Azusa to Montclair

Glendora San Dimas La Verne Pomona Claremont Montclair

The Foothill Extension from Azusa to Montclair will extend the Metro Gold Line 12.6 miles and add six (6) stations in the cities of  Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont, and Montclair. As with Pasadena to Azusa, the extension from Azusa to Montclair is planned to be built along the former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) right-of-way, which was purchased by Metro in the early 1990s for the project.

Once completed, a trip from Montclair to downtown Pasadena will take just over 40 minutes and further to Los Angeles will take approximately 75 minutes.

Planning for the Azusa to Montclair Extension began in 2003, and significant work has been completed for the segment. In late 2010, the final step in the planning process – environmental review and preliminary engineering – was initiated. Once this process is completed, the extension from Azusa to Montclair will be ready for funding and construction.

The segment from Azusa to Montclair will be partially funded through Measure R. Residual funds from the $810 million dedicated for both Foothill Extension projects (Pasadena to Azusa and Azusa to Montclair) through Measure R will be available following completion of the Pasadena to Azusa Project construction. It is estimated that approximately $100 million will be available for the extension from Azusa to Montclair, resulting in a $500 million gap that will need to be filled by other funding sources before construction can begin. Once funding is secured, final design and construction will take approximately four years to complete.

A “fresh” environmental review process for the Azusa to Montclair extension is currently underway.

The process, which will be completed in accordance with state environmental regulations (California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)), will review impacts of the proposed project, and identify how they can be mitigated. The study, called an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), will take approximately 18 months to complete.  Public Scoping is the first step in this process, and is intended to focus the EIR on pertinent environmental issues and identify strategies for mitigating (or reducing) areas of potential impact. Public Scoping is a necessary part of the environmental review process because it helps to make sure that the EIR is comprehensive and focused.

Public Scoping occurred in January 2011. Additionally, the Authority conducted Station Planning meetings in March & April 2011 to gain additional feedback.

Publication of the Draft EIR is anticipated in 2012.

Questions about the proposed extension from Azusa to Montclair and/or the environmental review process should be directed to:

Lisa Levy Buch
Director of Public Affairs
Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority
(626) 305-7004
llevybuch@foothillextension.org

Current Studies:

the Construction Authority has been awarded a number of grants to study how the line will interface with its surrounding environment. Two such studies are currently underway. Learn more:  (1) Station/Bus Interface Study, and (2) Transit Oriented Development Study.

Previous Study

Planning for the 12.6-mile extension of the Metro Gold Line from Azusa to Montclair began in 2003, and significant work has been completed for the segment to date:

*Note: Because the 2007 environmental study was for the entire corridor from Pasadena to Montclair, and the portion from Pasadena to Azusa has advanced separately and been cleared for construction, there is a need to re-examine the environmental impacts attributable to the segment from Azusa to Montclair. The "fresh" environmental review process described above began in late 2010 for that purpose, and is currently underway.

No meetings are currently planned. Please keep checking back.

 

Take a Tour of the Metro Gold Line:

The Construction Authority is hosting tours of the Metro Gold Line light rail line between Pasadena and Los Angeles.  Tours provide an opportunity to experience how light rail interacts within communities, the design of stations and street crossings and the various train sounds.  Contact Sylvia Beltran at sbeltran@foothillextension.org or (626) 305-7012 if interested in a tour.