At Metro’s September board meeting, Chair Eric Garcetti announced the “Twenty-Eight by ’28 Initiative” to highlight transportation projects for completion by the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and has delivered lists of projects and venues for further discussion.

Metro staff has developed a draft candidate list of projects that includes Measure R, Measure M and other projects already slated for completion by 2028, as well as “aspirational” project schedules that propose to be accelerated by 2028 (“aspirational” is defined as a project that has a current delivery date later than 2028).

Pursuant to the Measure M Ordinance, project acceleration may only occur if doing so does not delay the delivery of any other project.

Accordingly, the 2028 Games presents an opportunity to advocate for accelerated resources, particularly from the state and federal government, to achieve early project delivery of the aspirational schedules and additional projects.

By identifying projects with aspirational schedules alongside projects already planned to be delivered by 2028, the Board would be highlighting-but not committing-those projects for early project delivery.

The proposed policy for a Measure M Early Project Delivery Strategy, if adopted, would apply prior to the Board making a binding decision on advancing a project earlier than scheduled in the Measure M Expenditure Plan.

Not all Measure M investments scheduled for completion by 2028 are included in this list. Inclusion does not supersede any commitments made in the Measure M Ordinance.

Background
As a transportation agency, Metro fundamentally provides access to opportunity. Recognizing the importance of how transportation affects the quality of life in Los Angeles County, Metro has led with the voter-approved Measures R and M ordinances, which identify new mobility projects throughout the county. Subsequently, Los Angeles was awarded the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In about 10 years, the confluence of the array of new long-term transportation investments led by Metro and the 2028 Games represents an opportunity to strive to achieve what is already planned or needed, earlier. In doing so, the outcome for Los Angeles County could be a more livable, successful and equitable region. This will benefit Los Angeles County for generations after transportation projects are completed and the 2028 Games have concluded. The 2028 Games represents a clear, relatable milestone to crystalize what could be accomplished in the next 10 years by working collaboratively as a region.

Qualitative criteria to select the projects on the draft candidate list for the Twenty-Eight by ’28 Initiative include:
• Currently scheduled for completion by 2028;
• Supports high-capacity access to key regional activity centers and corridors;
• Provides a vital link in Los Angeles County’s developing high-capacity transit network;
• Supports the integration of land use and transportation to accommodate new mixed-income housing opportunities in areas to be served by transit, along with economic development opportunities; and
• Eases congestion at existing bottlenecks and congested corridors.

The Twenty-Eight by ’28 list includes:
• Seventeen projects already slated for completion, of which four are Measure R projects and 13 are Measure M projects.
• Eight additional Measure M project schedules are deemed “aspirational”. This includes four Measure M mega-projects that require accelerated resources to deliver significantly earlier. The I-405 South Bay Curve Improvements project is one of the four mega projects, which is included due to expressions of interest by the state government.
• Three additional projects-MicroTransit, I-10 Express Lanes extension to the San Bernardino County line, and Blue Line Signal and Washington/Flower Junction Improvements-are not entirely funded by Measure R or Measure M. These projects would require resources.

The Twenty-Eight by ’28 draft candidate project list is provided in Attachment A, and Attachment B maps the list in relation to the sports park clusters and other venue sites for the 2028 Games.

Metro’s updated financial forecast concludes that all Measures R and M commitments can be fulfilled under baseline assumptions. This includes inflationary impacts to costs over the 40-year period of the forecast. However, any addition of new projects or early delivery of existing projects will require one or more of the following trade-offs:

• Additional debt financing
• Cost offsets through innovations, scope changes or delivery efficiencies
• Reassessment of investment priorities
• New, unanticipated revenues

With that context, it is understood that this proposed concept is both pragmatic and aspirational, which has value as an initiative that is clear to the public and stakeholders on what Metro could accomplish during the next 10 years and tandem with the opening of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

View the list of projects [here] and the list of venues [here].