The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion on Tuesday by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District includes the Santa Clarita Valley, that will have Los Angeles County join a new High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency to identify critical funding and facilitate the continued planning, development, and construction of the High Desert Multipurpose Corridor project – the first phase of which will connect high desert cities in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties through a new high-speed, intercity rail alignment.

The 54-mile-high speed rail project is part of a larger vision to connect Los Angeles to Las Vegas and will provide a vital new transportation mode for some of the fastest growing areas in Southern California, increase access to affordable housing stock, spur significant job creation and economic development, help the State achieve its climate goals, and invest significantly in Equity Focus Communities which comprise most of the project’s alignment.

“The new High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency maintains our commitment to our federal, state, tribal, and private sector partners and stakeholders, as well as the voters of Los Angeles County who approved this as a priority project under Measure M,” Barger said. “This is a transformative project for our High Desert communities. Having multiple partners at the table ensures a collective vision is ultimately realized.”

This new JPA will become the successor agency to the long-running High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority, which is set to expire on July 1. The County of Los Angeles joins the cities of Adelanto and Lancaster who have already approved their membership. The city of Palmdale, city of Victorville, and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will vote on their membership in the coming weeks.

The motion also defines Los Angeles County’s roles and responsibilities, naming Supervisor Barger and, in future years, the Supervisor of the Fifth District, as the Board Director for the High Desert Corridor JPA, the Treasurer and Tax Collector as treasurer of the agency, Auditor-Controller as auditor of the agency, and County Counsel as legal counsel for the agency.