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Project Profiles

Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project

Location

Los Angeles, California

Project Borrower / Sponsor

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Program Areas

Project FinanceTIFIARevenue - Non-Road Pricing Revenue

Fiscal Year Approved Fiscal Year 2014

Mode

Light Rail Transit

Description

The Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project (Regional Connector) is a 1.9-mile underground light rail connection between the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station to the 7th Street/Metro Center Station in downtown Los Angeles. The existing Metro Gold Line will traverse this new section from the Little Tokyo/Art District and continue along the existing and future Metro Expo Line to Santa Monica, CA. Similarly, the Metro Blue Line will continue beyond its current terminus at 7th Street/Metro Center along this new section and beyond to the existing and future Metro Gold Line to Pasadena. (See the map of the Regional Connector below in the Related Links section.)

The Regional Connector extends from the Metro Gold Line and will allow passengers to transfer among the Metro Blue, Expo, Red, and Purple Lines, bypassing Union Station, and provide one-seat continuous service across Los Angeles County. By linking these lines in downtown Los Angeles, the project creates a north/south line from Claremont to Long Beach, and an east/west line from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica. The reduction in the need for transfers can reduce a one-way trip by 10-20 minutes.

Construction of the project's tunnels includes both cut and cover tunneling and tunnel boring along different sections under Flower and 2nd Streets. The project also includes the construction of three new stations: 1st Street and Central Ave, 2nd Street and Broadway, and 2nd Place and Hope Street.

Cost

$1.399 billion

Funding Sources

Federal Sources:

  • TIFIA loan - $160.0 million
  • FTA New Starts Grant - $669.9 million
  • CMAQ - $64.0 million

State Sources:

  • Prop 1A HSR General Obligation Bonds - $114.9 million
  • Prop 1B General Obligation Bonds (Public Transportation Modernization, Improvement, Service and Enhancement Account) - $149.5 million
  • Other state funds - $2.6 million

Local Sources:

  • Metro funds - $132.8 million
  • Metro Lease Revenue - $64.2 million
  • City of Los Angeles - $41.6 million

Project Delivery / Contract Method

Design-Build

Private Partners

To be determined

Project Advisors/Consultants

To the Project

  • The PFM Group - Financial Advisor
  • Fulbright & Jaworski - Counsel to the Borrower
  • Parsons Brinckerhoff - Preliminary engineering; EIR/EIS preparation
  • Metro Builders & Engineers Group - Utility relocation
  • Additional Advisors

To USDOT TIFIA JPO:

  • TIFIA Legal Advisor: Squire Sanders
  • TIFIA Financial Advisor: Infrastructure Management Group

Lenders

USDOT TIFIA

Duration / Status

Utility work began in December 2012, and an RFP for the major Final Design and Construction design-build contractor was released in January 2013. Metro expects to announce its selection of a contractor in Spring 2014. Anticipated completion of the project is 2021.
TIFIA Credit Assistance

Direct Loan: $160.0 million

The TIFIA loan will be repaid with Measure R local retail sales tax revenue.

Financial Status

TIFIA credit agreement was executed on February 20, 2014.

Financial close occurred on February 20, 2014.

Innovations

  • Approximately 11 percent of the Project budget is funded from voter-approved sales tax measures devoted to transit projects, which will be used to repay the TIFIA loan.

Related Links / Articles

LA Metro Regional Connector Project Website

Project Map

Contacts

Metro Construction Relations
Tel: (213) 922-7277
regionalconnector@metro.net

Olga N. Arroyo
Construction Relations Manager
Tel: (213) 312-3125
arroyo@metro.net

Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000
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