$291 million LA downtown streetcar planning moves forward with funding plan

Los Angeles City Council has approved a funding plan to build a $291 million streetcar line for the city’s downtown area.

The proposed project would be built with a $100 million federal grant and $200 million in Measure M revenue earmarked for the streetcar but wasn’t expected to be awarded until 2053.

Of course, there is still a question of whether Metro can deliver the funds ahead of schedule because agency rules note that funding can be accelerated only if it “does not delay or otherwise negatively impact other projects.”

Council member Jose Huizar, whose Downtown district includes the proposed streetcar route, says that including those Measure M funds—but not the federal grant—the project has $590 million in “committed funding” for building, operating, and maintaining the streetcar for 30 years, Curbed Los Angeles reports.

The other $390 million comes from a variety of sources, including Measure R funds and a tax on Downtown business owners in the area around the streetcar.

“Downtown Los Angeles is in the midst of incredible growth, and we need to do all we can to prepare for that growth and our escalating transportation needs,” Huizar said in a statement.

The streetcar is scheduled to open in 2021.