More than 70 city officials from San Gabriel Valley corridor cities came together October 23, 2013, with State Senator Norma Torres, federal and state delegation representatives and public artists to kick off the next phase of work for the Gold Line Foothill Extension from Azusa to Montclair.
The 12.3-mile project will extend light rail service from the current terminus under construction in the city of Azusa, to the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair.
The meeting provided a rare opportunity for the artists selected to design integrated artwork unique for each of the six future stations to interface with the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority and the mayors of the cities where they will create their art. Construction Authority Board members Sam Pedroza, Bill Bogaard, Lara Larramendi and Paul Leon were also present as meeting hosts. Participating mayors came from throughout our corridor, including Nasiali Opanyi (Claremont), Joe Santoro (Glendora), Joe Rocha (Azusa), Mary Ann Lutz (Monrovia), Bill Bogaard (Pasadena), and Paul Leon (Ontario); they were joined by numerous corridor council members and staff.
“Over the next two years, we will take this project from a less than 10% design understanding to a point where we will be ready for a design-build procurement,” said Construction Authority CEO, Habib F. Balian.
A Locally Preferred Alternative was selected earlier this year by the Construction Authority board of directors, following environmental review and clearance of the project under the California Environmental Policy Act (CEQA). Since that time, the Construction Authority has developed the scope of work to advance the necessary design, engineering and station art planning. The agency is set to begin the advanced conceptual engineering early next year.
Starting in early 2014, coordination meetings will be initiated with each city. Significant work will take place to understand the project in much more detail. Balian said that by collecting certain detailed information from throughout the corridor and beginning design and planning based on previous analyses, the Construction Authority will be able to bring the overall project design to 30% engineering (the level necessary for a design-build procurement), while incorporating integrated station artwork, pedestrian, bicycle, bus and rail interfaces and opportunities for expanded transit oriented development when appropriate. Funding to complete this effort is available through Measure R funds (estimated cost $36 million). Additional funding will come from San Bernardino County.
Separately, Balian said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti provided comments in an interview on KPCC about the importance of expanding transit connections throughout the county – specifically including Claremont.
— By Scott Hettrick