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As the Trump administration continues to threaten federal funding for a wide range of sectors, programs and projects across the country, local officials and transport experts understand how the metro will or will be affected, and understand the response to the 2028 Olympics’ Multibilion Dollar Request, as cities wait for millions of dollars to expand their rail lines.
The Metropolitan Transportation Agency relies heavily on federal funding for daily transportation operations and major projects, including the construction of the Purple Line Extension Project. This extends the route from Koreatown to the Miracle Mile to the East San Fernando Valley Line.
Metro continues to assess how vulnerable the promised federal funds are.
“At this point, we haven’t disrupted the federal funding flow,” said Michael Turner, executive director of government affairs at Metro. “For decades here, we’ve been working with Congressional delegations, working with the Republican and Democrat administrations in Washington to advance the program. We’ll continue doing that here.”
The looming question is how the Trump administration will respond to a $3.2 billion demand to fund last year’s Olympic transport project. The majority of requests were $2 billion leasing around 3,000 buses as part of the city’s push to expand its gaming transport network across the county.
“We’re moving forward with the plan as if fully funded. Also, county superintendent Janice Hahn, who chairs the Metro Commission, said: “So we’re going under the assumption that we’re going to work with them.”
The Department of Transport released a memo earlier this year saying funding will be prioritized in areas with high marriage and birth rates and areas where vaccines are not mandated. Hearn said the money reads like a “veiled threat” piloted from a blue state towards the red state, raising concerns about what decisions will continue.
“I hope that isn’t true, but I think that’s why we realized a bit that there may be different standards for funding projects.
Hahn said the first Trump administration worked well with the Metro, but if the Department of Transport makes major changes to its policy, there may be a wider need from the state this time.
Rep. Nick Schultz (D. Barbank) recently introduced a bill in 2026 that requires voters to approve $20 billion in bonds to fund transportation projects across California. The bill is supported by Metro.
Eli Lipmen, executive director of Transit Advocacy Group Move LA, said voters have supported sales tax measures in the past, and Los Angeles “doesn’t really depend on who is in the White House.” However, concerns remain about how the current administration will affect megaprojects with regard to public transport.
So far, California’s Department of Transport’s main focus has been on state high-speed rail projects, currently undergoing compliance reviews that could impact future federal funds. At a recent press conference at Union Station, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy called the train a “silly project” and said the state must be responsible for its spending. The project has spent more than $13 billion in its ongoing challenges surrounding budgets and timelines. The route stretching has not been completed, and officials estimate the budget is more than $100 billion than originally proposed.
Transportation experts say the decision to withdraw federal dollars from high-speed rail projects could have ripple effects across other major projects in the state.
If the costs of construction materials such as steel, wood and concrete continue to increase, tariffs can present obstacles to infrastructure projects.
“These tariff threats are directly at odds with the goal of reducing costs for ordinary Americans, but also at reducing the costs of large projects that we think need to create in this country,” said Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale).
Friedman, who is on the House Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, recently emphasized California’s status as a donor state, claiming why it is necessary to receive federal funds.
“California sends more money to the federal government than we have returned.
“We are not asking other states to send us money. We are asking to keep some of our money when we host the U.S.-wide Olympics, when we are recovering from a fire, and when we are needed.”
Times staff writer Ian James contributed to this report.
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