Schiff Joins Garcia, LA County Delegation in Support of Metro’s Southeast Gateway Line Project
Washington, D.C.— Today, Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and members of the Los Angeles County Delegation in asking Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Director of Office Management and Budget Shalanda Young to include funding for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) Southeast Gateway Line Project in the Fiscal Year 2026 President’s Budget Request. The Southeast Gateway Line will provide historically underserved communities across Southeast Los Angeles and the Gateway Cities with long-overdue access to high-quality public transit.
“Investing in the Southeast Gateway Line will connect our historically underserved communities in Southeast Los Angeles to vital resources and opportunities across Los Angeles County,” said Rep. Schiff. “This project embodies our commitment to building more high-quality transit while prioritizing environmental sustainability. I strongly urge the Department of Transportation to include funding for this transformative project, which will spur economic growth and improve the quality of life for countless residents in Los Angeles and California.”
“We need to ensure that underserved communities throughout Southeast Los Angeles and the Gateway Cities have access to the high-quality public transit they deserve,” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “Metro’s Board has made the Southeast Gateway Line Project its top priority and has lined up the necessary local funding to support it. Now, we need a federal funding commitment to keep this project moving forward. Our communities, which have often been overlooked, are counting on us to provide safe and reliable transportation for years to come.”
Metro’s Board of Directors has chosen the Southeast Gateway Line Project as their top priority and is using local funding from voter-approved sales taxes to support it. Thanks to teamwork with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the project is in the Project Development phase. In April, the Metro Board approved a 14.5-mile light rail line from the Slauson A Line Station to Artesia and finalized the Environmental Impact Report. The FTA completed its review in August 2024.
The Southeast Gateway Line Project aims to improve transit access for disadvantaged communities in Southeast Los Angeles County and the Gateway Cities. The letter requests $100 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget to help with ongoing design, engineering, and other necessary work. Metro has also submitted required information to the FTA and expects a positive rating to move the project forward into the Engineering Phase.
Read the full letter here.
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