Metro's Business Interruption Fund: Grants for D Line Neighbors

The first stretch of the Metro D Line extension is finished, but for many small businesses on the Westside the construction is not. Section 1 of the subway extension, with new stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega, opened on May 8, 2026. Sections 2 and 3, running through Beverly Hills, Century City and on toward Westwood, are still being built, and the full line is expected to open by the end of 2027.

If your shop, restaurant or studio sits next to that work and your sales have taken a hit, LA Metro runs a grant program built for exactly that situation. It is called the Business Interruption Fund, or BIF, and it is still taking applications.

What the fund is

According to Metro's program page, the BIF is a construction mitigation program that gives grants, not loans, to small "mom and pop" businesses that lose revenue because of Metro rail construction. It is administered by the nonprofit lender Pacific Coast Regional Business Finance (PCR). Metro's program fact sheet says the agency's board authorized $10 million a year for the fund and that it is run as a permanent program.

There are two kinds of awards:

• Standard grants of up to $60,000 per impact year, for established small businesses that can document revenue losses tied directly to construction.
• Presumptive Eligibility Awards of up to $1,500 per impact year, a streamlined option for micro-businesses, including sidewalk and street vendors, with lighter paperwork.

Businesses can apply again for each impact year that construction disruption continues.

Which corridors qualify right now

Metro lists the active alignments as D Line Extension Sections 1, 2 and 3, plus the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail project along Van Nuys Boulevard. Past corridors, including the Crenshaw/LAX K Line and the Regional Connector areas in Little Tokyo and on 2nd and Broadway, are closed to new claims.

That matters for Westside owners. Metro's project page notes that Section 2 construction remains active in Beverly Hills and Century City, with street restoration and deck removal along Constellation Boulevard planned to begin this year, which may bring temporary lane reductions and weekend work.

Who is eligible

Metro's eligibility rules are specific. To qualify, a business must:

• Be immediately adjacent to the rail corridor or a designated construction staging or storage area. The fact sheet defines that as a property line that abuts or faces the corridor, including a business in a mall or strip mall in the same position.
• Have 25 or fewer full-time employees. For-profit businesses and non-religious nonprofits both count.
• Have operated continuously along the corridor for at least two years.
• Be solvent and in good standing with local, state and federal tax and licensing agencies.
• Be able to show financial records, such as gross receipts, payroll tax filings or bank statements, that demonstrate lost revenue during the construction period.

Some businesses are excluded. The fact sheet lists businesses that earn more than 60% of revenue from alcohol sales, national or regional chain outlets unless franchise-operated, and nonprofits engaged in religious instruction. Commercial property owners may be able to claim lost rental income, but residential property owners cannot apply.

Metro also says grant money must first go toward any delinquent fixed operating costs, such as rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance and payroll.

How to apply

Metro describes a four-step process:

1. Start a grant request on PCR's Metro BIF page.
2. Complete and submit the online application.
3. Expect a business advisor to contact you within two business days to set up an appointment.
4. Gather the financial documents the advisor asks for. The advisor can help with this part.

Applications are processed on a rolling basis, so there is no single deadline to chase. The bigger risk is waiting until your records are a mess.

Getting your paperwork ready

Because standard grants are based on verifiable losses, the strongest applications compare construction-period revenue with a clear baseline. A few practical steps:

• Pull monthly sales for the year or two before construction started near you, and for each month since.
• Keep a simple log of disruptions: lane closures, blocked entrances, noise, utility shutoffs, dates Metro notices arrived. Photos with dates help.
• Make sure your city business tax registration, seller's permit and state filings are current, since good standing is a requirement.
• If you are a landlord with tenants who left or asked for rent relief because of construction, keep those letters and lease records.

The other side of the subway

Construction is only half the story. Riders are now using the three new Section 1 stations, and Metro's Eat Shop Play program has been publishing guides to businesses near each stop. If you are near an open station, it is worth checking whether your business is listed and thinking about how a transit rider finds you: walking directions from the station on your website, a mention on your Google listing, and hours that match when people are actually coming off the train.

For owners still living next to fences and cranes in Beverly Hills, Century City or Westwood, the BIF is one of the few programs designed specifically for your situation. If you qualify, applying costs nothing but some time with your books.

This article is general information, not financial or legal advice. Check program details with Metro and PCR before applying.