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California is putting billions toward its roads, transit systems and other transportation infrastructure, with more than 150 projects receiving a combined $2.7 billion in new funding. The statewide investment is aimed at improving safety, expanding transportation options and making infrastructure better able to withstand extreme weather and other climate-related threats.
For Los Angeles, part of that money is arriving at an especially important time. With the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games less than two years away, several L.A. County transit stations will receive upgrades designed to improve the experience for both everyday riders and the millions of visitors expected for the Games.
L.A. transit stations are getting Olympic-ready upgrades
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Among the newly funded projects is $2.45 million for improvements at four Los Angeles County transit stations: 7th Street/Metro Center, Norwalk, Union Station and Harbor Gateway. The work will include new wayfinding, lighting, security features, passenger amenities and landscaping, with the improvements planned in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
The investment is relatively small compared with some of the state’s other projects, but it has a particularly visible role in Los Angeles. These stations are expected to serve residents, visitors and Olympic spectators as the region prepares for a major influx of travelers.
$2.7 billion is going toward 150+ projects
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The L.A. projects are part of a much larger transportation package approved through the California Transportation Commission. In total, the state is putting $2.7 billion toward more than 150 projects involving highways, transit, safety improvements and infrastructure designed to better withstand severe weather.
The funding includes about $1.6 billion from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and another $542 million from California’s SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act.
Some of the biggest projects are outside Southern California. The state is putting $267 million into the Caldecott Tunnel in Orinda for ventilation, pavement, drainage and electrical upgrades, while $76.5 million will fund a new wildlife crossing and related improvements along Interstate 5 near Dunsmuir.
There is also $63 million for new High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on State Route 37 in Sonoma County, $33.5 million for fish-passage improvements along the South Fork of the Eel River, and $1.8 million for safer school routes in east Bakersfield.
Looking towards the future
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The state says the new projects are part of a broader effort to create a transportation network that can handle changing travel patterns while remaining functional during wildfires, flooding, extreme weather and other disruptions.
For Los Angeles, the timing is particularly significant. The newly funded station improvements are another piece of the region’s ongoing effort to strengthen its transportation network before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, when transit will play a major role in moving visitors around the region.