Commission approves Metro bus purchase; commissioners press for coordinated Olympic procurement planning

The Commission approved a $158.4 million allocation for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to purchase battery‑electric buses and related implementation work during the August 2025 meeting. The allocation was part of a larger transit and intercity rail capital package approved under tab 111.

Commissioner Elliott used the allocation discussion to question whether the Metro bus purchase and delivery timelines align with the broader transportation requirements of the 2028 Olympic Games (LA28). Shelly Kwan of LA Metro said the buses were part of Metro’s regular replacement and transition schedule and that some vehicles will be delivered in time for the Games, but she deferred detailed deployment and operations questions to Metro’s operations and procurement teams and offered to provide a follow‑up with more specific timelines.

Commissioners expressed concern about the scale and speed of procurement required to meet projected LA28 fleet needs. Elliott noted a projected multi‑thousand‑bus shortfall for LA28 and asked the Commission and Metro to coordinate with LA28 planners and other agencies to clarify procurement capacity and timelines. Vice Chair Falcone and other commissioners supported a coordinated planning effort and requested that CTC staff, Metro, LA28 and other stakeholders meet to review timelines and procurement strategies so the procurement window is not lost.

Metro staff confirmed that bus procurements typically take multiple years from contract to delivery and that limited domestic manufacturing capacity constrains rapid scaling. The Commission approved the allocation with an unrecorded roll call; no member registered opposition during the meeting. Commissioners asked for more frequent collaboration between CTC staff, Metro and LA28 planners on procurement and deployment planning.