Sen. Padilla Secures $900M for LA Transportation Ahead of Olympics; EPA Finalizes Emissions Rule for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Padilla and Officials Highlight Nearly $900 Million in Federal Funding to Bolster LA Transportation Infrastructure Ahead of 2028 Olympic Games

LOS ANGELES, CA — Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Chair Karen Bass and other officials April 3 announced new federal transportation infrastructure investments for the LA region. Leaders gathered to highlight nearly $900 million in recent federal investments in LA Metro to improve mobility and upgrade transportation infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The funding for LA Metro includes over $700 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the recently passed FY 2024 appropriations bill. Last month, Senator Padilla also highlighted $139 million for LA Metro’s “Removing Barriers and Creating Legacy” project, which will reconnect communities and strengthen mobility across highway and arterial barriers as the region prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The funding comes through the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program (RCN), which includes the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program that was modeled off the Reconnecting Communities Act that Padilla co-led in 2021.

The $139 million Padilla helped secure through the RCN Program will invest in bus priority lanes, bus corridor enhancements, mobility hubs, first/last mile enhancements, and Metro GoPass, among other elements. These investments will improve connectivity in LA County, providing direct benefits to 1 million disadvantaged Angelenos.

The RCN Program also awarded $9.96 million for the Humphreys Bridge Crossing. This partnership between LA Metro, Caltrans, and LA County Public Works will construct a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle overcrossing adjacent to the existing Humphreys Avenue bridge over I-710 in the historically disadvantaged community of East Los Angeles, California. The project also includes complementary pedestrian safety and accessibility improvements such as upgraded crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, and improved sidewalks.

Padilla Applauds Strong EPA Final Emissions Rule for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) March 29 applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s or EPA release of the strongest national greenhouse gas standards in history for heavy-duty vehicle emissions to begin in model year 2027.

The stringent Phase 3 final rule will lead to about 1 billion metric tons of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions reductions, $13 billion in annualized net benefits, and $3.5 billion in savings for truck owners from 2027-2055. When combined with EPA’s low NOx rule, these standards will produce over $22 billion in annualized net benefits in terms of premature deaths and other health effects, marking a major win for both the climate and public health.

Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in the United States, accounting for more than a quarter of all greenhouse emissions nationwide. HDVs are particularly hazardous, comprising only 10% of vehicles on the road but producing 28% of the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, 45%  of its nitrogen oxide or NOx emissions, and 57% of its particulate matter emissions. Strong HDV emission standards will help significantly reduce these harmful impacts to air quality, climate change, and public health while improving economic competitiveness and accelerating job creation.