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Thursday September 24, 2020
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors today approved the updated 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan, a $400-billion, 30-year transportation blueprint for the region, following a 45-day public review period to gather additional comments from the public.
The plan lays out a vision and roadmap for bringing about a more mobile, sustainable and vibrant future for Los Angeles County. Through extensive public outreach over the past two years that included 77 community events, 38 public meetings and 20,000 survey responses from the public, Metro has distilled the region’s desires into four goals: Better Transit, Less Congestion, Complete Streets and Access to Opportunity.
The 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan (2020 LRTP) outlines what Metro is doing currently and what Metro must do for L.A. County over the next 30 years. Current challenges — including the COVID-19 pandemic crisis — will present opportunities for Metro to take bold action and help achieve mobility improvements in the region.
“Los Angeles is entering a transportation renaissance — a chance to redefine our city’s relationship with public transit and reimagine the ways it can be a force for good in people’s lives,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “The Long Range Transportation Plan paves a clear path to a more sustainable, fair, and equitable transportation future — an era that delivers on the promises of Measure M and our back to basics agenda, doubles down on electrification, and opens new doors of opportunity across our region.”
The 2020 LRTP outlines how Metro funds, plans, builds, manages and maintains our region’s transportation system — and how Metro partners to deliver projects and programs. Bolstered by four voter-approved sales tax measures since 1980, Metro has constructed roughly 130 miles of rail and bus rapid transit in the past 30 years.
The 2020 LRTP details how Metro will add more than 100 miles of rail over the next 30 years, the most aggressive transit expansion plan in the nation. Beyond transit, Metro will invest in arterial and freeway projects to reduce congestion, such as the I-5 North enhancements project and adding more ExpressLanes. Metro also plans to add more bicycle and pedestrian projects, such as the L.A. River Path Project to close the eight-mile gap in the path between Elysian Valley and Maywood and to provide good bicycle access to downtown Los Angeles.
The plan calls for improving the transit rider experience by prioritizing bus travel on our county’s busiest streets, including Wilshire Boulevard and Flower Street, and implementing the recommendations of the NextGen Bus Plan to make bus service more frequent and faster. Furthermore, Metro will invest in technology and promote innovative new mobility options such as Microtransit — which are smaller, on-demand vehicles — and use freight-focused technologies.
The 2020 LRTP includes over $200 billion for operations and State of Good Repair, as well as $38 billion in funding that returns to local transit agencies to maintain the local transportation system. Resilient, sustainable infrastructure and operations are embedded in the plan’s priorities.
“For this plan to succeed, we must and will continue to build strong partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies as well as our many local stakeholders,” said Metro Chief Executive Officer Phillip A. Washington. “These partnerships are crucial for funding and delivering projects and for coordinated planning on issues of regional significance. Metro will increase our collaboration with local jurisdictions to support transit priority on local roadways, to improve first/last mile access to transit and to make everyone’s mobility easier and more equitable.”
The plan also notes the potential to deliver significant mobility benefits to the region through major capital projects, programs, partnerships and bold policies. After implementation, 21 percent of county residents and 36 percent of jobs will be within a 10-minute walk of high-quality rail or bus rapid transit options — up from only 8% of residents and 16% of jobs currently. The comprehensive plan estimates an 81 percent increase in daily transit trips, a 31 percent decrease in traffic delay and a 19 percent decrease in overall greenhouse gas emissions in the county.
The 2020 LRTP is available for viewing at metroexemplifi.wpengine.com.
About Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is currently providing lifeline service for essential trips and frontline workers. Metro continues building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility through its Vision 2028 Plan.
Metro has proudly pledged to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Health and Safety Commitment Program to help ensure the safe return of transit riders as the U.S. recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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