OK, that was Steve Hymon's headline on The Source and good news it was indeed when President Obama issued his proposed budget this week, recommending $375 million for Metro's rail projects — 5 times the average annual amount of New Starts funding Metro has received during the past 2 decades. (Of course it is a proposed budget.) And then the U.S. Department of Transportation provided another $300 million! All money is for the Regional Connector in DTLA and Purple Line extension to the Westside (Section 1 with stations on Wilshire at La Brea, Fairfax and La Cienega, and Section 2 with stations on Wilshire at Rodeo and in Century City on Constellation. Go Metro! LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who chairs Metro's Board, and Metro CEO Phil Washington thanked President Obama not only for helping build out our transit system but also for keeping thousands of people at work building the system. Metro press release here.