American Institute of Architects: First Friday Series
Guest Speaker: Mr. Habib F. Balien, Chief Executive Officer Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority
In the year 2000, work began on the 13.7 mile Los Angeles-to-Pasadena Gold Line. It was two years after the California State Legislature adopted SB 1847 creating the Metro Gold Line Construction Authority, an independent transportation planning and construction agency. It was also a time when the Gold Line was the single major light rail project underway in the Southland. Three years later, Phase 1 of the Gold Line opened on time and under budget, operated by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro, formerly called the MTA).
Like Phase 1, a proposed Phase 2 of the Gold Line, called the Foothill Extension, would be operated by Metro and extend passenger service 24 miles eastward through 11 cities from Pasadena to Montclair, with a possible link to Ontario International Airport. The Foothill Extension offers scores of benefits: shorter commute time from the Inland Empire to Downtown, rising land values for properties adjacent to the new light rail stations, restoration of four historic depots, a vibrant public art program, savings of an estimated $1.5 million in gasoline costs, and a reduction in air pollution levels by about four tons of carbon monoxide. But these days the Foothill Extension must compete for funding with a record number of mass transit projects.
So...when’s the train comin?
Critical to the Foothill Extension’s future is inclusion in Metro’s Long Range Transportation Plan. At Metro’s Board meeting on July 26, 2008, despite a heavy turnout of Extension supporters, the decision to include the project in the Plan was delayed until after the November elections and potential adoption of a sales tax increase to benefit public transit. Critics say the delay cost millions in federal funds.
Come explore the Foothill Extension’s future with Mr. Habib F. Balian, the Chief Executive Officer of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority. Prior to his appointment to the Construction Authority in 2004, Mr. Balian was the Chief Administrative Officer for Phase 1 of the Gold Line. He has served as Chief of Staff for the MTA, overseeing management of the Office of the CEO, and spent seven years as Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich’s Assistant Deputy for Transportation.
• Current issues in long range planning for light rail in Southern California • Opportunities for transit-oriented development along the Foothill Extension route • Gold Line station design and public art projects • Potential for revival of historic downtowns and depots
Foothill Transit CEO Doran Barnes credits their successes to a "commitment to community," a "spirit of innovation," and fruitful collaborations with numerous partners
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