Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today applauded the committee’s passage of a bill containing more than $2 billion to construct new mass transit projects. Several key projects in California will qualify for these funds.

“Securing dollars for mass transit in California is a top priority for me,” said Senator Feinstein. “Funding these projects means new jobs for California workers and is critical to reduce congestion in the most heavily traveled regions in the nation.”

The $2 billion is included in the Senate’s FY 2013 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which was approved by the committee today by a vote of 28-1. The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

The committee bill provides funding for seven mass transit projects in California:

• Los Angeles Westside Subway Extension
• Los Angeles Regional Connector Transit Corridor
• BART Silicon Valley Extension Project
• San Francisco Central Subway Third Street Light Rail
• Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit
• South Sacramento Corridor
• Fresno Area Express Blackstone/Keys Canyon Bus Rapid Transit

“The two Los Angeles subway projects are at the heart of a plan to build a comprehensive transit system in America’s second largest city,” Senator Feinstein added. “I’m pleased the committee—for the very first time—included funds for these key transit projects, offering the funds they need to move forward. It’s past time that Los Angeles has a subway system that matches its stature as a global city, and this bill moves us in the right direction.”

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