LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 3: Passengers wait for Metro Rail subway trains during rush hour June 3, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Skyrocketing gas prices are driving more commuters to take trains and buses to work instead of their cars. In the first three months of 2008, the number of trips taken on public transport in the US rose 3 percent to 2.6 billion, creating pressures on some transportation systems to cope with increasing ridership. Transit officials in southern California and elsewhere are now encouraging employers to stagger employee schedules to ease the rush hour crunch on trains and buses and Metrolink plans to add 107 rail cars to its fleet of 155 as soon as next year. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Los Angeles, California – With a projected $2.3 billion budget shortfall looming through 2030 and critical state funding still undecided, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) finance committee voted Thursday to advance a $9.4 billion budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year. The plan, which marks a 2% increase from the previous year’s budget, will be reviewed by the full Metro board next week.
The budget includes a nearly $180 million increase in spending over last year, mainly driven by investments in transit operations and infrastructure. Roughly $3 billion has been allocated for rail and bus expansion projects, with more than $2 billion set aside for infrastructure planning and construction. Key projects include the Vermont Transit Corridor bus lane, the Sepulveda Corridor rail project, and the ongoing D Line extension to the Westside.
However, with billions of dollars in federal funding still uncertain and Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest budget revision omitting Metro’s $2 billion funding request, the agency is preparing for difficult financial decisions in the years ahead.
“As we look ahead to major events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, we know we’ll have to make some tough decisions,” said Tim Sandoval, chair of Metro’s finance, budget and audit committee. “But we’ll always use our core values to guide us.”
Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins warned state leaders of the looming deficit earlier this year and emphasized the need for increased operational funding. In a letter to top state lawmakers, Wiggins highlighted the agency’s return to 90% of pre-pandemic ridership levels, with Sunday ridership now surpassing 2019 figures. Despite this recovery, she stressed that operational costs remain high and that sustained state support is critical to maintaining services.
The proposed budget also includes over $390 million for public safety — a nearly 2% increase from the previous year — amid public concern over rising violence on transit lines, including attacks on bus operators and crime around Metro stations.
Advocates like Eli Lipmen of Move LA call on the state to provide urgent operational funding to avoid service cuts. “Public transportation is vital for jobs, for the health of our economy,” Lipmen said. “The state has to play a role in ensuring everyone can get where they need to go.”
While Newsom’s revised budget did not meet Metro’s request, it did redirect $17.6 million from the state highway fund to support Olympics and Paralympics planning, including Metro’s proposed Games Route Network. But with $2 billion in funding still unconfirmed to lease nearly 3,000 buses for the 2028 Games, key elements of Metro’s Olympic transit strategy remain in flux.
Meanwhile, city agencies that support Metro’s plans—including LADOT, Streets LA, and the Bureau of Engineering—face their own budget crises, which threaten to undermine regional preparations ahead of the global event.
