While Metro hasn’t yet announced when service will begin for the A Line, elected officials and staff from the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority gathered in Glendora to begin station dedications this week.
The four new light rail stations and nine miles of track have been finished “on time, and on budget,” which is “no small feat,” according to Claremont City Councilmember Ed Reece. (The new extension is certainly no small accomplishment, but, while the budget and schedule claim is technically true, back in 2018-19 ballooning construction costs did necessarily delay the project, and reduce its scope.)
Reece, who is also on the Construction Authority’s board, commended all of the cities involved in the project for seeing it through amidst the COVID 19 pandemic and intense weather patterns of the last five years; but he gave a particular tip of his hat to Glendora.
“It is fitting that we begin our station dedications here in Glendora, not just because it's the first stop in the new segment, but because Glendora carried a heavy share of the construction,” said Reece. “Nearly half of the $1.5 billion project took place right here: Grand Avenue, Foothill Boulevard, Route 66, Lone Hill Avenue. These streets and the people who live and work along them, endured years of noise, detours and disruptions. To the residents, business owners and city staff of Glendora, thank you.”
Glendora’s Mayor David Fredendall, on the other hand, turned the recognition back to the Construction Authority and its contracting partner, Kiewit Parsons.
“It is a tremendous challenge to create something new while you're right in the middle of something living everyday. I can't imagine that was an easy task,” Fredendall said.
The Construction Authority’s CEO, Habib Balian also thanked the Kiewit Parsons team.
“400 dedicated staff and specialized crew members that logged more than 2.6 million work hours over the past five years, and they completed the project with an excellent safety record besides,” Balian recounted.
And La Verne Mayor Tim Hepburn - another Construction Authority board member - believes those hours will keep tallying with a further extension of the light rail line.
“I'm confident we'll see this project through the completion of both Claremont and Montclair,” Hepburn proclaimed, “as this is extremely important for all of us to ultimately connect to Ontario Airport, which will be amazing.” [Note also, that the city of La Verne plans to build a pedestrian bridge over Arrow Highway, for the Fairplex station.]
As the program drew to a close, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s Field Deputy Vicky Paul made the clear case for a rail line through the SGV to the Inland Empire.
“As the San Gabriel Valley prepares to welcome 2 million more residents over the next two decades [doubling today’s population], Glendora is well positioned as part of a clean, modern transportation corridor that will reduce vehicle traffic, cut greenhouse gas emissions, connect our residents to jobs, schools, hospitals and cultural destinations throughout the region,” Paul began.
She continued, “and the benefits of this project are long term. The Foothill Gold Line has driven over $13 billion in private investment near current and future stations. The opportunity to develop responsibly around this station will help create new housing, thriving businesses and a more walkable, vibrant community. Construction alone generated 17,000 jobs and $2.6 billion in economic output.”
Little wonder then, that the project’s boosters want to keep it going.
“The journey begins here. Next stop, Claremont,” said Paul.
Metro is currently testing the new light rail extension. No date has been announced for its opening to the public. Metro watchers are guessing it could open in July, August, or September.
Three more A Line station dedications will take place this month:
San Dimas
Saturday, June 7, 2025
10:00 a.m.
105 W. Commercial St., San Dimas, CA 91773
Pomona North
Friday, June 20, 2025
1:30 p.m.
205 Santa Fe St., Pomona, CA 91767
La Verne/Fairplex
Saturday, June 21, 2025
10:00 a.m.
2327 Arrow Hwy., La Verne, CA 91741
Streetsblog’s San Gabriel Valley coverage is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the A Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”Sign-up for our SGV Connect Newsletter, coming to your inbox on Fridays!
