DOT’s Innovative TIFIA Program Provided $545.9 Million Loan for the Project

1/21/2014
Contact: Angela Gates
202-366-3669

LOS ANGELES – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today participated in a groundbreaking for a new light rail transit line along the Crenshaw corridor that will improve transit options and connect riders to existing transit services throughout the Los Angeles region. Secretary Foxx was joined by representatives from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), as well as Senator Barbara Boxer, U.S. Representatives Karen Bass and Maxine Waters, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and other state and local officials.

“Bringing light rail to this community will spur local economic development and make it easier than ever for residents to access downtown Los Angeles and beyond,” Secretary Foxx said. “The Obama Administration is committed to investing in good transportation projects like the Crenshaw/LAX line to create ladders of opportunity for millions of Americans, and we are proud to help make this project possible with a $545 million loan.”

The Department’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program provided a $545.9 million loan toward the $2.058 billion Crenshaw/LAX light rail extension. The project also is expected to receive approximately $130 million in other DOT and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds. Remaining funds are being provided by state and local sources.

“The Federal Transit Administration is proud to join with the City of Los Angeles and the neighboring communities to significantly improve transportation options in one of the most congested regions in the nation,” said Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff. “This project is a huge win for thousands of hard-working families and seniors living in Crenshaw who depend on public transportation every day to get to work, school, medical appointments and elsewhere.”

The Crenshaw/LAX transit corridor project consists of a new 8.5-mile light rail line, eight new transit stations, and three park and ride facilities. The line will connect existing rail service on the Metro Green Line with the Metro Exposition Line, making it easier for residents, seniors and other riders to reach downtown Los Angeles, the Westside, South Bay and the cities of Inglewood, Hawthorne and El Segundo. The project also includes a new transit vehicle maintenance and storage facility.

In addition to the Crenshaw/LAX light rail project, the FTA is advancing two other major transit expansion projects in the Los Angeles area: the Regional Connector and the Westside Subway Extension, which are seeking a combined federal transit investment of nearly $2 billion toward the $4.2 billion total cost of the two projects. Both projects are in line to receive funding through FTA’s Major Capital Investment (New Starts/Small Starts) Grant Program. These projects have also received approval for loans totaling approximately $1 billion through the Department’s TIFIA program.

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) transformed the TIFIA credit program into one of the largest transportation infrastructure loan programs in history, making up to $17 billion available in credit assistance for critical infrastructure projects.

The TIFIA program is designed to fill market gaps and leverage substantial non-federal investments. Each dollar of federal funding can provide up to $10 in TIFIA credit assistance and support up to $30 in transportation infrastructure investment. Since its launch, the TIFIA program has helped 39 projects turn over $14.7 billion in U.S. Department of Transportation assistance into more than $55 billion in infrastructure investment across America.