The Gold Line, which is a Metro
light-rail line that horseshoes from Pasadena at one end to East Los Angeles on
the other, has been in the news a lot lately. On December 9th, testing began on
the tracks of the first phase of the Foothill Extension, from Pasadena to
Azusa, and which will continue in the second phase to Montclair. This phase has
less than a year left until completion. Testing on the project checks
that a train can pass safely on the newly constructed tracks.
Recently a study was
conducted at the behest of the San Bernardino Associated Governments, which
assessed possible public transportation routes that would bring travelers to
the struggling Ontario Airport. The study found 6 potential routes to the
airport, only one of which included bus service, and one of the rail routes
suggested would be a continuation of the Gold Line. The estimated costs however
are extremely high, and the study does point out that to warrant building a light
rail connecting to the airport, the number of annual passengers at the Ontario
Airport would have to more than triple.
Finally, the big news on the Gold Line is
the hearing in front of the LA County MTA on the Draft EIR concerning
Phase 2 of the Eastside Gold Line Extension. The report set forth two possible
routes extending the Gold Line either to Whittier or El Monte, and the board
was expected to pick one or the other. Instead, the
board asked for a further study to be done that explores the possibility of
constructing both routes. The new “technical study” will most likely be
done in a few years, and upon its submission to the Board a decision will be
made on which of the two routes will be chosen, or if both, which one will be
built first. The anticipated completion of the Eastside Gold Line extension is
in 20 years.
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