L.A. Metro releases proposed $8 billion balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2022

Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
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LA Metro wants billions of state surplus for light-rail projects.
Steve Hymon/LACMTA

Metro released its budget Tuesday for the 2022 Fiscal Year that runs between this coming July 1 and June 30, 2022.

The Metro Board of Directors will consider the budget as part of their May round of meetings. The Metro Board will hold a budget hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19, and the full Metro Board will consider the budget at their meeting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 27.

Some highlights from the budget:

•The proposed $8.0-billion budget for FY22 is balanced and focuses on recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through an equity lens.

•Service restoration is a priority as Metro looks to restore bus and rail service to pre-pandemic levels with the NextGen Bus Plan fully implemented in FY22 to support ridership recovery.

•The Crenshaw/LAX and Regional Connector projects are poised to begin pre-revenue operations and testing that will ultimately lead to the offering of more transit options across Los Angeles County

•The introduction of new initiatives for public safety and homelessness including increased Metro staff presence at facilities and on Metro vehicles, elevator attendants at stations, a call point security program with blue light call boxes and efforts to address the unhoused on Metro’s transit system

•Continued investment in the region’s future including the ongoing construction of the D Line (Purple) Subway extension, the L Line (Gold) Foothill Extension, the Airport Metro Connector, Interstate-5 North Capacity Enhancements and other projects throughout the region.

Critical to the development of the FY22 Budget, and the planned restoration of service, has been the support provided through the Federal Coronavirus Relief and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).

This isn’t just good news for Metro — but for the entire transit industry across the region and nation. Thanks to the accelerated roll out of COVID-19 vaccinations and an anticipated gradual but steady economic recovery, agency finances are in better shape than a year ago this time.

A slide deck on the budget, along with a PDF of the complete proposed budget can be found here.

Read more on passenger rail.

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