Downtown L.A. Streetcar Project Competes for $25 Million
Last Updated: February 12, 2010
Downtown L.A. Streetcar Project Competes for $25 Million
Public-private partnership pushes forward on plan to ride a streetcar downtown by 2014
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 10, 2010) -The City of Los Angeles, on behalf of the public-private partnership advancing the streetcar plan, today submitted its application to the Federal Transit Administration for a $25-million grant for the Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar. Los Angeles will compete with a number of other cities in the U.S. seeking funds from the recently announced $180 million Urban Circulator grant program, part of President Obama's Livability Initiative.
According to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the funds will be used to support "urban circulator projects such as streetcars...to support communities, expand business opportunities and improve people's quality of life while also creating jobs." According to the Federal Transit Administration, a maximum amount of $25 million will be made available for individual projects that foster the redevelopment of districts into walkable, mixed use and high density environments.
"A downtown streetcar will create jobs and housing, help people circulate between destinations, connect neighborhoods and transit options, spur economic development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Councilmember José Huizar. "I applaud the City of Los Angeles, Bringing Back Broadway, L.A. Streetcar Inc, CRA and the entire team that put together this strong package. Now we will look to our colleagues in Washington to help us take a major step towards becoming the country's largest streetcar city by 2014."
The Downtown L.A. Streetcar will connect Historic Broadway with downtown's other entertainment and cultural destinations, including L.A. Live and Bunker Hill/Music Center in an approximately 4.7 mile couplet route, intended to be operational by 2014. If plans to bring a streetcar to downtown Los Angeles are successful, Los Angeles would be the first big city in the U.S. advancing a modern streetcar system. The project has been discussed with the community for more than a decade. Now feasibility studies are complete, route options have been determined, and traffic studies have begun, as part of the environmental review expected to be completed by 2011.
"We're thrilled that streetcars are getting the appropriate attention and funding opportunities on the national level and we feel Los Angeles is an ideal recipient for these funds. Los Angeles can become a model for how streetcars benefit not just small and mid-sized cities, but can make a huge impact in a big city like L.A.," said Dennis Allen, Executive Director for L.A. Streetcar Inc. (LASI). LASI (www.LAStreetcar.org) is a non-profit coalition of property owners and downtown leaders, which was formed to raise private funds for partnership in designing, planning and implementing a downtown streetcar system, using Portland/Seattle as the model for this public-private partnership.
The City's application for the Downtown Streetcar grant funding received incredible support from a wide-range of community members, civic and business leaders, organizations and elected officials. Letters were submitted for the application by:
Elected Officials Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, U.S. House of Representatives Senator Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, State of California Assemblymember John Perez, California State Assembly (Speaker-elect)
Organizations
* Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)
* Los Angeles Conservancy
* Historic Downtown L.A. Business Improvement District
* Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council
* LA Inc. The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau
* Hotel Association of Los Angeles
* Central City Association of Los Angeles
* Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
* YWCA Greater Los Angeles
* The American Institute of Architects/L.A.
* Southern California Transit Coalition
* Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic
* Community Redevelopment Agency / LA
Property & Business Owners, Stakeholders, & Civic Leaders
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Cathedral Of our Lady of the Angels; Ted Tanner, AEG/L.A. Live; Shahram Afshani, Liberty National Enterprises and NCT Lofts; Zuri Barnes, Broadway Exchange Building, LLC; Kate Bartolo, Kate Bartolo & Associates; Blair Besten, Besten Group-Keller Williams Larchmont; J. Russell Brown; Ben Cohan, Victory Capital Group; Warren Cooley, Valley Economic Development Center; Michael J. Crehan, PSOMAS; Ezatollah Delijani, Delson Investment Company; Mark Farzan, Broadway & Eight Investments, LLC; David Lawrence Gray, The Judson / David Lawrence Gray Architects; Eric Gutshall, I D S Real Estate Group; Tara J. Hamacher, National Preservation Partners; David Houk, Houk Development Company; Beatrice Hsu, Related California / Grand Avenue Project; Dianne W. Lee, Leo A Daly; Cedd Moses, 213 Ventures Inc; Tyler P. Murphy, The Robin Group Investment Real State Services; Steve Needleman, The Orpheum Theatre / Anjac Fashion Buildings; Charisse Older, Morton's The Steakhouse; S. Chris Park, Wilshire Grand Hotel; Anne W. Peaks, The Yellin Company, LLC; Peklar A. Pilavjian, Los Angeles United Investment Company, LLC; Tricia D. Robbins, Transit Advocate; D. Rocky Rockefeller, Rockefeller Partners Architects; Ed Rosenthal, Grubb & Ellis Company; Barry Shy, SB Properties; Jose Luis Valenzuela, Latino Theater Company / LATC; Robert Voskanian, Million Dollar Theater Inc.
Grants submissions are being reviewed by the Federal Transit Administration and are set to be awarded in June 2010. For more on Bringing Back Broadway, go to www.BringingBackBroadway.com for more on L.A. Streetcar Inc., go to www.LAStreetcar.org
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