Yesterday, the Construction Authority held a Pre-Construction Workshop for corridor city council members, key city staff, police and fire personnel, and third-party agency staff involved in the Glendora to Montclair project. The 100 officials who participated at the workshop learned the current status of the project, as well as what to expect as the project moves into the design-build phase.
Details were shared about the project scope, temporary and permanent changes to be expected during and following construction, the involvement cities have in the design-build process, how safety is built into the project, timing for the procurement of the two major construction contracts, planned community outreach and notification before and during construction, and more. Also highlighted were the few remaining items that have not been resolved and how those issues will be finalized in the months ahead.
While major construction will not begin for three years, work with these key project partners is now moving into implementation and this meeting was organized to ensure everyone had the same information as we move into construction. To that end, the Construction Authority will be issuing a Request for Bids for the project’s first contract next week. Award of the contract is expected in September, with work beginning right after the October 21st Groundbreaking Ceremony. The first contract is focused on advanced utility relocation, so the first few years of the project will include that work, along with continued pre-construction activities, final engineering and selecting the design-build team for the Alignment contract.
Following yesterday’s meeting, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin ran the story below, as well as an Editorial about last week’s major project milestone with Metro – approval of the Funding Agreement and Master Cooperative Agreement, making the Foothill Gold Line the first Measure M rail project to be funded and move into construction. If you missed the Editorial, here is a link.
The Journey Continues,
Habib F. Balian
— Are six cities along future Foothill Gold Line ready for construction, road closures?
By Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
CLAREMONT >> The next leg of the Foothill Gold Line is coming, including 12.3 miles of tracks, at least 23 new or renovated bridges, 28 street-level train crossings and five parking garages all descending upon six foothill suburbs.
The $1.4 billion extension begins in less than four months, bringing dust, noise and road closures — some permanent — and major traffic disruptions for the next nine years.
While the light-rail extension of the Los Angeles-to-Azusa train that will run to Montclair is mostly welcomed by the sleepy exurbs, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority wants to know: Are they ready?
“This project will not work without all of your buy-in,” said Habib Balian, the authority’s CEO, during a workshop Thursday at the Doubletree Hilton. “If there is not leadership at the city, these projects do not happen.”
Balian’s crew is busy smoothing out the smallest details with the six cities: Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair. Recently, Glendora held two different community meetings on possible street closures.
“We want to make sure we are not surprising folks so people know what is coming,” said Lisa Levy Buch, the authority’s chief communications officer, who said they will hold six more community meetings from July 13 to Aug. 7.
Thursday’s event was attended by 100 mayors, city council members, city managers, engineers and public safety personnel. Many brought their concerns about changes to aesthetics and traffic in their cities.
One of those involves an objection by the California Public Utilities Commission to at-grade, or street-level, train crossings at the following intersections: Cataract and Bonita avenues in San Dimas; Indian Hill Boulevard and First Street in Claremont and White Avenue near Arrow Highway in La Verne.
The only alternative is building concrete bridges that take the light-rail train over the roadway, explained Chris Burner, chief project officer.
San Dimas Councilman John Ebiner said a train bridge would be an eyesore.
“I am very concerned about it. It would be a visual barrier and would separate the two parts of the city’s downtown,” he said. “Residents I talked to feel the noise will be worse if the train is going on top. Plus, with the rising of the bridge, the viewshed is lost by a solid wall dividing the community.”
He wants the engineers to present the City Council with options for an at-grade train crossing and an overpass.
Likewise, the Claremont City Council voted against a proposed Gold Line bridge over Indian Hill Boulevard at the entrance of a future station at the old Santa Fe Railroad depot, essentially where the city’s first crates of citrus were loaded onto trains for sale back East.
“It would look like it would divide the city,” explained City Councilman Sam Pedroza, who is also the vice chairman of the Construction Authority Board and one of the main proponents of the Gold Line to Montclair.
In Glendora, the Authority must decide whether to permanently close Elwood Avenue or Glenwood Avenue where the train intersects with these streets near Foothill Boulevard.
“It is a medium concern right now,” said City Manager Chris Jeffers.
High-density condos and apartments on Route 66 caused so much consternation that the City Council is revamping its standards, lowering future building heights and increasing setbacks. This same type of “transit-oriented development” could arise again in a few years, or after the train is operating.
“What happened in Glendora is some of the construction that began for the Gold Line started too far in advance,” said City Councilwoman Karen Davis, who attended the workshop. She said once the train is operating, people will “put it all together.”
Councilman Michael Allawos said no more dense housing will be built once new standards are in place in a few months. As to the Gold Line extending from Citrus College through the city to Montclair, he said people still need to get educated. “I think there is mixed results,” he said.
Mayor Gary Boyer said most Glendorans welcome an extended Gold Line train. In particular, he hopes it will be a boost to local retail and restaurants.
“Glendora is a hidden gem. We want people from Pasadena to come out to Glendora to spend their money,” Boyer said.
Pomona Senior Civil Engineer Matt Pilarz asked if the Authority could help establish a quiet zone, similar to what the city did in its downtown area with freight trains and Metrolink trains. Burner said the Authority will build the light-rail line “quiet zone ready,” but it is up to the city to take it from there.
Other issues to be determined: buying up land parcels for parking garages, closing a $249 million funding gap and getting $30 million from San Bernardino County Transportation Authority to build the line from Claremont to Montclair.
———————————— Gold Line extension: Glendora to Montclair segmentCost: $1.4 billion to Claremont. Extra $70 million to reach Montclair
Distance: 12.3 miles
Stations: Six
Parking: Five new garages, a total of 5,180 spaces
Dates: Break ground Oct. 21; Completion in December 2025 or early 2026.
Capacity: 200 passengers per light rail car; 600 passengers (maximum) per train
Speed: 55 mph (maximum)
Train traffic: Two freight, 50 Metrolink, 200 Gold Line train trips per day
Meetings: Six: July 13, San Dimas Senior/Community Center; July 18, Palomares Park Community Center, Pomona; July 19, Montclair Senior Center; July 24, Alexander Hughes Community Center, Claremont; Aug. 3, Hillcrest Retirement Community, La Verne; Aug. 7, Glendora Library-Bidwell Forum. All meeting times are 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Source: Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority