L.A. Metro OKs plan to fast-track transit projects by 2028 Olympics

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) board late last week adopted the Twenty-Eight by '28 plan, which calls for completing 28 transportation projects ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles.

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who also serves as Metro's chair, first announced the initiative at the agency's September 2017 board meeting. At his direction, Metro staff developed the draft candidate list for projects to be completed before the upcoming Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee in September 2017 officially awarded the 2028 Summer Games to L.A.

Projects that would be fast-tracked under the plan include the South Bay light-rail and the Gold Line Eastside extensions. The South Bay project — which will extend Metro's Green Line — originally was set for completion in 2030, while the Gold Line project was scheduled to wrap up in 2035.

The initiative also accelerates a plan to provide transit in the Sepulveda Pass, which Metro officials have described as "one of the most intractable choke points in the entire L.A. region." The agency is evaluating plans to roll out light rail, subway or bus rapid transit in that corridor.

Funding has yet to be determined for 11 projects on the list, Metro officials said in a blog post. Seventeen projects on the list are scheduled to be completed before 2028. Among those is the 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX light-rail line, which is slated to open next year.

The Twenty-Eight by '28 plan includes the Purple Line extension's second and third phases, which are scheduled for completion in 2025 and 2026, respectively.