By Steve Hymon, May 22, 2014
The Board unanimously approved a $5.5-billion budget for the fiscal year running from this July 1 through June 30, 2015.
Here is the news release from Metro:
METRO BOARD APPROVES FISCAL YEAR 2015 BUDGET
The Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) today approved a balanced
$5.508 billion Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) budget, set to begin July 1,
2014. The budget includes continued commitment to the largest highway
and rail building program in America, bus headway improvements and
$283.4 million in maintenance expenditures to keep the system in top
form.
As part of the $283.4 million targeted at maintenance,
Metro will spend $192.7 million on bus service including the purchase of
550 new clean-burning CNG buses and about $50 million for rail
improvements on the Blue Line and the Red Line subway in the next fiscal
year.
Safety is critical to Metro passengers and the FY15 budget
contains $48.7 million to keep the system as safe as possible.
Enhancements include improvements to cameras and video monitoring,
security kiosks are various rail stations, signal system rehabilitation
on the Metro Blue and Green lines and pedestrian safety improvements on
the Metro Red Line with an underpass and overpass bridge planned for
Universal City and North Hollywood stations.
Metro continues construction on the most comprehensive
public works program in America with Measure R and other funding
sources. In FY15, Metro will have five major rail projects either under
construction or prepared to begin including the Metro Gold Line
extension to Azusa, the Metro Expo Line extension to Santa Monica, the
Crenshaw/LAX Line and the Regional Connector. The Metro Purple Line
extension to Westwood has received a $1.25 billion Federal Full Funding
Grant A agreement and $856 million Transportation Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan.
In terms of highway projects, the mammoth undertaking of
modernizing and expanding capacity of the I-405 will be completed in
FY15 and other projects are moving forward including I-5 widening from
Orange County to the I-605, the I-710 South Corridor, the North SR-710
study and a variety of other improvements including continuation of
countywide sound wall construction and the Freeway Beautification Pilot
Project designed maintain landscape and remove graffiti and debris.
The Metro ExpressLanes Project continues to provide travel
options on the I-10 and I-110 freeways with future expansion of
ExpressLanes to be studied. The Kenneth Hahn Countywide Callbox System
continues operation along with development of the Motorist Aid and
Travel Information System (MATIS).
Metro will continue to contribute both operations and
capital funding to the Southern California Regional Rail Authority with
FY15 capital projects including the Bob Hope Airport/Hollywood Way
station, Van Nuys Second Platform, Vincent Grade/Acton and Lancaster
Stations, Doran Street Crossing design, Raymer to Bernson Double Track
and Southern California Regional Interconnectivity Program (SCRIP),
which will increase Union Station Capacity.
Stay informed by following Metro on The Source and El Pasajero at metro.net, facebook.com/losangelesmetro, twitter.com/metrolosangeles and twitter.com/metroLAalerts and instagram.com/metrolosangeles.