Most other major cities have capital infrastructure budgets, but for its 175 years as a U.S. city, Los Angeles hasn’t had one – until now.
On May 4, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass unveiled the city’s first capital infrastructure program that streamlines the budgeting and delivery of infrastructure projects. It lays out a comprehensive roadmap for the city to improve the way it maintains and builds new infrastructure.
“With my capital infrastructure program, we are forging a new path together to better design, maintain and deliver – on time and budget – the infrastructure that Angelenos deserve,” Bass said at a news conference. “We will finally responsibly plan for long-term improvements to our streets, sidewalks, parks and every piece of infrastructure across Los Angeles.”
Preparing for the Games
The principal focus of this first capital infrastructure budget is the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The budget includes 29 capital projects tied to the Olympic Games, including a whole series of road and access improvements around individual venue sites, such as Exposition Park, the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area in the San Fernando Valley and the Athletes’ Village at UCLA.
Bass noted that 16 of the Olympics-related projects are funded in the upcoming fiscal 2026-2027 budget that takes effect on July 1.
The capital infrastructure program does not apply to the city’s three proprietary departments that generate their own revenues: the Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles World Airports and the Port of Los Angeles. Each have their own capital improvement budgets.
