Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.), along with Representative Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), applauded the Department of Transportation’s announcement that it will obligate nearly $1 billion in federal funds for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor light rail line project. 

The Federal Transit Administreation’s announcement makes the project part of the FTA’s Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program and therefore eligible for the maximum federal contribution to the project of $908.75 million, which is 25 percent of the current estimated capital project cost of $3.635 billion. 

“Our public transit systems are critical to the strength of our local economies and to the livelihoods of the people that live near them,” the lawmakers said. “This announcement is a win for both the San Fernando Valley and the broader region as we work to improve our economic capacity and expand the access local communities have to businesses, schools, and jobs in the area. We look forward to working to ensure that every federal dollar on the table is used to bring this project across the finish line.” 

The EPD Pilot Program, authorized by Section 3005(b) of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, is aimed at expediting the delivery of new fixed guideway capital projects, small starts projects, or core capacity improvement projects. These projects must utilize public-private partnerships, be operated and maintained by employees of an existing public transportation provider, and have a federal share not exceeding 25 percent of the project cost. 

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