December 11, 2008
Contact: Sarah Echols, Tel.: (202) 366-4570
DOT 174-08

U.S. Transportation Secretary, Mary E. Peters, Announces Los Angeles Can Start Spending $210 Million to Cut Traffic, Improve Transit and Protect the Environment

LOS ANGELES – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced today that Los Angeles will receive $210 million in federal funds to help cut highway traffic jams and provide better bus transit services in Los Angeles. It is the largest congestion grant the Department has awarded to any city to date, the Secretary said.

The Secretary said the funding will allow local leaders to move forward with a plan to convert existing HOV lanes to High-Occupancy Toll lanes and implement congestion pricing to improve southern California’s traffic, air quality, and quality of life.

“Los Angeles’ willingness to try something new will mean less traffic, better transit and a cleaner environment,” Secretary Peters said.

Los Angeles Partners will pay for state of the art tolling technology to allow drivers to pay a fee for access to less-congested lanes and sophisticated sensors that will monitor the region’s freeways and adjust fares for the lanes based on traffic levels. The Los Angeles Partners are the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the California Department of Transportation. The project includes HOV-to-HOT conversions on the following facilities: I-10 from Alameda Street to I-605 (28 lane-miles), and I-110 from 182nd Street/Artesia Transit Center to Adams Blvd (33 miles).

The Secretary said transit service in Los Angeles will also improve. The money will finance new bus service and park-and-ride facility improvements. “HOT lanes benefit commuters whether they are taking transit or driving. Transit riders benefit from both quicker commutes and increased transit investments from pricing revenues,” Secretary Peters said.

The Los Angeles investment is a part of the Department’s comprehensive initiative to address congestion throughout the nation’s transportation system. In addition to Los Angeles, the Department has entered into partnerships with Chicago, Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Seattle.

A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding is available at: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/Agreement.htm