Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JANUARY 28, 2021
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS GARCETTI, BONIN, SOLIS, HAHN, AND GARCIA
Related to Item 11: Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Mid-Year Budget
Metro's budget must stay flexible to ensure the agency can deploy enough service to meet transit demand through the end of Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21).
In September 2020, the Board approved Motion 10.1, directing staff to create an FY21 Operations Recovery Plan to restore full bus service as soon as practicable based on on-street conditions, projected demand, and NextGen performance standards. As stated in the motion, "maintaining current service levels for the remainder of the fiscal year is not acceptable for riders nor is it consistent with the agency's strategic priorities, including NextGen. At a time when COVID-19 has exposed all of the region's underlying inequities, Metro must plan for and facilitate an equitable recovery that prioritizes the mobility needs of our county's most vulnerable populations, who disproportionately rely on bus service."
The FY21 Operations Recovery Plan was to prepare Metro for an anticipated restoration of service as soon as could be supported by public health measures, economic conditions, and the agency's financial status. This month's mid-year budget amendment includes an unanticipated net $58.6 million in additional transit operations-eligible funding. This funding could allow Metro to reverse some painful cuts made in the original FY21 budget adopted in September.
Additionally, in December, Congress passed the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, which included an additional $14 billion in nationwide relief funding for transit service above what was previously provided in the CARES Act. The Board is expected to allocate this funding in February 2021, at the next Board meeting. The Board should ensure that this funding is prioritized for transit service in FY21 and FY22.
Earlier this week, Governor News...
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