With the Summer Olympics and Paralympics coming to the Los Angeles region in 2028, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Metro are working on a “Twenty-Eight by ’28” plan to ensure that 28 key road and transit projects are completed by the time the Games arrive.
The plan’s point is this: the 2028 Games are a good milestone and target date to accomplish as much as the region can transportation-wise. Many of the projects are already scheduled to be done by then. Others would need additional funds to be accelerated and, as regular readers know, securing transpo funding is always a challenge.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t just about the Games. While the projects in the plan would certainly provide more options when it comes to getting around around during the Olympics and Paralympics, the projects would also improve everyday life in our region for many years after the Games leave town.
•17 road and transit projects already due to be completed by Metro by 2028. This includes three projects under construction — the Crenshaw/LAX Line, Regional Connector and Purple Line Extension of the subway to Westwood. Also on the list are three bus rapid transit (BRT) projects (Vermont Ave., NoHo to Pasadena, North San Fernando Valley, more here), the Gold Line to Claremont, ExpressLanes on the 405 between the Westside and San Fernando Valley and BRT or light rail between Van Nuys and the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink station.
We recently made a video that provides a glimpse of many of the transit projects:
•Eight road and transit projects that would need to be accelerated from the current Measure M timeline to be done for the Games. In other words, money would need to be found to move the completion dates forward and, under Measure M, accelerated projects can’t result in delays for other projects.
This list includes ExpressLanes on the 105 freeway between the 405 and 605, the Sepulveda Transit Corridor between the Orange Line and Westside, the Green Line extension to Torrance, the entire light rail line between Artesia and Union Station and an Eastside Gold Line extension to South El Monte or Whittier.
Metro is already at work looking at proposals from the private sector to accelerate the Sepulveda Transit Corridor and Artesia-to-Union Station projects.
•A trio of other projects not funded by Measures R or M. This includes Blue Line improvements, ExpressLanes on the 10 between the 605 and the San Bernardino County line and Microtransit, which is due to be piloted soon.
The plan will be considered by the Metro Board of Directors as part of their January agenda. There is no financial impact associated with adopting the plan.
Interesting stuff, I think. When it comes to transportation funding, one thing always remains true: funding flows to those agencies and regions that have firm plans in place and environmental studies completed. On that front, many of the required studies for the projects listed above are already underway or soon to begin.
The Metro Board will get a briefing on the plan at its meeting this Thursday but — to repeat — the Board won’t consider adopting the plan until its meeting on Jan. 25.
Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects
Green Line Needs To Go To Buena Park (Knotts Berry Farm) And Anihiem (Disneyland Anihiem Convention Center)
Good luck getting OC to pay for that. WSAB would be more feasible if that was even a possibility.
It can, just as soon as OC agrees to pay for it.
Unhappy to see Crenshaw Northern Extension not in the works. Particularly with the Olmpyics coming, this is going to put huge strain on the system as anyone needing to get from the Red/Purple/Orange/Sepulveda lines will have to route through DTLA to get to Expo/Crenshaw/LAX
I’m also unhappy to see the Vermont Corridor listed, which for sure means it will be built as a dinky bus lane, probably only during rush hour, rather than some sort of rail. For Southern California’s second busiest transit corridors, a 2 hour bus lane will not surfice. Better to build some rail by 2035-40 than a bus lane by 2028. Didn’t we just learn that with Wilshire, where the bus lanes actually slowed the buses down?
In a perfect world, Vermont would be a HRT extension of Red Line to Green Line
[…] By 28” Metro Projects By Olympics List Floated (Urbanize, The Source) …Includes Closing Gaps In L.A. River Bike Path (The […]
How about improving service on the #2 Wilshire bus so people aren’t routinely packed like sardines.
The Big Blue Bus #2 is run by Santa Monica Transportation, not Metro.
Metro runs the 20 and 720 buses on Wilshire.
When the Purple Line is finished to the Veterans Administration there will probably be a bus realignment.
George must have meant the 20 as BBB 2 is definitely not overcrowded. Prior to Metro Rapid, wasn’t the Metro Wilshire bus known as #2?
The 28 by 28 plan includes many necessary additions, but two key cogs are missing — Crenshaw North (to at least Purple) and Green East (to Metrolink).
Crenshaw North being excluded from this list is a big disappointment 🙁
Glad to see the Washington/Flower Junction on there though! Let’s hope they do the smart thing and just go with a fully underground, flat junction.
I agree. Both of those projects are much more deserving to be brought forward than the gold line extensions.
Those coming to the 2028 Olympics will need to be issued a caution not to use the two main arteries between downtown and UCLA and the beach because there is no plan to offer light rail in the most congested traveled streets in the county. Almost total grid lock now will lead to a possible embarrassing disaster if any type emergency occurs. From a major traffic accident to a fire or earthquake, emergency personnel will be unable to respond in a timely manner. But no, lets build an extension to the Gold Line running on the same right of way as METRO LINK going to the same destination. The MTA is currently being ran be incompetent bureaucrats that know little about public transit but a lot about bribes and politics.
Really sorry to see that the extension of the Green Line to Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs regional rail station is not included in this plan. Connecting LAX to the Honda Center in Anaheim and to the events being held at Lake Perris would be very helpful, and the distance between the current Green Line Terminus and the LOSSAN Corridor is so very short.
Agree. We just can’t seem to connect Metrolink and Amtrak to the system. The Burbank Airport Extension which would connect to two Metrolink Lines didn’t even make it in Measure M. However, this Green Line Extension would have to be subway most likely so it’s very expensive. With online sales rising and thus local sales tax growth slowing and a pullback from the Feds, it is doubtful even these 28 projects will be built.