Transportation
Rep. Chu and other Los Angeles County Members of Congress at the Gold Line groundbreaking.
We need a transportation system that will ease our impact on the environment and support our region’s role as a crucial freight corridor. Residents of the San Gabriel Valley commute many miles to work and often sit for hours in traffic. Our region deserves the same transportation options as the rest of the county: walkable communities, bicycle infrastructure, light rail, a robust bus network, and freeways with smooth interchanges and carpool lanes.
That is why I was so excited to vote in favor of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This legislation will ultimately invest $1.2 trillion to rebuild roads, bridges, and public transit, expand access to clean drinking water, advance environmental justice, and invest in historically under-resourced communities. I also voted in favor of the American Rescue Plan Act, which was signed into law in March 2021 and dedicated $30.5 billion to strengthen our nation’s public transportation systems.
Altogether, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is expected to create two million new, good-paying jobs. This historic funding directly benefits Southern California—from our public transit systems to our ports to our many highways and freight rail lines crisscrossing the region. And, by making more federal funds available, the law frees up additional state and local funding for other critical infrastructure projects in our area.
I'm proud of the progress made, with the support of federal investments, to build out the Metro’s Foothill Gold Line, the San Gabriel Valley’s light rail connection to Los Angeles. The first extension of the Foothill Gold Line to the Azusa/Glendora border saw such high ridership that LA Metro had to add additional trains to the schedule. I am committed to seeing the Gold Line Extension completed all the way to Montclair, and one day, to the Ontario Airport. I will continue to work with local and regional transit partners to support the construction of the second phase of the Gold Line extension.
Finally, I believe that we need to invest in America's infrastructure with public funds and a long-term commitment. Our bridges, roads, railways and tunnels need repair and upkeep, and I believe that Congress should commit to building an infrastructure system for the 21st Century. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to support robust funding to build today the infrastructure we need for tomorrow.