Dive Brief:

• The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is considering two options for the 4.6-mile, $891 million South Bay Metro Light Rail Extension project, which will expand service to a new transit center further south, according to Urbanize LA.

• The Metro, which will get $619 million from a new regional sales tax, is weighing the merits of the routes, both of which will connect riders to the planned people mover that will serve the Los Angeles International Airport.

• The expansion would add four new stations to the Green Line, according to Curbed Los Angeles. It is expected to be approved by the Metro board in 2018, with construction taking place from 2026 to 2030.  

Dive Insight:

Los Angeles County voters approved the one-half-cent regional sales tax, Measure M, in November 2016. The revenue is dedicated to funding transit projects and is expected to deliver approximately $860 million annually for many years to come. Ironically, according to Curbed Los Angeles, the South Bay community, where this latest planned expansion will be built, was opposed to the new tax because it did not translate to more investment in their area.

This week, the Metro said it would soon be issuing requests for proposals for three new transit projects. The RFPs are based on unsolicited proposals the agency received and will call for public-private partnerships (P3s). Those projects will also be funded by Measure M, and Metro officials said they're pursuing a P3 model because they want to benefit from private-sector innovation and the potential for an accelerated schedule.

Another project funded by Meausure M is an 11.5-mile, $1.4 billion extension to the Gold Line light-rail system in the San Gabriel Valley, near Los Angeles. The measure will pay for all but $249 million, with the balance expected to come from the California's Cap and Trade account, which is subsidized by companies that emit greenhouse gases.