With conceptual ideas already in place, the Los Angeles Metro Gold Line plans to extend its tracks to the cities of Azusa and La Verne.
Completion, however, could take up to 20 years because of fierce competition for federal and state funding.
The project would cost $1.2 billion.
“It would be beneficial to me because I can get home without dealing with traffic and paying for gas,” said Michelle Baccus, a marketing student from the University of La Verne, who commutes from South Pasadena.
The Metro Gold Line originally opened in 2003 as the region’s fourth new light rail line. Up until the 1950s, Southern California had the largest electric trolley system in the world, a system served by the”big red cars” of Henry Huntington’s Pacific Electric Railway.
The Gold Line currently runs through 13 stations between downtown Los Angeles and east Pasadena.
The Gold Line Foothill Extension Project was initially discussed 10 years ago with the city of La Verne.
If the plans go through Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair will have light rail service.
“All these locations will be easy to get to without cars,” said Arlene Andrew, senior planner for La Verne.
“It will be easy for residents to get to the Metro Rail stations,” Andrew said.”We want to minimize the noise and disturbance of traffic flow.”
Funding considerations however, could slow the project.
The train would run along the current Burlington Northern and Santa Fe right-of-way.
Each city involved with the extension project had until March 1 to affirm it. Each had the four fundamental elements for the light rail: station location, parking location, a traction power substation and grade crossings.
These four elements would have to be agreed upon for the city to receive federal and state/regional funding.
The La Verne station is planned for a location 180 feet east of E Street, with the rail running just north of Arrow Highway.
A northern portion of the Pomona Fairplex parking lot would be used for parking for the La Verne Gold Line station.
The city expects the parking lot to include available parking for the handicapped and a traffic signal for pedestrians to cross Arrow Highway.
However, further analysis of the impact of the station location must still be considered, Andrews said.
“(It) will give people of La Verne a real good idea of what the light rail would look like in their city,” said Nathan Baguio, spokesman for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority.
Baguio said he feels there are a lot of benefits to bringing a mass transit system to a city.
“It will introduce more foot traffic to La Verne,” he said.
“People will be able to shop and attend a concert without using their car,” he added.
Andrews added:”It will help promote the downtown area and have people use it.”
Both Andrews and Baguio also noted that the Foothill Extension Project will help improve La Verne’s air quality.
“It (would) make trips to and from home more convenient,” said Tera Forrest, a ULV psychology student from Monrovia.
“Considering that I don’t have a car, that (prospect sounds) very exciting,”
“It will benefit (future) ULV students, and international students, by providing them a way to get to Old Town Pasadena,” Baccus said.
“It will bring people together, city to city,” Andrew said.
For more information on the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension project, visit www.metrogoldline.org.
Hugo Bryan Castillo can be reached at hcastill@ulv.edu.