Foothill Extension Project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | First phase complete, second phase under construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Los Angeles, Pasadena, Azusa, Pomona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini |
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Stations | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Light rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | Los Angeles Metro Rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Metro (LACMTA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | March 5, 2016 (Phase 2A) Summer 2025 (Phase 2B to Pomona–North) [1] 2028 (to Montclair Transcenter) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 20.6 mi (33.2 km) (overall) 11.3 mi (18.2 km) (Phase 2A only) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | Overhead line, 750 V DC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Foothill Extension Project, formerly known as the Gold Line Foothill Extension Project, is an extension of the Los Angeles Metro Rail A Line light rail line from the former Gold Line terminus in Pasadena, California, at Sierra Madre Villa station, east through the "Foothill Cities" of Los Angeles County. The plan's first stage, Phase 2A, extended the then-Gold Line from Pasadena to Azusa; it opened on March 5, 2016. Phase 2B, which will extend the now A Line a further four stations to Pomona–North station, broke ground in December 2017. [2] A further two–station extension to Montclair Transcenter is planned for completion in 2028, but is currently unfunded. [3]
The corridor extension forms a part of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is being planned and implemented by Foothill Gold Line. [4] [3] In addition to enhancing mobility in one of the most congested metropolitan areas in the United States, the 23.9-mile project (38.5 km) is seen as an economic catalyst for the region, generating 6,900 jobs during the construction phase and creating infill and transit-oriented development opportunities. [5]
With the Regional Connector having opened on June 16, 2023, [6] the north (Pasadena–Azusa–Pomona) branch of the then-L/Gold Line was absorbed into the A Line with blue coloring, providing service from Long Beach via Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena to Azusa. [7] [8] [9]
The project is being managed by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. [10] The agency is a joint powers authority governed by appointees from Metro, SBCTA, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, and the cities of Pasadena, South Pasadena, and Los Angeles.
The entire 23.9-mile (38.5 km) route (Phase 2A and 2B) of the Foothill Extension follows the roadbed of the former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway's Second Division through the Foothill Cities. These cities are in the foothills south of the San Gabriel Mountains, in the northern San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. Beginning at the former L Line terminus at Sierra Madre Villa station in East Pasadena, the route extends roughly east, ending in Montclair. The route parallels several major roads and highways, including I-210 (Foothill Freeway), Huntington Drive, and Foothill Boulevard. [11]
The Foothill Extension was initially conceived as Phase 2 of the Gold Line. The route between Los Angeles and Pasadena is considered "Phase 1"; calling the Foothill Extension Phase 2 turned out to be a misnumbering, as the Gold Line Eastside Extension was completed in 2009 between the two phases.[ citation needed ] The Gold Line Construction Authority (now Foothill Gold Line), which took over the Phase 1 project from Metro in 1999, is also coordinating the Phase 2 projects.
The initial draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the Foothill Extension was completed in April 2006 and covered the entire corridor between Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena and Montclair. The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) study assessed two different construction options: an LRT Full Build alternative, which would complete the full extension to Montclair, and an LRT Build To Azusa alternative, which would extend only to Azusa; this was dubbed Phase 2A. On February 28, 2007, the Construction Authority Board certified the Final EIR and decided to complete the "LRT Build to Azusa" alternative. [12]
In October 2009, the Metro board unanimously voted to include the Foothill Extension in its long-range plan and approved funding for the construction and operation of Phase 2A. A groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2A was held on June 26, 2010; [13] construction began the following summer and was completed in September 2015, with the extension entering service on March 5, 2016. The original project budget for Phase 2A was $690 million, including not only construction but also the purchase of vehicles, financing, administrative costs, mitigation, and other costs; [14] in March 2011, the Construction Authority requested a $45 million increase in total budget, to $735 million, to reflect updated cost estimates. [15]
Phase 2B is the project to extend the A Line from the Phase 2A terminus in Azusa east to Montclair. The Final EIR was certified by the Authority Board in March 2013. [16]
Phase 2B is 12.6 miles (20.3 km) long and will take approximately 17.9 minutes to traverse. [11] The alignment will have six new Metro stations: Glendora; San Dimas; La Verne; and Pomona–North Metrolink station with a connection to the Metrolink San Bernardino Line; Claremont Metrolink station with a connection to the Metrolink San Bernardino Line; and Montclair Transcenter with a connection to the Metrolink San Bernardino Line and the Foothill Transit Silver Streak.
Foothill Gold Line expects 17,800 riders by 2035. [17]
Planning for the Foothill Extension Phase 2B (Azusa to Montclair) began in 2003, and significant work has been completed for the segment. The Final EIR for the project was certified by the Construction Authority board in March 2013, and advanced conceptual engineering began in 2014. On June 23, 2017, LA Metro's board of directors approved a $1.4 billion budget Thursday to extend the A Line (then the Gold Line) from APU/Citrus College station to Claremont, 11.5 miles (18.5 km) to the east. [18] It is expected to cost an additional $70 million to extend the A Line from Claremont to Montclair, across county lines. [19]
Phase 2B of the Foothill Extension is composed of Project 1 and Project 2. [20] Project 1 is the relocation of freight railroad tracks, which is complete. Project 2 is the construction of the light rail line itself the A Line utilizes, which started construction in 2022. [20] (more information below)
On December 2, 2017, officials broke ground for Phase 2B in a ceremony at Citrus College. The cost of the project is estimated at $1.5 billion. [2] Completion of Phase 2B (including Montclair Transcenter) is expected by early 2026. [20]
On July 10, 2020, major construction began on Phase 2B, building four stations from Azusa to Pomona, with service estimated to start in December 2024. [1] Full construction to Claremont and Montclair by 2028 depends on additional funding to be secured by October 2021. [21]
On September 10, 2021, funding was past due for constructing the route further east of Pomona, pushing the opening date to Montclair back or outright canceling the 3.3-mile segment altogether. [22]
The first part of the construction, starting in August, focused on reconstructing the 28 at-grade crossings and relocating utilities. Gladstone Street in San Dimas was the first one to begin. Nearly all reconstructions commenced and finished in late 2022. As of June 2023 [update] , the At-Grade Crossing reconstruction is complete. [23]
The freight/light rail bridges over channels and washes began in 2021, relocating and building new bridges to facilitate the freight and the A Line (then known as the L Line). These bridges were the first to finish as they didn't impact vehicular traffic. The light rail bridges, crossing major streets, began briefly. As required by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the light rail crossing at Foothill Blvd, Route 66, Lone Hill Blvd, and Bonita/Cataract Ave needs to be grade-separated (light rail only) with a flyover bridge. Those bridges feature the neighborhood's citrus design and will include local artwork. All of them are substantially complete. [24]
The more complex component was the freight track relocation. The freight originally existed in the middle of the corridor, leaving no room for the light rail extension. To create space, the construction authority relocated it to the north side (south side west of Lone Hill Blvd) of the alignment. It is complete as of October 2022. [25] With the relocation work finished, crews began work on the light rail system by installing the overhead line, train control systems, and the light rail track. On June 24, 2023, an event held in La Verne culminated in the installation of the 230,630th rail clip (rail clips permanently attach the steel rail to the concrete railroad ties), officially completing major construction for the new light rail tracks from Glendora to Pomona. [26]
Currently, crews are focusing on final system work, installing the power systems, constructing the four stations, and integrating artwork throughout the alignment's stations and bridges. Station construction is 65% complete. [27]
As of January 2024 [update] , the extension is 81% complete, [27] on budget, and is expected to open for revenue service in early 2025. [1]
California State Legislator Chris Holden (D - Pasadena), who represents California's 41st State Assembly district, proposed a measure in January 2020 that would extend the final phase from Montclair to Ontario International Airport. The planned terminus in Montclair is six miles (9.7 km) from the airport. Measure AB 2011 would form the project's San Bernardino County Rail Construction authority. [28]
The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system in the world in the 1920s. Organized around the city centers of Los Angeles and San Bernardino, it connected cities in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County and Riverside County.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), branded as Metro, is the county agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the public transportation system in Los Angeles County, California, the most populated county in the United States, and the largest public transit agency in the county as well.
The San Gabriel Valley, often referred to by its initials as SGV, is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, with the city of Los Angeles directly bordering it to the west, and occupying the vast majority of the southeastern part of Los Angeles County. Surrounding landforms and other features include the following:
The Pomona Valley is located in the Greater Los Angeles Area between the San Gabriel Valley and San Bernardino Valley in Southern California. The valley is approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.
The San Bernardino Line is a Metrolink line running between Downtown Los Angeles east through the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire to San Bernardino, with limited express service to Redlands. It is one of the three initial lines on the original Metrolink system, along with the Santa Clarita Line and the Ventura County Line.
The Foothill Freeway is a freeway in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, California, United States, running from the Sylmar district of Los Angeles east to Redlands. The western segment is signed as Interstate 210 (I-210) from its western end at I-5 to SR 57 in Glendora, while the eastern segment is signed as State Route 210 (SR 210) to its eastern terminus at I-10. Under the California Streets and Highways Code, the entire Foothill Freeway is legally referred to as Route 210.
The A Line is a 48.5-mile (78.1 km) light rail line in Los Angeles County, California. It is one of the six lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The A Line serves 44 stations and runs east-west between Azusa and Pasadena, then north-south between Pasadena and Long Beach. It interlines and shares five stations with the E Line in Downtown Los Angeles. Service operates for approximately 19 hours with headways of up to 8 minutes during peak hours. The A Line is currently the longest light rail line in the world.
The L Line and Gold Line are former designations for a section of the current Los Angeles Metro Rail system. These names referred to a single light rail line of 31 miles (50 km) providing service between Azusa and East Los Angeles via the northeastern corner of Downtown Los Angeles, serving several attractions, including Little Tokyo, Union Station, the Southwest Museum, Chinatown, and the shops of Old Pasadena. The line, formerly one of seven in the system, entered service in 2003. The L Line served 26 stations.
The Pasadena Subdivision is the remnant branch line of the former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) Los Angeles Second District. The line currently branches off of Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line at CP Cambridge in Claremont. The line follows a generally east–west alignment, passed through the cities of Claremont, Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas, Glendora, and Azusa before coming to a truncated end in Irwindale. For most of its length, it shares the corridor with the Los Angeles Metro Rail’s A Line. Recent construction, known as the Foothill Extension Phase 2B, has seen the tracks out of service west of San Dimas for most of 2021.
Pomona–North station is a railroad station located in Pomona, California. It is located just west of Garey Avenue and south of Bonita Avenue, and has 225 free parking spaces, which are accessible from either Santa Fe Street or Fulton Road.
Arcadia station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Santa Clara Street in Arcadia, California, after which the station is named.
Monrovia station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of Duarte Road and Myrtle Avenue in Monrovia, California, after which the station is named. This station opened on March 5, 2016, as part of Phase 2A of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Project.
Duarte/City of Hope station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of Duarte Road and Highland Avenue in Duarte, California, after which the station is named, along with the City of Hope National Medical Center located across the street from the station.
Irwindale station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located at the intersection of Irwindale Avenue and Avenida Padilla in Irwindale, California, after which the station is named. This station opened on March 5, 2016, as part of Phase 2A of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Project.
Azusa Downtown station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located on Alameda Avenue, a block north of Foothill Boulevard, in Downtown Azusa, after which the station is named.
APU/Citrus College station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located between Palm Drive and Citrus Avenue, a block north of Foothill Boulevard, in Azusa, California. It is named after the nearby Azusa Pacific University (APU) and Citrus College.
The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was a railroad founded on September 5, 1883, by James F. Crank with the goal of bringing a rail line to Pasadena, California from downtown Los Angeles, the line opened in 1886. Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was sold and consolidated on May 20, 1887 into the California Central Railway. In 1889 this was consolidated into Southern California Railway Company. On Jan. 17, 1906 Southern California Railway was sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and called the Pasadena Subdivision. The main line closed in 1994. The railroad later reopened as the MTA Gold Line Light Rail service in July 2003.
The California Central Railway was incorporated on April 23, 1887, with headquarters in San Bernardino, California. George O. Manchester was the President of the corporation.
The history of the Los Angeles Metro Rail and Busway system begins in the early 1970s, when the traffic-choked region began planning a rapid transit system. The first dedicated busway opened along I-10 in 1973, and the region's first light rail line, the Blue Line opened in 1990. Today the system includes over 160 miles (260 km) of heavy rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit lines, with multiple new lines under construction as of 2019.
Glendora station is an under construction light rail station in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The station is located near the intersection of South Vermont Avenue and Ada Avenue along the Pasadena Subdivision right-of-way in Glendora, California. It will be served by the A Line. It is currently under construction as part of the Foothill Extension Project and is slated to open in early 2025.
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