State, County Briefs: California Makes Major Broadband Investment and Metro Express Lanes Decriminalized

Senators Announce More Than $1.8 B. in Broadband Investments to Connect Californians 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) June 26 announced that California was awarded over $1.8 billion in funding for broadband access through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment or BEAD program, a key component of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will help to deploy affordable, reliable high-speed internet infrastructure to Californians through President Biden’s “Internet for All” initiative. California will receive just over $1,864,000,000 in BEAD funding.  

Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, is a federal grant program that aims to get all Americans online by funding partnerships between states or territories, communities, and stakeholders to build infrastructure where its needed and increase adoption of high-speed internet. BEAD prioritizes unserved locations that have no internet access or that only have access under 25/3 Mbps and underserved locations only have access under 100/20 Mbps. California has received a total of more than $6.9 billion in federal funding to bolster internet connectivity during the Biden-Harris Administration. In addition to helping connect everyone in America to high-speed internet, this funding will support good paying jobs deploying fiber and by using American made materials. 

Supervisor Hahn Applauds Permanent Decriminalization of Metro Express Lanes

Los Angeles— Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn June 23applauded a vote by the Metro Board to permanently decriminalize the Express Lanes on the 10 and 110 freeways. Supervisor Hahn, who serves on the Metro Board, was the author of the original proposal to decriminalize the lanes and replace it with a “pay-as-you-go” model in 2018.

For years, drivers were not allowed in the Metro Express Lanes on the I-10 and I-110 freeways without having an official transponder in their vehicle. If caught by California Highway Patrol in the Express Lane without a transponder, a driver would receive a $250 citation. A camera would also capture the license plates of any vehicles without transponders and send the drivers a fine in the mail.

In 2018, Supervisor Hahn proposed a plan to decriminalize the Express Lanes and allow drivers without a transponder to use the lanes and simply pay the congestion toll and a small processing fee which are sent in the mail. Metro implemented Hahn’s plan as a pilot program starting in 2019.

Data compiled by Metro showed 900,000 more people using the express lanes without transponders during the pilot program.