Meeting_Body
AD HOC 2028 OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC GAMES COMMITTEE
MAY 14, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: 2028 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC PROGRESS REPORT
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. RECEIVING AND FILING the 2028 Mobility Concept Plan (MCP) Progress Report; and
B. AMENDING the 2022 Prioritized Mobility Concept Plan (MCP) project list to include the Pomona Fairplex Metrolink Station Improvements Project as part of the Rail project mode/type.
Issue
ISSUE
This is a progress report regarding planning efforts in anticipation of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (“the Games”), and the pursuit of state and federal funds to support the transportation infrastructure and operations needed for the region to support mobility during the Games.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro has worked with LA28, Caltrans, Metrolink, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), a group collectively known as the Games Mobility Executives (GME), as well as venue cities and Councils of Governments, to develop the 2028 Mobility Concept Plan approved by the Metro Board in December 2022. Following an extensive agency stakeholder outreach process, Metro and the GME identified a list of 15 priority 2028 Games MCP project categories. Metro and the Games Mobility Executives have been actively pursuing funding and advancing the project development for each set of projects.
In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Metro a $139 million grant from the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program for the Removing Barriers and Creating Legacy - A Multimodal Approach for Los Angeles County (the Program). The Program’s projects will enhance and expand affordable, equitable, and safe multimodal connections through investment in 35 miles of bus priority enhancements, 60 Metro Bike Share stations, five first/last mile corridors that fill gaps in the active transportation network, five mobility hubs, and various supportive initiatives and operational strategies.
In October 2024, the Board authorized a $9.67 million FY25 budget amendment, enabling the CEO to advance unfunded Metro-led GME projects. This funding is crucial for staff to progress key project development phases for timely completion before the 2028 Games. Metro has commenced conceptual design and environmental clearance for several essential MCP projects. The environmental clearance strategy will prioritize California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approval, with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearance contingent upon federal funding.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
GME Subcommittee and Workstream Update
In order to implement the MCP, the GME reviewed the projects and created subcommittees comprised of implementing agencies in order to establish implementation plans for the projects in the MCP. The GME initiated two new subcommittees focused on Heat and Wayfinding, with Metro as the lead agency for both. These subcommittees are currently developing workplans that will include scope, additional members, timeline, roles and responsibilities, coordination needs with other subcommittees, governance structure, communications plans, and 2025 goals. Metro will regularly report to the Board regarding key milestones, accomplishments, risks, issues, and progress related to the Heat and Wayfinding subcommittees.
At past Ad-Hoc Committee meetings, Metro staff have provided in-depth updates on specific Games subcommittees. For this month’s Ad-Hoc Committee, staff will provide an oral presentation on the Countywide Bus-Only Lanes and Games Route Network (presented by Caltrans). The following provides a summary update on these two subcommittees.
Updates on other subcommittees are summarized in Attachment A.
Countywide Bus-Only Lanes
Using the 2028 Games as an impetus, this initiative accelerates Metro's strategic goal of implementing bus-only lanes throughout Los Angeles County.
Metro staff and the Bus Speed and Reliability Working Group identified an initial pool of 26 potential corridors for detailed assessment and prioritization. The evaluation process included gathering data on existing conditions and reviewing relevant planning documents, such as Metro’s BRT Vision and Principles Study, Metro’s NextGen Plan, and the City of Los Angeles Mobility 2035 Plan. Subsequently, Metro formulated a prioritization framework incorporating 18 distinct factors related to speed and reliability, implementation, equity, connectivity, access, environmental, and safety. Through this structured evaluation, six corridors were selected as priorities. Attachment B summarizes the prioritization process. Additionally, the Vermont Ave and the Florence Ave/Studebaker corridors were added as they are existing and funded priorities. The complete list of eight priority corridors is detailed in Table 1. Table 1: 2028 Games Mobility Concept Plan Unfunded Countywide Bus-Only Lane Corridors
Metro has successfully secured funding for several bus-only lanes and bus improvement projects, totaling $90 million. A $25 million state grant will advance implementation on NextGen Tier 1 corridors within the City of Los Angeles, such as Vermont Avenue and Venice Boulevard. Additionally, a $65 million Reconnecting Communities Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will fund bus improvements along Broadway, Olympic Boulevard, and the Florence/Studebaker/Imperial corridor.
Additionally, Metro leads the Countywide Bus-Only Lane Subcommittee in partnership with the GME. This effort is supported by two dedicated working groups-one focused on the City of Los Angeles and the other on Los Angeles County (non-City of LA cities and unincorporated areas). Together, these groups will drive the development of bus-only lanes outlined in the MCP and manage crucial coordination for venue access and potential legacy conversion of the Games Route Network.
Lastly, as part of Twenty-eight by ‘28, Metro is also committed to delivering the North Hollywood to Pasadena and the Vermont Ave Bus Rapid Transit Corridors in time for the 2028 Games. Attachment C demonstrates a full picture of the Bus Corridor work the agency has prioritized and/or will complete in time for the 2028 Games.
Games Route Network
The Games Route Network (GRN) is the heart of the host City and Organizing Committee’s transportation commitment for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As part of the MCP, Caltrans has taken on the responsibility of delivery of the GRN on its right-of-way and is leading local agency coordination of the improvements to local arterials. The GRN project is a substantial coordination effort and requires multiple layers of collaboration. It covers approximately 360 centerline miles (80% located on the state highway). The GRN is in four counties, spans across thirteen cities, and arterials located within unincorporated counties.
The commitment between LS28, the host city and the International Olympic Committee is to provide consistent and reliable travel time for the Games athletes, media, and key Games stakeholders. For the past year and a half, Caltrans has convened multiple team meetings to develop planning documents and to collaborate with venue cities to facilitate the required improvements. Caltrans has engaged state and federal partners to initiate the legislative and regulatory requirements.
LA28 Olympic Venue Update
The Olympic Venue Plan updates announced by LA28 on April 15, 2025, include the addition of the Pomona Fairplex as the venue for Cricket, and the Santa Anita Racetrack for Equestrian, as well as a few other venue deletions, additions, and event location changes. Thus far, staff have determined that the existing temporary Metrolink station platform at the Pomona Fairplex will be critical for providing service at that venue. The station requires improvements to handle additional passenger flows, including providing safe accommodations for passengers with disabilities. Therefore, it is recommended that the Pomona Fairplex Station Improvements Project be added to the 2022 Prioritized MCP project list. The cost for the station accessibility improvements is estimated between $400K-$1.7M.
Staff is working with LA28 to obtain additional information on the schedules and spectator demand profiles for the new and revised events/venues to determine if any additional permanent infrastructure projects may be needed. Given the timeline for capital projects and the projects underway, there is a limited opportunity to add new projects. In order to add projects to the MCP, the project must be essential to Games delivery and feasible to be completed by 2028. The Pomona Fairplex Station meets these criteria.
Twenty-eight by ’28 Update
Progress continues to be made on twenty-eight by ’28, which is incorporated into the MCP. Currently, six or 21.4% of the projects on the list are complete, with the remaining projects continuing to advance. Of note, significant milestones have been met on four projects since the beginning of this calendar year:
• Substantial completion of the A Line Extension from Azusa to Pomona
• Substantial completion of the Rail to Rail active transportation corridor
• Groundbreaking for the G Line Improvements Project
• Groundbreaking for the 105 ExpressLanes Project (Phase 1)
Over the next quarter, two projects are anticipated to be open: Rail to Rail and the Airport Metro Connector Station. Upon opening, this would bring the total number of projects completed to eight or 28.6%.
Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program Update
Following the environmental determinations and signed Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant agreement in December 2024, Metro has continued to advance design and community engagement for the RCN program. Staff are working to secure agreements with local jurisdictions and project sponsors. San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) will deliver design through construction for the Valley Blvd/Santa Anita Bus Priority Enhancement project. The RCN funding supports SGVCOG’s existing work for the San Gabriel Valley Bus Corridor Transit Improvements Project. Metro will be advancing the preliminary engineering and community outreach for the remaining RCN projects including three bus priority enhancement corridors, five first/last mile projects, and five mobility hubs. Metro is supporting local jurisdictions through preliminary engineering to keep the RCN program on schedule while local jurisdictions assess internal staff capacity and procurement vehicles to take over final design and construction of projects not under Metro’s responsibility. Preliminary engineering and associated community outreach will be completed in 2025.
Funding Update
In January 2025, Metro applied for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant funding program for two key 2028 Games Mobility Concept Plan projects - 1) 2028 Games Washington/Flower Multimodal Mobility Improvements Project and 2) Norwalk Station Mobility Hub and Multimodal Access Improvements Project. BUILD is a discretionary grant program designed to fund significant infrastructure projects with local or regional impact. Specifically, it focuses on surface transportation infrastructure, encompassing roads, rail, transit, and ports. The program aims to support projects that enhance safety, sustainability, quality of life, mobility, economic competitiveness, and state of good repair.
Simultaneously, Metro is exploring grant opportunities for various MCP projects under the Surface Transportation Block Grant, Congestion Management and Air Quality, and Low Carbon Transit Operations Program.
Legislative Update
Federal Discretionary Opportunities
Metro is evaluating which MCP projects may be successfully selected to receive federal funds made available through the Surface Transportation Block Grant & Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (STBG/CMAQ) which is administered by SCAG. The Metro Board approved a prioritization framework in March, which provides evaluation criteria and guidance for agencies that wish to apply for the funds.
Specific project categories that qualify for funding and align with Metro-led GME priority workstreams include mobility hubs, dedicated bus lanes, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, rail and bus station improvements, and transit facility improvements.
Federal Budget Request Update
Consistent with the 2025 Board-approved Federal Legislative Program, Metro has and will continue to work with the federal government to include funding for the GME priority workstreams in the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. On November 21, 2024, Metro conveyed a letter unanimously signed by Metro Board members, urging then President-elect Donald Trump to include $3.2 billion for GME priority workstreams in his Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. The requests outlined in this correspondence and in accompanying fact sheets include funding for essential Games-specific projects, such as the Games Enhanced Transit Service (GETS), Mobility Hubs, and GRN. Funding for the essential Games-specific projects is currently the most significant challenge facing Metro and the GME partners. This is analogous to the challenges faced by the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. This was resolved, in part, by Congress appropriating funding identified in the FY2002 Budget released by then-President George W. Bush. Staff will continue to work with the Metro Board, the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and key stakeholders to support the FY2026 Budget funding request.
Joint Advocacy Efforts/Strategy
Metro is working in good faith with a broad and diverse array of federal, regional, and local stakeholders to ensure that the State and Federal Governments provide support for surface transportation projects and initiatives related to the 2028 Games.
At the Federal level, Metro is working with a number of partners to secure financial support from the Federal government for our agency’s efforts related to the 2028 Games. This effort is guided and informed by the Board-approved 2025 Federal Legislative Program and the Board-approved MCP, which set forth the projects deemed necessary and how Metro will work with the White House, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Congress to successfully coordinate the 2028 Games being held in Los Angeles County. In 2025, staff have been working with the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation as to how the FY2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development bill might include funding for mobility-related projects and initiatives tied to the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Staff will continue to advocate for the White House to include funding in the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget for the Games. As of the writing of this Board Report, it appears that Congress is in the beginning stages of crafting their spending bills for Fiscal Year 2026 - including the House and Senate’s Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development spending bills. Staff will continue to work with LA28 and a large number of stakeholders, including but not limited to Los Angeles County and the LA Area Chamber of Commerce, among others, to advance our goal to secure robust federal support for our mobility plans related to the Games.
Metro continues to work with state and local level partners to advocate for funding and advance policies that will help Metro deliver projects more efficiently, while also working in partnership with LA28.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Several projects in the 2028 Games MCP and the RCN program will positively impact safety. For example, bus-only lane projects will allow buses to reduce weaving out from and into traffic as they approach and leave the bus stop. First/Last Mile projects directly improve safety for people biking and walking to and from Metro’s transit stops.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from these actions, pending receipt of grant funding.
Impact to Budget
There is no impact to the budget, pending receipt of grant funding.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Since the last report, Metro has established two new Games Mobility Executives (GME) subcommittees,Heat and Wayfinding, both led by Metro and currently developing work plans to address environmental justice concerns (such as heat vulnerability) and accessibility improvements for multi-lingual and disabled riders. Looking ahead, these investments not only aim to support Games-time mobility but will leave a lasting legacy of improved transit access, reduced travel times, and safer streets in communities that have historically been under-resourced. These projects directly align with Metro’s broader equity goals of improving mobility, access to economic opportunity, and transportation justice across Los Angeles County.
Most notably, the $139 million Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) grant awarded in March 2024 is advancing to 30% design and community engagement across multiple projects located in Equity Focus Communities.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
Vehicles Miles Traveled (VMT) and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through investment, planning and operational activities that will improve and further encourage transit ridership, ridesharing, and active transportation including first/last mile improvements, bus priority corridors, mobility hubs, and mobility wallet support. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The development of the MCP supports:
Strategic goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling. Strategic Goal 2: Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system. Strategic Goal 4: Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership” by providing a roadmap and strategy to deliver permanent transit and transit-supportive projects and programs that can help serve the 2028 Games.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue the scoping work necessary to advance the 2028 Games Mobility Concept Plan that Metro is currently leading, including the initiation of the Environmental phase for the remaining Metro-led projects in the 2028 Games Mobility Concept Plan. This effort will be critical to ensure these projects can continue to compete for additional state and federal funding opportunities and be delivered in time for the Games. Staff will continue to seek potential local, state, and federal funding opportunities and work with the Board to advocate for funding for both legacy projects and essential Games-specific projects, such as the Games Enhanced Transit Services and Games Route Network.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Workstreams Progress Update
Attachment B - Countywide Bus Only Lanes Prioritization
Attachment C - Bus Corridors Map
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Jacqueline Torres, Senior Director, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 547-4208
Kasey Shuda, Senior Director, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 454-6479
Ernesto Chaves, Executive Officer, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 547- 4362
Marcel Porras, Deputy Chief, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 922-2606
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Seleta Reynolds, Chief Innovation Officer, (213) 922-4656
