On Monday, U.S. Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA) asked U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to fund the Los Angeles Metro’s West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Transit Corridor Project.
The WSAB Transit corridor, a 19-mile light rail corridor, would connect southeast LA County to downtown Los Angeles and provide a one-seat ride between Artesia and Union Station.
In a letter to Buttigieg, Sánchez applauded the US DOT’s collaboration with LA Metro to advance the WSAB project but also called for the inclusion of project development activity funding in the Annual Report on Funding Recommendations for Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program for FY 2024.
“Many working families in my district depend on public transit to get from point A to point B. Yet southeastern Los Angeles County has historically lacked access to high-quality, reliable public transportation,” Sánchez wrote. “The West Santa Ana Branch project will help change that reality, providing a one-seat ride from Artesia to Union Station. I am proud to support this critical investment in our transportation infrastructure, and I will continue working together with LA Metro and the Department of Transportation to see it to completion.”
Sánchez said funding for the project is critical as Southern California prepares to host several major global events in the coming years.
U.S. Reps. Karen Bass, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Grace Napolitano, Judy Chu, and Nanette Diaz Barragán (all D-CA) also signed the letter.