A long-awaited Metro rail expansion from Azusa to Pomona opens Friday, offering transit riders greater access to several colleges and universities, medical centers and the Pomona Fairplex.
The 9.1-mile A Line extension includes four stations in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and North Pomona. The line ends about four miles from the Claremont Colleges, which are accessible via Metrolink connection.
For decades, Metro’s A line, formerly known as the Blue and Gold lines, stretched from Long Beach through downtown to Pasadena and Sierra Madre, and then expanded further east nine years ago through the San Gabriel Valley to Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa.
Even before the opening of the new stations on Friday, the 48.5-mile line was the longest light rail line in the world, according to the transit agency. It saw more than 1.8 million boardings in August. The time to travel the nearly 58-mile route between downtown and Pomona is expected to be about 64 minutes.
Major design and construction on the $1.5-billion light rail extension project began in 2020 to relocate freight tracks that initially sat in the middle of the 9.1-mile stretch, install new light rail tracks, and build new roadways and crosswalks, according to the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority — the independent agency that spearheaded the project. The project was turned over to Metro earlier this year.
The transit agency said that the expansion brings “new local rail service to the San Gabriel Valley cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona for the first time since 1951 when the Pacific Electric Railway ceased operations.”
The line was planned to eventually extend farther with two stations in Claremont and Montclair, but has faced financial challenges. A recent setback occurred earlier this month when the San Bernardino County Transit Authority voted to defund the Montclair portion of the project along the existing Metrolink corridor and pull more than $37 million. The transit authority cited a lack of local oversight in its decision.
“The decision was not made hastily,” SBCTA said in a statement. “It comes after nearly a decade of deliberation about the ever-escalating timelines and costs associated with the extension, coupled with the Board’s frustration over the absence of local control in decision-making.”
At a recent meeting, Montclair city officials expressed disappointment in the decision and concerns over potential economic and environmental impacts. City Manager Edward Starr said he will push SBCTA to reconsider its decision.
Meanwhile, Metro will commemorate Friday’s opening with fanfare. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will feature transit officials, local leaders and 2024 Olympians.
The project has been tied to Metro’s 2028 Olympics and Paralympics initiatives that include 28 projects. The A line extension marks the ninth completed project and will expand access to the Pomona Fairplex, where the Olympics’ Cricket competition will be held.
Another highly anticipated initiative includes the D Line expansion project beneath Wilshire Boulevard. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed later this year.
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