By Steve Hymon, May 28, 2015
The budget is for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and
ending June 30, 2016. It calls for no fare increases in the coming
fiscal year or any cuts to bus service hours. The budget can be read online here and below is the news release from Metro:
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors today approved a new
$5.56 billion FY 2016 Budget following a public hearing that was held
last week and community input as part of the budget process.
Metro’s adopted budget is a balanced
budget for FY 16 which begins on July 1, 2015 and runs through June 30,
2016. In FY 16, five major rail lines are in construction, with the Expo
Line extension to Santa Monica and the Gold Line Foothill Phase 2A
extension to Azusa opening before the summer of 2016.
The budget calls for no fare changes or
major service changes. Projects under planning/engineering in FY 16
include the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, the Airport Metro
Connector, the South Bay Metro Green Line Extension, the West Santa Ana
Branch and the Gold Line Eastside Extension Phase II. Highway projects
include the I-605 Corridor, the I-5 North Capacity Enhancements, the
I-710 South and Early Action Projects, the SR 710 North Gap Closure, the
SR-138 Capacity Enhancements, the High Desert Corridor, Arroyo Verdugo
Operational Improvements, the South Bay Ramp & Interchange
Operational Improvements and Countywide Soundwall Projects.
FY 16 Budget highlights include $1.5
billion for maintaining the current level of service, $2.1 billion for
various capital projects which include major construction activity for
the Regional Connector Project, the Crenshaw/LAX line and the Westside
Extension of the Purple Line subway, and $1.4 billion is subsidy funding
going back to transit operators and the 88 cities and unincorporated
areas of Los Angeles County.