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Costs

Achieving the goals of the LA River Master Plan will involve coordinated efforts among public, private, and nonprofit entities to implement a myriad of projects over the next 25 years.

During that time, physical, political, and financial conditions will change. However, through research of comparable precedents, an estimated budget range for the implementation of the Master Plan’s site- and system-based projects has been developed and could range from 19 billion to 24 billion dollars (2020 dollars).

Capital Costs

There are several primary cost considerations with the LA River Master Plan budget. Costs by improved acre could range from 1 million dollars (2019 dollars) per acre for trails and similar basic amenities to 15 million dollars per acre (2019 dollars) for more robust improvements such as bridges or sites requiring remediation. Costs can also be analyzed on a project by project basis (XS, S, M, L, and XL) and estimated budget ranges per project (see chart above for ranges). Given the wide range of project typologies, these ranges are understandably broad, but provide a basis for planning for capital and operational resources.

Estimated Costs per Project Sizes in the LA River Master Plan
Acreage / Length Impact Cost
150+ acres / 10+ miles XL $200 million – $1.5 billion
40 – 150 acres / 5 – 10 miles L $50 million – $200 million
< 40 acres / < 5 miles / 10+ miles M $10 million – $50 million
1 – 3 acres / 1 – 5 miles S $1 million – $10 million
< 1 acre / < 1 mile XS < $1 million
Estimated Costs per Project Sizes in the LA River Master Plan. This table associates project impact levels from XS to XL with estimated cost ranges on a per project basis. Given the range of project typologies, these ranges are understandably broad, but provide a basis for planning.
LA River Master Plan Capital Costs Over Time
LA River Master Plan Capital Costs Over Time. There are two important patterns to recognize in the allocation of funding resources. Capital improvements are anticipated to be relatively constant with the exception of inflationary and escalation costs over time. As capital projects are completed these costs will decrease.
OLIN, 2019.

Ongoing O&M Costs

In addition to the capital costs of the Master Plan, it is important to consider operations
and maintenance costs to ensure ongoing project success. The Design Guidelines (Appendix Volume I) require every project to have a three-year maintenance plan in place, as well as a named entity for ongoing maintenance of any proposed project.

Using precedent studies, maintenance costs for the entire LA River right-of-way (51 miles) range from $1.5-3 million dollars (2019 dollars) per river mile annually. This includes a range of costs for flood infrastructure and park space maintenance. Specific improvements will greatly affect the type of maintenance required and many areas along the river already have maintenance funding in place through partnerships between LA County, the USACE, municipalities, state conservancies, and other entities such as non-profits.

In addition to overall operations and maintenance budgets, programs for full time operations and safety staff that could monitor trails and parks along the river right-of-way are important as more of the river becomes a publicly accessible connected open space.

LA River Master Plan O&M Costs Over Time
LA River Master Plan Operations and Maintenance Costs Over Time. There are two important patterns to recognize in the allocation of funding resources. Operations and maintenance costs, while significantly lower than capital costs, will rise over time as new amenities come on line. During this time, the river’s value as a resource will also increase as the plan achieves the nine goals for water, people, and the environment.
OLIN, 2019.
Existing Funding Sources
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