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.

GlobeSt.com: What are the requirements for Measure R funding?

Yeh: Measure R is a half-cent sales tax for Los Angeles County to finance new transportation projects and programs, and accelerate those already in the pipeline. The tax took effect July 2009. Measure R alone does not fully fund all projects. The Measure contains an Expenditure Plan[1] that identifies the projects to be funded and additional fund sources that will be used to complete the projects.

The passage of Measure R was a significant foundational funding mechanism for Metro's 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) – Metro's roadmap to improve mobility, provide more transportation options, stimulate the local economy, and create jobs. The program seeks to enhance the public transit system by investments in the region's bus system while expanding the rail system. The plan also seeks to deliver highway improvements such as new carpool lanes and projects to ease freeway bottlenecks for both auto and truck traffic. The also plan invests in many other programs, including transit operations, highway maintenance, local street improvements, bicycle and pedestrian connections, and transit services for the disabled.

GlobeSt.com: What are the requirements for Measure M funding?

Yeh: In November 2016, over 70% of Los Angeles County votes approved Measure M, an additional a half-cent sales tax increase earmarked to fund the most ambitious transit expansion in Los Angeles County history. With the estimated $120 billion Metro will receive over the next four decades from Measure M, many of the mega projects viewed by City planners as the foundation for transforming mass transit in Los Angeles have been green-lighted. In anticipation of those funds, Metro is in the process of updating its LRTP.

Instant Insights /

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