Press Releases

LOS ANGELES – Today, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) announced that six infrastructure projects in California’s 34^th District have been selected for federal funding through House Democrats’ surface transportation legislation, the INVEST in America Act. Congressman Gomez submitted seven local projects for consideration by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) and the following were selected: the East Los Angeles Community Mobility Project, the TRI-CONNECT SoCal Freight Initiative, the Highways to Boulevards Project, the Link Union Station Project, the L.A. Streetcar Power Utility Relocations Project, and the Vermont Transit Corridor Improvements Project. In total, Congressman Gomez secured $21,640,000 in federal funding for these projects. On Wednesday, June 9, the INVEST in America Act passed the House T&I Committee's markup, and it will be brought to the House Floor for a vote in the near future.

“The INVEST in America Act demonstrates how serious my House Democrats colleagues and I are about transforming our nation’s infrastructure and delivering on our promises,” said Congressman Gomez. “My office was determined to secure the funds needed to help millions of Angelenos across our city, and I’m proud to announce we successfully helped secure nearly $20 million for our community through the projects in this legislation. These projects represent a wide variety of proposals centered on resilient infrastructure solutions that will strengthen our fight against the climate crisis, make our local economy work more efficiently, and, most importantly, improve the mobility, public health, and livability of all my constituents. This infrastructure package is a major investment in California’s 34^thCongressional District with the bold action needed to ensure a more sustainable, environmentally-just future for all our communities.”

The INVEST in America Act is a transformative five-year, $547 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill that will help give viable projects the funding needed to get across the finish line and deliver sustainable, resilient infrastructure nationwide.

Through this legislation, the East Los Angeles Community Mobility Project will receive $800,000 to help improve mobility in East L.A. around I-710N via landscape, transit, access, and intersection improvements in the area.

The TRI-CONNECT, SoCal Freight Initiative will receive $3,360,000 to develop, test, and deploy advanced Connected Vehicle and Cooperative Intelligent Transportation System (C-ITS) technologies in select locations along the transportation corridor between the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the Inland Empire. This funding will lay the foundation for connected, automated, and sustainable freight movement to improve safety and efficiency.

The Highways to Boulevards Project will receive $480,000 for a study to identify and evaluate urban highways that can be converted into city streets or boulevards, especially in underserved communities, Black and Brown communities, and communities which have suffered from environmental injustice.

The Link Union Station Project will receive $5,000,000 to convert Union Station from a stub-end tracks station into a run-through tracks station and to create a new and expanded passenger concourse that will improve circulation, passenger experience, and will accommodate future California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) service. To learn more about this project, please click here.

The L.A. Streetcar Power Utility Relocations Project will receive $2,000,000 to enhance Downtown Los Angeles' power grid and to relocate utility units to construct the L.A. Streetcar. To learn more about this project, please click here.

The Vermont Transit Corridor Improvements Project will receive $10,000,000, secured by Congressman Gomez and Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37), for planning and designing improvements in north-south transit service along the corridor, the busiest bus route in Los Angeles County, through enhanced connectivity to local and regional transit services, increased capacity, and improved on-time performance. To learn more about this project, please click here.

"I applaud and thank Congressman Gomez for acknowledging the needs of East LA residents and for requesting funding through the forthcoming surface transportation reauthorization legislation to improve mobility in the Eastside," said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair, Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District. "If passed, the legislation will provide $800,000 to the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works to engage constituents and plan for safer, healthier streets and sidewalks in unincorporated East Los Angeles."

"We are encouraged that two important mobility projects - the Vermont Transit Corridor and LINK Union Station - have been included in the INVEST in America Act - a multi-year surface transportation authorization bill being advanced by Congress," remarked Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. "Metro is deeply appreciative to Congressman Jimmy Gomez for advocating for both these worthwhile mobility enhancing projects. In the days and weeks ahead, we look forward to Congress passing this much needed infrastructure bill."

"We are grateful for this direct infusion of federal resources which is a strong show of support for our region's efforts to address truck traffic on our congested freeways and a boost to equity in our regional study to identify opportunities to reknit communities that have been impacted by freeway construction policies of the past," said Kome Ajise, Executive Director of the Southern California Association of Governments.

To read more about the Member-designated projects submitted by Congressman Gomez for funding, please click here. To read more about the INVEST in America Act, please click here.