How Recent Wins at the Ballot Are Helping L.A. Transit

The City of Los Angeles is in the midst of an aggressive expansion of its public transit system, and it is accelerating its efforts to prepare for the 2028 Olympics. Measure R is the half-cent sales tax plan to generate funds for L.A. Metro. It passed in 2008. Measure M passed in November 2016, and is an additional half-cent tax plan to fund projects. To take a closer look at how these ballot-box wins are having an impact on L.A. transit, we sat down with Jack S. Yeh, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP.

GlobeSt.com: What projects are being funded by Measure M and Measure R?

Jack S. Yeh: Many of the 28 projects under construction in are funded by Measures R and M. Seventeen projects already are slated for completion before 2028, and four are Measure R-funded and 13 are funded by Measure M. Eight additional accelerated project schedules are deemed “aspirational,” which means that the projects have a current delivery date after 2028. These include four Measure M mega projects that will require accelerated resources to deliver significantly earlier.