LACMTA adopts FY 2017 budget; releases DEIR for Airport Connector 96th Street Transit Station

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board of Directors approved a $5.66-billion budget for fiscal year 2017. The adopted budget represents over a two percent decrease from FY16 budget — even with the addition of new rail services, rising costs and new projects and programs.

 The FY17 balanced budget is for the fiscal year that begins July 1 and runs through June 30, 2017. LACMTA’s budget includes a full year of operation for two new rail lines, the Gold Line Foothill Extension to Azusa and the Expo Line Extension to Santa Monica.

The budget calls for no fare changes or major service changes. Budget highlights include $1.57 billion for bus and rail operations; $2 billion for various capital projects including major construction activity for the Regional Connector Project, the Crenshaw/LAX Line and the Purple Line Extension subway and $1.3 billion of funding for other transit agencies in L.A. County, as well as local funding for the county’s 88 cities and unincorporated areas.

In FY17, the top budget priority for transit services will be to provide clean, safe and on-time buses and trains. LACMTA will focus resources on inspecting, cleaning, maintaining and performing corrective maintenance on vehicle fleets and transit stations to ensure they meet Metro and industry standards.

LACMTA says its state-of-god-repair program continues to be a top priority. Efforts on this front will be focused on bus and rail system reliability and technology upgrades.

Programs and projects within the FY17 budget include planning and/or environmental studies for the Airport Connector, the Eastside Gold Line Transit Corridor Phase 2, the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor, the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor along Van Nuys Boulevard, the South Bay Metro Green Line Extension and the West Santa Ana Transit Corridor.

LACMTA also recently released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Airport Connector 96th Street Transit Station for a 45-day public review and comment period and set a public hearing for July 13, 2016.

LACMTA is planning a new station that will connect the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to the regional rail system. Once completed, the Airport Metro Connector-96th Street Transit Station will provide the connection to a future Automated People Mover (APM) that will connect to the LAX central terminal area. The APM is being planned and will be built and operated by the Los Angeles World Airports.

The transit station is envisioned to be the new gateway to LAX for transit riders and will be served by both the Green and Crenshaw/LAX Lines. In addition, the station will feature a bus plaza for Metro and municipal buses, passenger pick-up and drop-off and amenities for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Airport Connector will make public transportation more accessible, convenient and affordable for riders. Once built, it will provide better connectivity and access to public transportation for all.

 

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