LOS ANGELES-The Federal Transit Administration has granted the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority a record of decision for the $1.37 billion Regional Connector Transit Corridor. The move certifies that the project has now satisfied all federal environmental guidelines and is an important prerequisite for Metro to begin final design of the nearly two-mile underground light rail line downtown. The MTA is also now able to seek federal funding to help build the line.

Regional Connector, partially funded with $160 million in Measure R sales-tax money approved by voters in 2008, is considered one of the region’s most significant transit projects because it will connect the Metro Gold Line, Blue Line and Expo Line through downtown L.A., enabling passengers to take a “one-seat ride” from Montclair to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica, CA.

“The Regional Connector is the vital link connecting the county’s regional transportation network by uniting the Gold Line, the Blue Line and the Expo Line—allowing for future one-seat trips between the San Gabriel Valley, Long Beach and the Westside,” said Michael D. Antonovich, L.A. County Supervisor and Metro board chair, in a prepared statement.