Metro receives $900 million to boost infrastructure ahead of LA 2028 Olympics

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As Los Angeles prepares to host the 2028 Olympics, one of the major factors that will decide the success of the games is transportation.

"The Olympic Games has made it very clear that there will be no-car zones throughout L.A.," county Supervisor Holly Mitchell said. "Go Metro!"

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is receiving $900 million dollars from the federal government to boost its infrastructure, fund new projects, and improve safety. the investments will last long past the Olympic and paralympic games.

"We're going to be ready for the games. We're going to correct decades of division in our communities and create a better quality of life for all Angelenos," said California Sen. Alex Padilla.

"Our belief from the beginning was not to fit L.A. to the games, but fit the games to L.A. And so we've been doing that every step of the way in transportation. This is what L.A. needs, and so if the Olympics can be an accelerant to make that happen before and during and after the games, it's a powerful opportunity that will leave the city better and more equipped to handle it's incredible place in the world," said Casey Wasserman, the chairman of L.A. 2028.

$700 million of the funds come from the bipartisan infrastructure law and the recently passed appropriations bill. The more L.A. county residents ride Metro, the safer the service will be and the best way to experience the Olympics will be public transportation.

"Bus ridership is up pre-pandemic levels so people are riding the busses. Trains haven't quite hit pre-pandemic levels, but we're getting there so our job is to improve it so public transit will become the natural go-to for Angelenos," said Mitchell.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an agreement with Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine Mayor Karim Bouamrane to collaborate on multiple issues, and toured the Paris 2024 Olympic Village with Mayor Mathieu Hanotin of Saint-Denis and the rest of the L.A. delegation.

Many of the Metro projects underway will be completed well before the Olympics, so the hope is that hosting big sporting events like L.A. 2028 will with the World Cup in 2026 and the Super Bowl in 2027 will be test runs for the vital role Metro will play during the Olympics.