Local public partners support anchoring the transformative testing, research and development site for bus and passenger rail car manufacturing, highlight resulting vast economic benefits
After extensive countywide property analyses and site assessments, a preliminary site plan where an expansive 2 million square foot bus and passenger rail car hub of manufacturing and innovation could be located was unveiled at today’s Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board meeting.
Parcels for LA Metro’s Center for Transportation Excellence were evaluated based on size, access to rail corridors, zoning, existing infrastructure, proximity to labor supply and public transportation sites, and whether it was located in a Metro Equity Focus Community.
Located in the eastern section of Los Angeles World Airports’ Palmdale Airport land holdings, the nominated site is approximately 8.6 square miles and spans both unincorporated Los Angeles County and the City of Palmdale and will support a 7-mile rail car test track loop.
Supportive reactions to the site nomination for the Center for Transportation Excellence – which has the potential to generate $11.5 billion in economic returns and over 114,300 direct and indirect jobs according to the American Public Transportation Association – were swift.
LA Metro Board of Directors Chair Ara J. Najarian commented on the wide-reaching impact and potential of the Center for Transportation Excellence. “This facility will be a transformative presence nationally,” Najarian said. “It would serve transit agencies throughout the western United States that are anticipated to procure nearly 13,000 rail cars and 16,000 buses over the next 20 years. Establishing the Center also backs federal policies that promote purchasing domestically produced supplies and products. It’s a win on many fronts.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor and LA Metro Board member Kathryn Barger also voiced her support, introducing a motion co-authored by four Metro Board members immediately after LA Metro staff’s presentation that directed Metro’s Chief Executive Officer to engage Los Angeles County, City of Palmdale, and Los Angeles World Airports to execute a Master Cooperative Agreement reflecting their shared support and commitment to further exploring the feasibility of locating the Center for Transportation Excellence at the nominated site.
“Although we are in the very early stages of this project, I am excited about its potential to revolutionize the Antelope Valley’s job and economic outlook,” Barger stated. “As enthusiastic as I am about this site nomination, we can’t cut corners to get to the finish line. We need to plan this carefully and collaboratively. One of our first steps is lining up partnerships. This motion is about bringing our local, state, and federal stakeholders together as we explore advancing plans that will make this facility a reality. To position the Antelope Valley as a leader in the future of mobility for the region and the country, we all need to be rowing in the same direction.”
The site nomination also received immediate support from City of Palmdale Mayor Pro Tem Andrea Alarcón.
“The City of Palmdale wholeheartedly welcomes this unprecedented opportunity to advance the Buy America Policy and reestablish domestic transportation vehicle manufacturing right here in our City,” stated Alarcón. “The Center would be a transformative game changer for our community – a Metro Equity Focus Community bringing thousands of paying jobs, economic growth and vitality to our entire region. This economic engine will propel our city and its hardworking families at a time when local investment and workforce development align to meet the current and future needs of our state and federal transportation system.”
Next steps in advancing the Center for Transportation Excellence project include vetting the site from an environmental perspective by conducting various surveys of sensitive biological species. Metro staff will also develop a financial feasibility analysis, a conceptual budget, and a subsequent financing plan that layers multiple public and private sources.