The Foothill Gold Line is currently expanding its route, adding new stops in the cities of San Dimas, Pomona and Montclair for a projected cost of just under $2.1 billion.
The Gold Line is a Metro Rail line that currently spans from East Los Angeles to Azusa. The 12.3-mile long Foothill expansion will extend the line by six stops. Construction on the Foothill Gold Line is expected to be complete in 2028. Funding for the project is from both L.A. and San Bernardino counties and the state of California.
According to the Foothill Gold Line funding status website, “As of August 2019, the Construction Authority has committed funding of just over $1.6 billion; leaving a current funding shortfall to complete the full project to Montclair of approximately $450 million.”
(COURTESY OF ALBERT HO | FOOTHILL GOLD LINE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY)
In August 2019, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority contracted with and awarded Kiewit-Parsons, a joint venture, an $805.6 million amount for the line segment from Glendora to Pomona. Construction on this segment will begin on time, according to a media advisory statement released Feb. 12 from the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, and is estimated to be completed by 2025.
The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority is “an independent transportation planning and construction agency created in 1998 by the California State Legislature to plan, design and build the Metro Gold Line light rail system from Union Station to Montclair, along the Foothills of the San Gabriel Valley,” according to its website.
There is currently a two-year contract option to complete the rest of the line segment to Montclair for a total amount of $1,186.9 million, “if additional funds are secured by October 2021,” according to the funding status website. Construction on this segment is expected to be completed by 2028 if funding needs are met.
The line expansion began with phase one: the connection between Union Station and Pasadena. This leg of the project was completed in July 2003, according to the Foothill Gold Line “Previous Phases” web page. The second phase of the project began in 2010 and connected Pasadena to the current end of the line in Azusa. The phase finished on time in 2015 and began passenger service in 2016.
“I honestly think that (the Gold Line) would benefit a lot of students,” said Carlos Lopez, a second-year electronic systems engineering technology student. “(It will) mostly (help) those who are coming … from Azusa. I think it’ll help them plan out their trip more accordingly, especially those who have to take multiple bus lines.”
Construction for the new expansion of the project is expected to begin during this summer. In anticipation of the new line’s construction, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority will be holding a series of open houses in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona.
“The open houses will focus on the Glendora to Pomona segment; but the community from throughout the Glendora to Montclair project area is invited and welcome to attend these meetings,” the media advisory statement said. “The Construction Authority will host future meetings in Claremont and Montclair when the additional funding is secured.”
The Glendora open house will take place March 5 at the Glendora Library; the San Dimas open house will be March 10 at the La Verne Community Center; the Pomona open house will be March 11 at the Palomares Park Community Center; and the San Dimas open house will be March 12 at the Stanley Plummer Community Building. All meetings will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The downtown Pomona Metrolink station will be the new Gold Line stop along the Metrolink; the Glendora station will be just south of the city’s downtown area; the San Dimas station will be located near the civic center; the La Verne station will be between the University of La Verne and the Fairplex; and the current Metrolink station in Claremont and the Montclair TransCenter will also be stops for the Gold Line.
The segment of the Metro Gold Line that runs from East Los Angeles to Azusa runs 22 hours a day with trains running every 12-22 minutes. The expansion is expected to run at the same frequency, according to the Foothill Gold Line “Frequently Asked Questions” webpage.
For more information, visit www.foothillgoldline.org.