The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (LA Metro) board earlier this week approved a $7.2 billion budget for fiscal-year 2020. The new budget represents an 8.9 percent increase over the FY2019 budget. It calls for no increases in fares. The larger budget was due to a number of factors, including the anticipation of more revenue from sales taxes, grants and bonds; as well as higher expenses associated with labor and benefits, debt and the planning and construction of transportation projects, LA Metro officials said in a press release. The budget includes $1.84 billion for bus and rail operations and $2.4 billion for various capital projects, including the Regional Connector light-rail tunnel, the Crenshaw/LAX Line, and extensions of the Purple Line subway and the Gold Line. Other projects funded in the budget include: continued support for the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority and its Phase II grade separation projects; midlife modernization projects for both light-rail and heavy-rail vehicles; and Blue Line improvements and the rebuilding of the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station. The adopted budget is for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2020.
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