City Finds Another $1 Million in Streetcar Funding
Eric Richardson
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A red streetcar runs through Seattle's South Lake Union district.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The City of Los Angeles got the construction of Upper 2nd Street done significantly under budget, and Councilman Jose Huizar wants to see the $1 million leftover put into the Downtown Streetcar project. The new funds come hot on the heels of $5 million approved by the Community Redevelopment Agency last week.
Huizar made the request in a motion filed on Friday. It has been referred to the Council's Transportation and Public Works committees.
The funding for the Upper 2nd Street project included $1.8 million in Federal Surface Transportation Project - Local (STP-L) monies. Only $800,000 of those funds were spent in completing the street extension. Huizar's motion asks to reprogram the remaining funds to the streetcar project for preliminary engineering and environmental work.
The 3.4 mile project is expected to cost $90 million, and estimates have the private sector providing 30% - 50% of that total. Backers are saying they want to have the line up and running by 2014. While an exact route has not been set, the line is planned to connect LA Live, Broadway and Bunker Hill.

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