The LA Metro Board approved nearly $119 million in Measure M and Measure R money for projects in North County and the South Bay, plus up to $35 million more in Measure M funding for Long Beach’s Shoreline Drive Realignment. Metro announced the Metro Measure M funding on Oct. 27.
The money comes from the sales taxes that county voters approved for transportation. So it pays for local streets, bike lanes, transit hubs and safety fixes rather than new rail lines.
Metro Measure M funding for the South Bay
The South Bay gets the largest share: about $114.7 million for 23 projects, per Metro’s announcement. Measure M projects include the Hawthorne Mobility Hub, a 400-space park-and-ride structure, and Aviation Boulevard improvements in Inglewood. The list also covers pedestrian upgrades in San Pedro, the Avalon Promenade and Gateway, and the Lomita Boulevard Grade Separation.
Torrance also receives money for school safety and accessibility upgrades, a fiber network and traffic signal optimization. In addition, Measure R pays $4 million toward the Victoria Transit Center, a mobility hub in Carson. For related work nearby, see our story on the Inglewood Transit Connector.
North County projects
North County receives $5.18 million in added Measure M funding for its Active Transportation Program. That supports two new projects and schedule changes to two existing ones. The largest is the Challenger Way Corridor in Lancaster, at $4.91 million, for protected bikeways, a landscaped median, street lighting and pavement rehabilitation.
Santa Clarita gets $270,000 for trail cameras that also talk to traffic signals. The action also reprograms earlier funding for projects in Lake Los Angeles and along 30th Street West in Lancaster.
Long Beach and Shoreline Drive
The Board separately approved up to $35 million in additional Measure M funding for the Shoreline Drive Realignment Project in Long Beach. Metro says the money also helps the city keep a $30 million federal Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program award. Metro says the funding came through its annual subregional process.
What it means for residents
Approval does not mean construction starts tomorrow. Each city still has to design, bid and build its project, so most work will take months or years. Residents can follow progress through city council agendas and Metro updates. Our Los Angeles and California guide tracks other transit and road projects.