Final Leg Of the Westwood Purple Line Extension Gets Funding Jolt

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Metro Purple Line subway extension will receive $100 million in federal grants next year, the Federal Transit Administration announced Wednesday.

The funds will go toward the third and final leg of the extension, which will connect Century City and the Westwood/VA Hospital, the ultimate terminus of a line that will stretch from downtown to the Westside.

The funding will be from the FTA's Capital Investment Grants Program, and was one of five grants given to public transportation projects around the country.

"These significant investments in the public transit systems in five communities across the country will improve mobility for riders who depend upon public transit every day," U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said.

The Purple Line currently runs from downtown to Koreatown, but its first two extensions are under construction between Wilshire/Western and Century City.

Metro announced in September that the entire line is on track to open by 2026, in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

"FTA continues to evaluate and advance projects in the CIG program, considering each project on its individual merits while demonstrating good governance consistent with discretion afforded in federal law," FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams said.

The Purple Line's first two extensions have already received federal funding, and Metro is now seeking a $1.3 billion grant for the third section through the FTA's New Starts Program, and agency officials said in September they anticipate a grant agreement will be reached by early 2019. The total cost of all three extensions is estimated to be $8.2 billion, paid for through a mixture of federal dollars along with funds from Measure R and Measure M.

City News Service; Photo: Shutterstock