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.
Supporting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
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. Nearly $62 billion of this historic funding directly benefits California—from our public transit systems to our ports to our many highways and freight rail lines across the region. By making more federal funds available, the law frees up additional state and local funding for other critical infrastructure projects in our area.
Unfortunately, this landmark law is under attack from President Trump, who has already rolled back implementation of key climate provisions of the law via a series of Executive Orders (EOs). That is why on January 27, 2025 I joined House Democratic colleagues in a letter to Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Vaeth and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett to demand an itemized list of all Bipartisan Infrastructure Law projects impacted by President Trump’s EOs. Rest assured, I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to uphold the law and protect these critical investments.
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.
Supporting Local Infrastructure
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.
Additionally, as our Altadena and Pasadena communities have been decimated by the recent Eaton Fire, I am committed to providing our communities with the resources it needs to recover, including rebuilding critical infrastructure. That is why I will continue to fight in Washington, DC for a federal supplemental disaster assistance package that will fulfill Governor Newsom’s request for additional federal disaster aid. This funding is essential to rebuilding roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and contents, public utilities, parks, and recreational and other facilities. This request also calls for additional funding forthe U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Relief to provide immediate assistance and resources to repair and rebuild California’s federal-aid highways and roads. Federal assistance will be critical to ensure that our community is able to rebuild and heal.