Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

Funding will improve water quality, upgrade transit infrastructure, provide social support services, and expand educational programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $80 million in federal funding for 36 projects across Los Angeles County in the bipartisan FY 2023 appropriations package. The bill now heads to both chambers of Congress for final passage and then on to the President to be signed into law.

“I am proud to have secured funding for projects to ensure Angelenos have access to cleaner water, more reliable transit, affordable housing, and greater educational opportunities,” Senator Padilla said. “This funding will support local governments and community organizations that directly benefit our neighborhoods. Many of these projects will help our community members get to and from their jobs in order to provide for their families through increased public transit options. This includes better connecting the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys to link key economic and commercial centers. Funding affordable housing developments paired with improvements to transitional housing programs for those who need it most, in places like San Pedro and Torrance, will help us address California’s housing crisis.”

Projects across the Los Angeles region that will receive federal funding through the FY 2023 Appropriations Omnibus include:

• $10 million for the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund
  Congress created the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund to support local efforts to clean up contaminated groundwater in and around the San Gabriel Valley. This funding will support the treatment and remediation of drinking water supplies for over 1.8 million residents in the San Gabriel Valley.

• $5 million for the City of Glendora’s People Movement Project
  This project will focus on the construction of over 10 miles of active transportation infrastructure linking Glendora to the Metro L Line, neighboring cities, parks, services, retail, healthcare, and education.

• $5 million for the North Hollywood to Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit Project
  This project will help provide a key regional connection between the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys by linking key job and activity centers and providing an east-west transit service to better connect the communities of North Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale, Eagle Rock, and Pasadena.

• $4 million for Foothill Transit’s Zero Emissions Bus Program
  This project will deploy 24 zero-emission, double-deck buses in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys of Los Angeles County, one of the nation’s most congested regions.

• $4 million for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Rail to River Active Transportation Corridor Project
  This project will improve multimodal connectivity in historically disadvantaged communities by constructing an active transportation project along Slauson Avenue from the future Metro Crenshaw/LAX Fairview Heights Station to the Metro A Line Slauson Station.

• $4 million for the San Gabriel Valley Affordable Housing Project Pipeline
  This funding will provide for site acquisition, construction, and capital improvements of affordable housing developments.

• $3 million for the North Corridor Merced Avenue Greenway Project in the City of South El Monte
  This project will expand the Merced Avenue Greenway to combat rising temperatures, increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and improve local water quality. It will also help better connect residents to job opportunities and recreational spaces.

• $2.5 million for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Transit Plaza at SEED School of Los Angeles County & Metro Training and Innovation Center
  This funding will support the construction of a transit plaza at Vermont Avenue and Manchester Boulevard that will serve the surrounding area with a quality transit experience in a heavily-trafficked portion of Los Angeles.

• $2.5 million for Los Angeles County Public Works’ South Whittier Communities Bikeways Access Project
  This funding will support the installation of Class II bike lanes and Class III bike boulevards, wayfinding signage, roadway resurfacing, landscaping medians, and other street design improvements.

• $2.5 million for a PFAS Treatment by the Water Replenishment District of Southern California
  This project will treat and repair wells affected by PFAS and other contaminants to ensure clean drinking water for residents in La Habra, Montebello, and Whittier.

• $2.5 million for a Regional Public Safety Radio Network Upgrade in Los Angeles County
  The Interagency Communications Interoperability System is a local government owned Land Mobile Radio Network that hosts more than seventy Regional Public Safety Agencies, allowing all member entities to communicate directly with one-another through radio communications. This project will upgrade software and hardware throughout Los Angeles County to provide seamless interoperable communications for emergency responders.

• $2.4 million for the City of San Dimas’ Arrow Highway Street Improvement Project from West City Limit to East City Limit
  This project will support asphalt pavement reconstruction and rehabilitation, installation of ADA curb ramps, traffic signal improvements, replacement of concrete sidewalk, replacement of curb and gutter, and pavement marking and striping, and other safety enhancements to Arrow Highway.

• $2.3 million for Equipment at the College of the Canyons Regional Fire Academy
  This funding will help secure three training fire trucks and training equipment for the Regional Fire Academy at College of the Canyons.

• $2 million for the San Gabriel Valley Workforce Development Program
  This funding will support implementation of a workforce development program to provide those experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness with a path to economic security by connecting them to stable careers.

• $2 million for the City of Palmdale’s Avenue M and Sierra Highway Grade Separation Environmental Review and Planning Project
  This funding will support the railroad grade separation of Avenue M at the double-track at-grade crossing of the Southern California Regional Rail Authority Metrolink/Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Palmdale.

• $2 million for the City of Paramount’s Spane Park Regional Stormwater Infiltration Facility
  This project will install a regional stormwater capture and filtration facility in a disadvantaged community to improve water quality in the Los Angeles River watershed.

• $2 million for Community Pavilion and Gardens at Discovery Cube LA
  This funding will support Discovery Cube LA’s project to create a Community Pavilion and Gardens to expand STEM and environmental programming opportunities. The Community Pavilion and Gardens will provide a flexible educational space to host exhibits, guests, and community events.

• $2 million for Pebbly Beach Road Revetment Repairs and Structural Improvements in the City of Avalon
  This project will repair and enhance the structural integrity of the Pebbly Beach Road rock revetment.

• $2 million for the Vermont Transit Corridor Project in Los Angeles
  This project will improve north-south transit service along the Vermont Avenue corridor through enhanced connectivity to local and regional transit services, increased capacity, and improved on-time performance. This project would also enhance connections to the Metro B, C, D, and E Lines between Hollywood Boulevard and 120th Street.

• $1.75 million for the City of Torrance’s Temporary Housing Program and Project
  This funding will help support the Torrance Temporary Housing Program and Project, which provides housing stability in the form of tiny homes and case management/housing navigation.

• $1.62 million for Torrance Police Department Body-Worn and In-Car Cameras
  This funding will help the City of Torrance purchase police officer body-worn and in-car cameras to improve transparency, accountability, and public safety.

• $1.5 million for the San Gabriel Valley Mobile Crisis Program
  This project will improve responses for individuals experiencing a crisis by establishing alternative mobile crisis response teams to respond to and improve the outcomes of non-violent service calls and proactively engage with the community around mental health resources. The pilot will serve Arcadia, Montebello, San Marino, and South Pasadena.

• $1.5 million for the Bell Gardens Regional Aquatic Center
  This project will build a facility to support aquatic recreational opportunities for the Southeast Los Angeles County region.

• $1.5 million for the City of Santa Monica’s Behavioral Health Center
  This funding will support operations at a behavioral health center to accommodate 24/7 intakes from first responders and local emergency rooms.

• $1.5 million for the LA Optimized Small Business Assistance Project
  This funding will support a program connecting small business owners in Los Angeles to technical assistance so that they have the tools to modernize their business and expand their outreach to attract potential customers.

• $1.32 million to establish the Climate Change Education Center at West Los Angeles College
  This funding will support establishment of the Climate Change Education Center at West Los Angeles College, which aims to help both unemployed and underemployed individuals in procuring jobs in the green economy.

• $1.31 million for the City of Santa Clarita’s Safe Routes to School Safety Project
  This project will improve traffic and pedestrian safety at Placerita Junior High School and William S. Hart High School by providing safe and accessible walking and biking facilities.

• $1 million for the Returning Citizens Housing Stability Pilot Project in Los Angeles
  This funding will support the Returning Citizens Housing Stability Pilot Project by the LA Economic and Workforce Development Department, which aims to reduce recidivism by linking formerly incarcerated individuals with stable housing and supportive services.

• $1 million to the Santa Clarita Community College District for Robotics Program at College of the Canyons
  This funding will help purchase additional highly specialized and technical equipment for the robotic automation production lab and simulation center. Training through the robotics program is specifically curated to employers’ needs within North Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, enhancing students’ likelihood of filling high-demand and high-paying positions.

• $1 million for the South LA Vision Lab
  This funding will support the South LA Vision Lab, which will help bridge the digital divide in South Los Angeles. The programming at the Vision Lab will provide essential tech skills to guide youth to apprenticeships so that they have opportunities to earn a paycheck and gain work experience.

• $1 million for the YWCA Harbor Area & South Bay’s Julia Morgan Center for Women and Children Escaping Domestic and Sexual Violence
  This funding will support restoration and renovation of the historic Julia Morgan-designed YWCA in San Pedro, and the construction of a new two-story building for transitional housing for women and children escaping domestic and sexual violence, with program space for supportive legal, job development, human trafficking, and health care services, as well as expanded pre-school and child care services.

• $750,000 for Charles White Park Renovation in the City of Altadena
  This project will renovate Charles White Park in Altadena. 

• $750,000 for Los Angeles Community College District’s STEMM Academy for Girls, Women, and Underrepresented Students
  This funding will help the Los Angeles Community College District bolster the academic pipeline of historically underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) fields and connect dislocated workers to short term credentials in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine.

• $500,000 for the City of Los Angeles Eviction Filing System for Community Outreach and Support
  This funding will support a citywide Eviction Filing System to track vital data on evictions, so that the Los Angeles Housing Department can implement and adjust policies, identify the most vulnerable tenants, and better allocate resources to hard-to-reach people facing evictions in order to prevent homelessness.

• $300,000 for the Bouquet Canyon Creek Restoration Project
  Funding for the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency to assist with the restoration and improvements of river bank habitats and reestablishment of creek flows along the Bouquet Canyon.

• $50,000 for the Upper Santa Clara River Watershed Management Project
  This funding will help determine the feasibility of carrying out an aquatic ecosystem restoration project to improve quality of the Santa Clara River watershed, which is struggling with an infestation of invasive plants, primarily Arundo.

A full summary of the FY 2023 Appropriations Omnibus package is available here.

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