Why 2 major LA Metro rail projects were denied funding by California transit agency

Mar. 21—A first-ever released "ratings sheet" from the state transportation agency explained why two major Los Angeles County rail projects were completely shut out of funding, a decision that leaves these projects, which promised to reduce traffic and air pollution, in jeopardy.

The Gold Line (now L Line) 3.2-mile extension from Pomona into Montclair, budgeted at $798 million, and the misnamed West Santa Ana Branch line (WSAB), budgeted at $500 million, being planned from Artesia to downtown Los Angeles. lost out because the agency wanted to space out projects.

With the Gold Line its No. 2 priority and WSAB No. 3, they were part of a three-project application from L.A. Metro that apparently was too much to fund. If the agency had granted funding just to Metro's first and second priority projects, that would've awarded Metro too much of the available rail construction pie that would've denied funding for projects in other counties, according to a document called the Internal Decision Framework.

Instead, the California State Transportation Agency funded two projects that "geographically balance" out county funding — but only one was from L.A. Metro, while the other was from Inglewood. ..............(more)

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/news/53029194/ca-why-2-major-la-metro-rail-projects-were-denied-funding-by-california-transit-agency