Biden-Harris Admin: $1 Million to METRO For Development Along Artesia-Union Lite Rail Line
November 17, 2022
Projects to Promote Equity, Sustainability Along West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor and the Union Station/Civic Center Transit District
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced nearly $2 million in grants to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide more transportation options by integrating land use and transportation planning in new or expanded transit project corridors.
These grants, two of 19 in total, are funded by FTA’s Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning, which supports local strategies to increase transit access and encourage ridership through mixed-use and mixed-income development near public transportation projects. The program helps communities plan for opportunities created by new transit stations, such as affordable housing, economic development, and better connections to schools, hospitals, stores, and restaurants.
“Transit stations represent access to jobs, schools, affordable housing, and so much more,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With this funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more communities will be able to develop the areas around their transit stations, which will mean stronger local economies, cleaner air, and better access to the essential services families rely on.”
“FTA’s Pilot Program for TOD Planning helps communities examine ways to improve economic development and multimodal connectivity,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “When communities build new housing, retail, offices, and other construction near transit, they advance environmental justice and promote equity, particularly to underserved communities, by increasing access to opportunity and enabling and encouraging the creation and preservation of affordable housing.”
LA Metro will receive $1 million to plan for TOD along the proposed West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor, a 14.8-mile light rail line that will connect several cities and communities.
It also will undertake a study of the Union Station/Civic Center Transit District using a $960,000 grant to focus on supporting equity, sustainability, infill development, and connectivity to jobs and housing around LA’s regional transit hub and historic downtown. The project will explore ways to expand housing and affordable housing opportunities as the city continues to invest in transit infrastructure, consider new commercial development opportunities, and respond to a housing and homelessness crisis.
A list of selected projects is available online. Planning projects were selected for funding based on criteria described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, which also marked the first time that applicants were asked to prioritize TOD in areas with high incidence rates of homelessness. Nearly 89% of the applicants selected for an award addressed homelessness within their planning proposals.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a total of $68.9 million in funding for the TOD Planning Program through 2026, a 38% increase over the prior five years of funding.
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