June 2024 RASC Luncheon with Brian Balderrama, LA Metro

It was a packed room on Monday, June 17 for the first RASC luncheon of 2024. Maybe it was the delicious Mediterranean lunch Programs Chair J.P. Ziegler arranged. Or maybe it was the info-packed presentation by LA Metro’s Brian Balderrama.

Brian serves as Deputy Executive Officer, Project Management – Program Management/Regional Rail, the youngest department at Metro but one with far-reaching impact. His department manages over $8 billion in capital improvement projects, including coordinating State of Good Repair projects with Metrolink, and they’re responsible for all external communication with other agencies, including BNSF, Metrolink, LOSSAN, CHSR, Brightline and High Desert Corridor JPA.

It was truly a whirlwind tour through Brian’s work portfolio; from the planning work on the Antelope Valley Line and construction set for 2026 to the nine active capital projects across LA County, we heard about project successes such as the Rosecrans/Marquardt Crossing and the first Quiet Zone in the works for Los Angeles at the Doran St & Broadway/Brazil Grade Separation.

His team also leads Metrolink SCORE projects across LA County, including Chatsworth Station, Burbank Station, Marengo Siding and El Monte Siding.

Brian touched on programs and projects in every part of the County:

·         the nascent High Desert Corridor JPA, which at over 50 miles long, is treated as a regional connection within the service development plan;

·         and the status of the Gold Line from the near completion of 2A to the future planning of 2C.

He graciously took questions from the audience, and gave us insight into planning priorities, construction forecasts, and details on project wins like Rosecrans/Marquardt, eleven days ahead of schedule because of good decisions and productive partnering.

Special thanks to our speaker, Brian Balderrama, for taking time out of his day to speak with RASC, and to our to our attending members and annual corporate sponsors HDR, STV and Mott MacDonald.

RASC’s goal is to provide scholarships for undergraduates interested in transportation, and the money raised from these luncheons support that initative directly.

Join us! Sign up now to become a member of the Railway Association of Southern California (2024 RASC Membership) and be first in line for the next program.

Sponsor us! Help us grow our scholarship base. Sponsor a program by reaching out to J.P. Ziegler (jackson.ziegler@railpros.com) or become an annual corporate sponsor (RASC Sponsorship Levels).