L.A. Mayor Advocates Transportation Bill in D.C.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa traveled to Washington, D.C. Thursday in support of a transportation bill that would fund various projects in the area, including the .

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) wrote the bill "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century" that would allow municipalities some flexibility in the repayment of loans for transportation projects. The bill also includes $1 billion in federal guarantees and would allow municipalities to fund projects with loans from private capital markets. It is being presented as part of the "America Fast Forward" program, which is based on Villaraigosa's 30/10 Initiative to fast-track public transportation projects in Los Angeles County.

Villaraigosa told reporters that he is confident he will receive a $646 million loan for the Westside Subway Extension, which would extend the Purple Line from Downtown Los Angeles to Westwood, with a route that includes in Beverly Hills. He said the proposed bill would speed up the start of construction on the project, currently slated to begin in 2016 or 2017.

Speaking before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Villaraigosa said he supports the bill because it would keep federal funding at a constant level instead of cutting it.

"The current extension of our surface transportation bill expires on Sept. 30," Villaraigosa told the committee. "The clock is ticking and we are at a critical fork in the road."

This report was compiled with information from City News Service.

Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.