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<\/p>\nFederal lawmakers representing the Los Angeles region warned that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games could be a congestion nightmare if the federal government doesn\u2019t fulfill a request for billions of dollars for transportation projects.<\/p>\n
Rep. Laura Friedman said Wednesday the lack of financial assistance could increase traffic, result in fewer buses and worsen public transit reliability during the Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat will be a terrible result, not just for Los Angeles, but for the whole nation,\u201d Friedman said.<\/p>\n
Friedman convened a panel in West Hollywood, where she and some of her Democratic colleagues in Congress questioned regional transportation officials about L.A.’s readiness to seamlessly move the millions of visitors expected for the fast-approaching Games.<\/p>\n
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What emerged was agreement among the lawmakers that time is running out to secure funds for transit plans from a so-far uncooperative federal government.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aOur local partners can’t do this alone,\u201d said Rep. Judy Chu. \u201cHosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is an opportunity for the entire country, and Los Angeles should have a strong federal partner help us prepare.\u201d<\/p>\n
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A panel of five U.S. Congressmembers asked local transportation officials about the region’s readiness for the 2028 Games. <\/p>\n
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The office of U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman<\/p>\n
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What\u2019s the federal funding ask?<\/p>\n
L.A. Metro has asked the federal government for a total of $2 billion. Half of that money would be used to temporarily acquire, operate and store nearly 1,750 additional buses \u2014 the centerpiece of the region\u2019s Olympics transportation plan.<\/p>\n
The remainder of the federal funding ask, if granted, would be used for pedestrian improvements and designing a network of roads for Games vehicles, among other uses.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the status of the ask?<\/p>\n
L.A. Metro\u2019s Board and California Democrats have repeatedly<\/a> appealed<\/a> to the federal government to provide dollars for the region\u2019s “transit-first” Games, including trying to get the Trump administration to add the money to its annual budget request.<\/p>\n The budget request did not include any mention of L.A. Metro<\/a>.<\/p>\n This summer, lawmakers included $875 million for Olympics-related transportation needs in a spending bill<\/a> that still needs to move through the appropriations process.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe shouldn’t have to wait this dang long begging for this money that we deserve,\u201d said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who told LAist she has been cajoling her Republican colleagues to try to get some of the funds.<\/p>\n Jennifer Vides, the chief customer experience officer for Metro, said Wednesday that the agency is still working out how it would use the $875 million if it’s approved, but the temporary Olympics bus system was the top priority.<\/p>\n