses for the Games period, but as it continues to source buses from around the country, it is also preparing requests for proposals for “charter providers to support GETS [Games Enhanced Transit Service program.”
The staff report for Wednesday’s meeting also emphasized a significant effort in directional signage at stations, people to help guide passengers and “Trailblazing Signage” – “directional signage near select Metro stations for seamless connections” – within the last mile to half-mile to stations in downtown Los Angeles, the USC-Exposition Park area, Pasadena and the South Bay area.
A mobile app is also being developed to help offer end-to-end transit options for spectators trying to get to an Olympic venue.
A specific program of “heat mitigation” is also being developed to deal with hot conditions during the summer of 2028, in and around Metro installations.
Many of these concepts will be tried on a smaller scale for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in Inglewood, beginning on 12 June.
The presentation lays out the in-process work, but, does not indicate how the funding issues are going to get solved.
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