Los Angeles, CA (November 9, 2021)
LADOT joined transportation leaders across the country in celebrating the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by Congress this weekend. The bill represents a historic investment to help upgrade the nation’s infrastructure, including funding for roadway improvements, street safety, and public transportation. The bill is also expected to invest in key sustainability efforts, including fleet electrification and EV charging.
“The passage of this bold and historic infrastructure bill gives us a once in a lifetime opportunity to rebuild our infrastructure and invest in critical quality of life projects that impact all Angelenos,” said LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds. “From improving the safety of our streets and the quality of our air, to supporting more local jobs and the movement of critical goods, this bill will help our continued pandemic recovery. I look forward to working with our partners in the region and DC to maximize the benefits for our communities.”
In addition to traditional transportation infrastructure funding, this $1 trillion bill provides more than $500 billion in new programs that directly support LADOT’s work to improve mobility in Los Angeles. This includes $5 billion in grant funding for traffic safety projects that prevent injury and death and an additional $1 billion in competitive grants for active transportation projects. The bill also provides a $1 billion pilot to reconnect communities separated by highways and other barriers, and a $500 million Smart City Challenge to develop smart infrastructure and integrate emerging modes.
This funding package also provides considerable support for electric bus purchases and charging infrastructure that will support LADOT’s transition to a fully electric fleet by 2028 as it undertakes the largest expansion of its transit services in the department’s history. The expansion includes new DASH lines reaching new neighborhoods, affordable on-demand services such as LAnow, and bus-only lanes making their debut in communities from Venice to Downtown LA.