Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority

The Foothill Extension from Azusa to Montclair will extend the Metro Gold Line 12.3 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. The Final EIR was certified by the Construction Authority Board of Directors in March 2013, and a locally preferred alternative was selected.

Completion of the Azusa to Montclair segment of the Foothill Extension will cost approximately $850 million. No funding has been secured for this segment of the extension. Once funding is secured, final design and construction will take approximately four years to complete.

 Announcement: Final Environmental Impact Report Published

The Azusa to Montclair segment has recently undergone environmental clearance. The process, which was completed in accordance with state environmental regulations (California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)), reviewed impacts of the proposed project, and identified mitigation where needed. Public Scoping occurred in January 2011. Additionally, the Authority conducted Station Planning meetings in March & April 2011 to gain additional feedback. The Draft EIR was published for a 45-day review period on August 31st, 2012. The Final EIR is was published February 2013 and was certified by the Construction Authority Board of Directors in March 2013.

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 was awarded a number of grants to study how the line will interface with its surrounding environment. Learn more:  (1) Station/Bus Interface Study, and (2) Transit Oriented Development Study.

Previous Study

Planning for the 12.3-mile extension of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension from Azusa to Montclair began in 2003, and significant work has been completed for the segment to date:

• Final Environmental Impact Report (2013)
• Draft Environmental Impact Report (2012)
• Certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for Phase 2 (2007)*
• Board Adoption of Revised LPA (2005)
• Project Definition Report (2005)
  • Part 1, Part 2
• Circulation of Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Enviornmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for Phase 2 (2004)
• Board Selection of Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) (2003)
• Alternatives Analysis (AA) Study (2003)

*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 was 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. The Final EIR was published on February 2013 and certified by the Board of Directors in March 2013.

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.