Senate subcommittee hears plans to shore up Los Angeles rail corridor; officials stress ridership growth and funding needs

The California State Senate Transportation Subcommittee on Los Angeles Rail Corridor Resiliency held a hybrid hearing focused on strengthening service, increasing ridership and financing capital work along the Los Angeles rail corridor, lawmakers and agency officials said. Panelists from Metrolink, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and the Legislative Analyst’s Office described short- and long-term projects, climate-driven threats near the coast and the need for sustained state and federal funding.

The panelists told senators they are pursuing a mix of schedule changes, station and track projects, and targeted fare initiatives to attract “choice” riders while also shoring up coastal segments threatened by bluff erosion and sea-level rise. Senator Blake Spear, the subcommittee chair, said she has sponsored bills to require resiliency planning and to direct the state transportation agency to submit corridor improvement plans to the Legislature. She said the corridor is vital ahead of major events and for meeting the state’s climate goals.

Metrolink Chief Strategy Officer Paul Hubler described a recent service redesign intended to flatten peak/valley schedules and add midday and evening trips. “We instituted a major service schedule and service initiative increasing service by 23%,” Hubler said, adding that the agency added 32 trains — “we went from 142 trains a day to a 174 trains a day during the week.” He said early returns include record weekend ridership and a post-pandemic weekday average of about 23,000 boardings in April.

Hubler and other witnesses framed additional ridership growth as contingent on capital projects that allow more frequent bi‑directional service. Metrolink’s SCORE Phase 1 projects, funded in part by the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and other state grants, are intended to unlock 30‑minute bi‑directional service on multiple corridors; Hubler said completion of those projects would support annual ridership rising toward an estimated 14–21 million riders over the next decade, but that outcome is “contingent on the capital projects being completed and also the willingness or the ability to sustain the cost of that increased service frequencies.”

Dawn Battista, chief financial officer for the San Diego Association of Governments, described recent coastal resilience work in San Diego County, including completed double‑tracking that increased the corridor’s double‑tracked share from about 50% to 75% since 2009 and ongoing projects to replace century‑old bridges and stabilize bluffs. “These investments help operators achieve their goals to increase their service and create resiliency and redundancy along the corridor,” Battista said, noting that some projects are in environmental review and others are awaiting federal grant execution.

Panelists emphasized funding limits. Hubler highlighted state grant programs tied to the greenhouse gas reduction fund — including TIRCP and Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) — and said federal pandemic relief funds are largely spent. He asked legislators to consider reauthorization of cap‑and‑trade allocations that support rail. Battista described San Diego County’s Transnet sales tax measure and projected allocations: roughly $171 million available for operations over the next five years and about $349 million for the transit pass‑through program in that same period, while also noting local match constraints and rising construction costs.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office’s Frank Gimenez summarized tradeoffs for the Legislature: the state has a rationale to support the corridor, and it could provide ongoing or one‑time funding for operations or climate‑related work, but additional funding would compete with other priorities and must account for the corridor’s split ownership among public and private entities.

Senators asked about specific ridership experiments, fare incentives and advertising revenue. Panelists described Metrolink’s student pass program — initially a 100% discount that produced substantial student ridership gains and later scaled to a 50% discount for the new fiscal year because state funds were exhausted — and other fare‑based and marketing efforts intended to lower barriers to trial use.

Witnesses also warned of political and environmental constraints: SANDAG staff said coastal communities sometimes oppose visible rail projects, and project delivery faces high costs, environmental review and local match shortfalls. Multiple speakers urged closer coordination among corridor operators, owners and state agencies so that capital projects and operating plans align across jurisdictions.

The subcommittee concluded the hearing after inviting public comment and said comments submitted to the record would be accepted. The panel did not take formal votes during this hearing.