L.A. and San Bernardino Inter-County Transit/Rail Planning Meetings Kick Off

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is seeking to develop a comprehensive overview of potential transportation and rail improvement options in the corridor bridging L.A. Counties and San Bernardino counties. Los Angeles and San Bernardino inter-county cooperation could expand transit access to cities near the county border. A number of significant inter-county transportation projects are or have been proposed to increase connectivity in eastern San Gabriel Valley and Western San Bernardino County. Future transportation projects could include:

• Metrolink San Bernardino Line connection to Ontario Airport
• Metro Gold Line light rail phase 2-B extension to Montclair
• Metro Gold Line light rail phase 2-C extension to Ontario Airport
• Bus Rapid Transit connections
• 10 Freeway express lanes

SCAG’s study corridor area includes portions of the San Bernardino County cities of Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, and Upland and the Los Angeles County cities of Claremont, La Verne, and Pomona.

SCAG hosted a community meeting in Upland last night for the cross-counties study. A second community meeting will take place tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Palomares Academy of Health Sciences at 211 N. Orange Grove Avenue in Pomona. SCAG will be disseminating project information and gathering community input. Interested folks who cannot attend the meetings can give input via a five-minute interactive online survey.

Recently, Gold Line authority officials expressed interest in moving forward with an Ontario airport connection, but with San Bernardino Associated Governments (SanBAG – somewhat analogous to L.A. County’s Metro) approval and oversight. Any future facilities in San Bernardino County, including the planned Montclair station and proposed Ontario Airport extension, would need to be funded by San Bernardino County.

A 2014 report from the Pasadena Star details the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority’s past efforts to gain inter-county authority for a possible San Bernardino extension. The proposed state bill A.B. 2574 was met with vehement opposition from SanBAG for overriding jurisdiction.

Can SCAG, which spans six counties, facilitate a more harmonious cooperation between San Bernardino and L.A. Counties? Will the result be transit service that improves the lives of all southern California residents, regardless of what county they live or work in? Time will tell, and SCAG’s current study appears to be one worthwhile step in the right direction. Attend tonight’s meeting or give your input via the online survey.

SBLA San Gabriel Valley coverage is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit foothilltransit.org. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”