Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
MAY 20, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: HIGH DESERT CORRIDOR FY27 WORK PROGRAM
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. APPROVING $9,338,470 in Measure M High Desert Multipurpose Corridor (HDMC) funds identified in the Expenditure Plan for Right-Of-Way (ROW) acquisition to be repurposed to the High Desert Corridor (HDC) Joint Powers Agency (JPA) for the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) work program; and
B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or their designee to negotiate and execute all necessary funding agreements with the HDC JPA.
Issue
ISSUE
Metro is a member agency of the HDC JPA and annually programs Measure M funds dedicated to the HDMC to support the HDC JPA's efforts to advance the HDMC High Speed Rail project (Project) through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Corridor Identification and Development Program. The HDC JPA has requested Metro program Measure M funding for the FY27 HDC JPA work program to support the Project's planning, environmental, and advanced conceptual services for the Project's advancement through the FRA planning process.
Background
BACKGROUND
The HDMC Project features the implementation of a new 54-mile east-west High-Speed Rail (HSR) alignment between the future Palmdale Multimodal HSR Station in Los Angeles County and the Brightline West (BLW) Station in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County. The HDMC is funded through Measures R and M, with each listing the Project in their respective expenditure plans. Metro programs funds for the Project annually to advance its progress through a rigorous FRA process known as the Corridor Identification and Development Program (CIDP).
The Project will link the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line (AVL) with two future HSR lines - California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) and BLW (Attachment A). CAHSR is a State-initiated program that is mandated to deliver HSR service between San Francisco...
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