According to the report, the purpose of the TIRCP is to “support projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, expand and improve transit, integrate rail operations, and improve transit safety.” The awards will be supplemented by the receiving agencies with funding from other sources, Streetsblog California reports. According to CalSTA, the total cost of all the project awards is more than $10 billion.
As part of the funding, LA Metro has been awarded $231 million for the Southeast Gateway Line, a light rail line stretching 14.5 miles from the Slauson/A (Blue) Line Station to the City of Artesia.
The Southeast Gateway Line will include nine stations extending from the Slauson A Line station located in the City of Los Angeles/Florence-Firestone unincorporated area of Los Angeles County to its southern terminus at the Pioneer Station located in the City of Artesia, passing through the cities of Bell, Bellflower, Cerritos, Cudahy, Downey, Florence-Firestone, Huntington Park, Los Angeles, Paramount, South Gate and Vernon. The line will also include a new C Line station at the I-105 freeway.
The area is currently home to more than 600,000 jobs, which is projected to increase to more than 700,000 jobs by 2042, according to LA Metro. The area also has a high projected population and employment densities that are five times higher than LA County, with 44% of the population below the poverty line and 18% of households that do not own a car. The area has several Environmental Justice Communities populated by a majority-minority community with 65% minority residents, with Hispanic/Latino groups alone accounting for 51%.
The project, LA Metro says, will provide direct connection to the Metro C Line (Green), Metro A Line (Blue) and LA County’s broader regional transit network. “Connecting this area to Metro’s rail network will provide alternatives to driving and improves accessibility to jobs and job-related opportunities, as well as to medical facilities, institutions of higher education, and other places of interest in Los Angeles County,” the agency noted.
Additionally, the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) has been awarded $29 million.
This funding, combined with $84 million leveraged from additional state and federal funding sources, will support several transformative projects. These include the purchase of 10 new S700 low-floor light rail vehicles; converting 17 Blue Line rails stations to accommodate the height requirement of the new low-floor vehicles; constructing the new Dos Rios Station, and constructing the new Horn Road Station in Rancho Cordova, which will close a 2.5-mile gap between existing stations on the Gold Line and provide access to a public library, parks, and the American River. Additionally, SacRT will install Cal-ITP platform validator devices and integrate them with Scheidt & Bachman fare vending machines at 54 light rail stations to streamline ticket purchasing and validation, improving the customer experience.
This grant application and subsequent award were made possible through strong partnerships with 12 agencies, SacRT noted. The project offers significant benefits, including a reduction of 78,032 metric tons of CO2 equivalent in GHG, a decrease of 250 million vehicle miles traveled, $160,722,974 in passenger travel cost savings, and the support of 984 full-time equivalent jobs.
Other award recipients include:
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA): $130 million for a modern communications-based train control system (as opposed to the current floppy disks) to reduce delays and increase efficiency.
Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA): $125 million to shore up several cliffs and replenish beaches along the LOSSAN corridor, where erosion and sea level rise have caused serious problems for the rail line over the past few years.
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART): $81 million to extend service to Healdsburg, along with a parallel, paved bike and pedestrian pathway.
San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) and the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA): $70 million for several projects along the Valley Rail project, including the Stockton Diamond Grade separation to separate freight and passenger trains and a new Madera station that will accommodate high-speed rail.
Coast Rail Coordinating Council: $63 million to coordinate improvements between Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties, including a new rail station in downtown King City, crossovers and sidings to allow another Surfliner roundtrip and improve efficiency.
Tulare Association of Governments: $59 million for a new bus network linking several cities, Amtrak, and the future high-speed rail station.
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink): $44 million for new service and inspection tracks to allow new roundtrips on the Inland Empire-Orange County and the San Bernardino lines.
Riverside County Transportation Commission: $40 million for the Mead Valley Metrolink station and mobility hub along the Perris Valley Line.
North County Transit District (NCTD) and San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG): $38 million for the critical LOSSAN corridor. The funding will go towards stabilizing bluffs in Del Mar and double tracking over the San Luis Rey river to help improve service and reduce delays.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART): $25 million for a transit-oriented development at the North Berkeley station, which will build 739 affordable residential units and add EV charging, expanded bike parking and improved bike and ped infrastructure to the station.
University of California Los Angeles: $19 million to fully electrify its bus fleets and expand transit service, and build a new transit hub linking to the future LA Metro D Line.
Capitol Corridor RAPID Program: $14 million to add new siding and a crossover near Santa Clara station, and finish the connection for biking and walking to the Railyards district north of the Sacramento station.
“Celebrate! [More than] $182 million [has been] awarded to Central Valley agencies for rail and transit improvements supporting California’s ambitious climate goals, made possible by Gov. Gavin Newsom and TIRCP cycle 7,” CalSTA wrote in an X (formerly Twitter) post.
More information is available in the following PDF (download below).
