San Gabriel Valley resident, Foothill Extension fan #1, and rail aficionado Bob Davis was kind enough to give an entertaining layman’s rundown of the Foothill Extension (he also gave a history lesson last year) in the video below.
Apparently the station billboard unveilings are happening in reverse-alphabetical order, as Arcadia and Azusa are the two remaining cities to get their station billboard unveiling celebrations (it went like this: Monrovia then Irwindale then Duarte).
Well, the City of Arcadia will be happy tomorrow as they finally get their turn to celebrate the future arrival of the Gold Line Foothill Extension. The event takes place tomorrow (February 10) morning – from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM (unveiling at 8:30) at Arcadia’s future station site at North First Ave and Santa Clara St, Arcadia, CA 91006. Arcadia’s residents, elected officials, and business leaders will be there, along with the Authority, to celebrate.
See you via light rail at the Santa Anita racetracks in a few years!
Look at the crudely crafted image above. What does it signify? If it hasn’t hit you by now, that’s the speed the project has gained since voters approved Measure R in November 2008. Since then, the Foothill Extension has been picking up lots of momentum (that crude image proves it), and we are now quickly closing in on the groundbreaking. So what’s next?
Well yesterday, the Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board issued two bid packages for firms looking to build Phase 2A (Pasadena to Azusa) of the Extension. Please bear with us as we use some technical jargon you may never have heard before.
The Board issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to the six firms who pre-qualified late last year to compete to build the Iconic Freeway Structure over the 210 freeway. The Board also issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for firms looking to compete to build the alignment (track, stations, crossings, utility systems, etc.).
This is very good news and is important, because it keeps the project on track for breaking ground in June. And it gets us closer to creating the nearly 7,000 jobs and $1 billion in economic revenue from the construction of just this phase alone, as was revealed in the LAEDC’s economic impact report published earlier this month.
Duarte Gets Its Billboard Unveiling Party
Tomorrow, at the future site of Duarte’s Foothill Extension station, elected officials, business chambers, City of Hope employees, and various community members from the City of Duarte will congregate to celebrate the unveiling of their station billboard. The event takes place from 10 AM to 11 AM tomorrow, Saturday, at the future Duarte station at 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010. If you’re around the area, stop on by!
There’s an important event happening tomorrow, Saturday, January 23 from 9 – 11 AM and we encourage you to attend.
Assembly Members Dr. Ed Hernandez and Mike Eng are hosting a meeting of the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus at the offices of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership located at 4900 Rivergrade Road, Suite A310, Irwindale, CA 91706 to talk about local transportation projects and funding for 2010. Habib Balian, CEO of the Foothill Extension Construction Authority, is one of the presenters.
To RSVP for the event, you can call Assemblymember Hernandez’s District Office at (626) 960-4457 or email robert.charles@asm.ca.gov.
If you’re wondering what the hoopla is over the recent station billboard unveilings in Monrovia and Irwindale, look no further than a recent economic study that projects $1 billion in economic boost for the region as a result of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Phase 2A (Pasadena to Azusa). The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), a non-profit group comprised of today’s top economic minds and tasked with looking out for our county’s financial well-being, announced that construction of Phase 2A would create nearly 7,000 new jobs and contribute nearly $1 billion to our economy in salaries, business revenues, and taxes.
If we stick to the Construction Authority’s current schedule, all of these benefits will be realized in the next three years – not too soon for county residents and businesses suffering through this recession.
Foothill Extension Project Director to Speak at Economic Recovery Forum
If you are free this morning, you can come out to hear Chris Burner, Chief Project Officer at the Construction Authority, talk more about the jobs and economic impact of the project. Today’s Economic Recovery Forum at Woodbury University in Burbank begins at 8:00 AM. The discussion will be moderated by transit figure and current California Transportation Commissioner Larry Zarian, and additional guests will include Paul Audley of FilmLA, Josephine Marquez of the Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board, and Cathy Martin of the California Hospital Association.
If you can’t attend, follow the event with us on Twitter @iwillride.
See you all at the next station billboard unveiling (by the way, it is January 30 in Duarte at 10:00 AM)!
Following November’s project kick-off at the Historic Santa Fe train depot in Monrovia, the City of Irwindale is up next to celebrate the Foothill Extension by moving forward with their own billboard unveiling event tomorrow. Remember, each of the cities along Phase 2A will have their own billboard unveilings – with Azusa getting two. The unveiling of Irwindale’s station billboard will be hosted by the Authority and they will be joined by the Irwindale Chamber of Commerce, the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, the Mayor, Council and other city officials. It takes place on the street across the future Irwindale station site (6370 Irwindale Ave., Irwindale, CA 91706) tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM.
Everyone is welcome. If you are in the area, come on by to see history in the making and have a piece of cake!
If you’re a resident along the Foothill Extension corridor, 2009 was the year of the Gold Line. As you recall, voters ended 2008 with overwhelming support for Measure R and 2009 began with the communities throughout the County celebrating that victory and working together to plan for our united future. Many thanks here go out to the San Gabriel Valley voters who pitched in the votes needed to pass the required two-thirds mark for Measure R, allocating a minimum of $735 million for the Foothill Extension.
Here we look at the highlights of 2009, which culminated in securing $851 million for the project, and plans to break ground in June 2010!
Revival of the I Will Ride Movement
Don’t call it a comeback. We’ve been here for years.
I Will Ride was formed in 2008 under the direction of students from colleges across the San Gabriel Valley, and in the beginning of this year it was handed over to the Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority to continue their work. Hence, this blog. The unmistakable gold shirts started spreading its way throughout the San Gabriel Valley once again – onto college campuses, community events, and large business centers. Then we had a rally. Then we started showing up to the Metro Board meetings. Somewhere along the way, Bob Davis started an unofficial groundbreaking at the Gold Line’s Arcadia tracks. We showed up to a few more Metro Board meetings.
Metro Welcomes New Chief Art Leahy; Metro Board Welcomes New Chairman Ara Najarian
All eyes were on Art Leahy as he took over as the new boss at Metro in April of this year. While his rise to the top made quite the story for many newspapers (former bus driver, from family of transit operators, fulfills destiny by returning home to run Metro), the San Gabriel Valley looked on with cautious optimism that he could smooth out the regional bickering that had gone on for too long. Meanwhile, in the middle of the intense Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) debates, we saw Ara Najarian take the Chairman post on the Metro Board.
What was evident was that Art Leahy and Ara Najarian seemed intent on changing the tone of the agency and Board as they hammered out arguably the most important transportation plan for our county’s future. Only a month after starting his job as CEO of Metro, Art attended and spoke at the San Gabriel Valley’s Measure R and Economic Recovery Forum, where he laid out the importance and priority of the Foothill Extension for his agency. Metro “was duty bound, honor bound, to do the project,” said Art to the San Gabriel Valley legislative leaders and community members. He had also acknowledged the rift that existed between regions across Los Angeles County and pledged to the audience that he would build a consensus when working on the LRTP.
In a testament to Ara Najarian’s own efforts to build a consensus among the regions, it should be pointed out that he came in as Chairman of the Metro Board at a time when residents were losing patience and the Board had enough votes to pass the LRTP. Rather than hurrying up and ending it all with a simple majority vote, he decided to delay the approval of the long range plan until he could secure unanimous approval from the entire Board of Directors. In several public appearances in the San Gabriel Valley, he has not been shy to state his support for the Foothill Extension and his desire to see the project break ground while he is Chairman of the Metro Board.
Fast forward to today and we’re seeing the fruits of Mr. Leahy and Mr. Najarian’s labor. The LRTP passed with unanimous approval by the 13-member Metro Board of Directors in October – securing the funding ($851 million) for the Foothill Extension and commitment from Metro to find other sources of funds to finish the line to Claremont. The Board also unanimously committed to operate the next two segments (Pasadena to Azusa and Glendora to Montclair) when construction is completed. This was a huge victory for the project, the San Gabriel Valley voters and I Will Ride supporters.
Iconic Bridge Gives San Gabriel Valley and Foothill Extension a Spotlight
Show me another area in Los Angeles County with transit architecture that doesn’t resemble your old plain structures – that’s right, you can’t.
Below are two designs that, for many obvious reasons, didn’t make the final cut. Guess which one I would have picked. (Hint: the one on the right)
Infamous Federal Funding Map, Congressional Letter Sets Transit World Ablaze
The future wasn’t looking so bright for our county when Metro staff presented a federal transit funding map that painted a very bleak funding picture for our region in comparison to much smaller and less populous cities across the country. If you’re a Los Angeles County resident, it’s probably safe to say you were up in arms over the thought of cities with 1/10th our county’s population receiving ten times more funds from the federal government. In response, Metro staff picked the Subway to the Sea and Regional Connector as the projects they would apply for to receive federal money in as little as three years. Then came the mother of all responses.
Fourteen Congress members signed and sent a letter to the Metro Board of Directors – urging them to consider a different federal funding strategy than the one they had just approved. Their reasoning? A more inclusive strategy that includes shovel-ready projects like the Foothill Extension would make it more likely that our county doesn’t get left behind with a huge gap in federal funding in future years. The letter hit home for many on the Metro Board, who unanimously revised staff’s recommendation to make other projects – such as the Foothill Extension – priorities for the agency to seek federal funds.
2009 Ends with State of the Project Workshops
Two weeks ago, more than 150 guests – including Congress members Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, and David Dreier, and state and local legislators – came out to Glendora to celebrate a job well done on the effort to get funding for the extension and to hear Authority staff give status updates on their progress. Those present were also able to attend workshops on the iconic freeway structure design and the success of the art used on the Union Station to Pasadena phase of the Gold Line.
The lunch portion was highlighted by keynote speeches from our Congressional representatives and, while it was a reflection on past successes, it was a reminder of the job that still lies ahead – starting with the effort to get that groundbreaking going in June 2010. Speaking of the word job, our federal elected officials emphasized that, with construction jobs at an all-time low in our county and a still-hurting economy, the groundbreaking represents an opportunity to get people working again. Let’s all hope this opportunity becomes a much-need reality by the middle of next year. And to keep a positive tone going forward, Congressman Adam Schiff gave a few words to the crowd. Adam Schiff, who championed the original Gold Line as a State Senator back then, put on his best inspirational speaker hat and told the audience that, in their current battle for the Foothill Extension, if they ever got discouraged, they should look at the past struggles of the first Gold Line and how it eventually became a success.
And about that schedule. The Authority has a roadmap to get the Foothill Extension to Azusa up and running by 2013. All this begins with the much anticipated groundbreaking in June. A few meetings with Metro in January will determine the feasibility of this schedule, so here’s to hoping for some more positive news.
Misc – Year End Awards
Call of Duty Award: Citrus College Owl mascot – for braving over 100-plus-degree weather in an owl suit (in the sun) for the sake of rallying supporters at the Citrus College rally. Show me a more brave mascot and I’ll show you a phony.
Tony Robbins Award: San Gabriel Valley resident Bob Davis – for taking initiative and starting his own groundbreaking a year before the proposed official groundbreaking. You will not find a bigger supporter of the Foothill Extension. Thank you Bob.
Parallel Universe with Office Supply Shortage Award: City of Hope employees – for going through 25 boxes of Foothill Extension supporter pens in a span of 3 hours when we showed up at the Fall Benefits Fair at the City of Hope campus. We normally have a hard time giving away one pen at most I Will Ride booths.
Not much Foothill Extension news (minus a few editorials and a celebration) has made it into the papers since the LRTP was approved in October. With traditional news media historically reporting on the bad stuff, that’s a good thing. Unfortunately that gravy train stopped this week with a report that could potentially alter the Foothill Extension’s aggressive schedule to break ground in June 2010.
In a Los Angeles Times article on Tuesday, it was reported that the first phase of the Expo Line is facing a higher-than-expected price tag and a longer-than-expected delay in opening. How much higher and longer? How about $220 million in additional costs and a year away from its expected opening? With constant battles over every last cent of the funding pot, Metro definitely does not have spare change lying around to make up for the Expo Line’s budget deficit. According to the article, Metro could potentially consider an option where funds from other projects – namely the Foothill Extension and the Subway to the Sea – are dipped into to make the payments for the Expo Line Phase 1.
This possibly can or probably won’t develop into a concern for the residents waiting for those two projects, but right now no decision has been made and this commotion could really mean nothing. Some of you might be wondering why this would matter since the Metro Board of Directors put their legally-binding (figurative) stamp of approval on the Long Range Transportation Plan, which now allocates $851 million to construct the Foothill Extension, purchase rail cars, and build a maintenance yard. However, what isn’t placed into writing in the LRTP is anything that prohibits borrowing from one project to help pay for another, possibly delaying progress on the first – a scenario that could play out should Metro have no other alternative.
For now, keep those I Will Ride t-shirts clean and ready! We will let you know if they are needed.
(Congressman David Dreier and Claremont Councilman Sam Pedroza riding a miniature Gold Line train and having fun)
“To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.” - Margaret Fairless Barber
Now I may not be familiar with the writings of Margaret Fairless Barber (this might be the first time I’ve ever typed out her name), but if there’s one quote I could find on the internet that could describe the tone at Saturday’s celebration – this would be it.
This past Saturday, dozens of elected officials, hundreds of San Gabriel Valley residents, along with Metro CEO Art Leahy and Board Chair Ara Najarian came out to the historic Santa Fe train depot in Monrovia to celebrate last month’s hard-fought victory and to witness the unveiling of the first of six station signs at the future Foothill Extension stop – all the while looking forward to a brighter future for the region. There was food, coloring book tables for the kids, and a kiddie train that, for a brief moment, was being driven by Congressman David Dreier with Authority CEO Habib Balian and a few elected officials as passengers (more on that later).
Elected Officials Remind Crowd of Past, Look Forward to Future
While the event was a joyous occasion to celebrate the prospect of thousands of new jobs, economic benefits, a cleaner environment, and more transit alternatives for the folks of the San Gabriel Valley, it also marked a time for our lawmakers to reflect on the difficult and hard-fought path that brought us to this point.
Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, while thanking every Foothill Extension supporter from top to bottom, took a quote from former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in saying, “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” If you’ve been a supporter these past few years, that’s a pretty good way to sum it up. Assemblymember Anthony Portantino stated that the incredible levels of support from all levels (from residents all the way up to our federal delegation) was an indicator of just how important the Foothill Extension was to the region. Not to take anything away from other transit projects, but very few other projects can claim they’ve had this level of support for years – even from their federal delegation.
Speaking of federal delegations, Metro Board Chair Ara Najarian – with the infamous Congressional letter still in mind – reminded the crowd (besides that Metro CEO Art Leahy was in the crowd wearing a USC cap and that he was a Gold Line fan at heart) just how fortunate we were to have the likes of Congress members Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, Grace Napolitano, and David Dreier fighting endlessly for the San Gabriel Valley. Despite a few heated debates going on these days in the House of Representatives, they took the time when it mattered most to make a strong stand for the region. Bravo.
However, according to Congresswoman Judy Chu, it doesn’t end there. During her speech, she shared with the crowd that she dreams of the line going all the way to Ontario Airport. Not only do our residents share that dream as well, but so does former Glendale mayor and current California Transportation Commissioner Larry Zarian – who stressed that he was a fan of the line going to Ontario and that our economy depends on a healthy transit line that connects people to work.
Highlighting the speech portion of the ceremony was Congressman David Dreier, who reminded the crowd that we all share responsibility for our region’s environment – and that the Foothill Extension was solving a county-wide regional issue because, while it can bring people to work in Downtown Los Angeles, it also brings people who want to be in the San Gabriel Valley to the San Gabriel Valley. Then he proceeded to dare any elected official to ride the kid train while he drives it. As you can see on the left, a few took him up on his dare.
There’s five more station signs we haven’t seen yet for the cities of Arcadia, Duarte, Irwindale, and Azusa (two). And then we head towards the groundbreaking in the early summer of 2010 – which also happens to be the FIRST groundbreaking of any Measure R rail project. Neat.
It’s a good time to be a transit advocate who also likes public celebrations. While the Gold Line Eastside Extension is celebrating its first day of service this Sunday, another Gold Line extension is also taking the time to highlight a brighter transit future for its corridor residents: the Foothill Extension!
The Foothill Extension is celebrating last month’s triumph by unveiling the first of six station signs at the future Monrovia station site next Saturday. There will be food and activities for the entire family, and everyone is welcome.
We’re encouraging you to join us for the celebration – which will take place on November 21, 2009, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Historic Santa Fe Train Depot in Monrovia, CA. In addition to residents joining in on the fun, the San Gabriel Valley delegation of elected officials will also be in attendance. Members of Congress, the State Assembly, the County Board of Supervisors, and local City Council offices are confirmed to attend. The unveiling ceremony will start at 10:20 AM sharp, so don’t be late!
Good Times Are Rolling
Not a week has gone by since the approval of the LRTP in October without a congratulatory piece appearing in the local papers – the latest of which can sum up how the San Gabriel Valley happily feels about the prospects of a light-rail line coming into the region. The Pasadena Star-News editorial board recently took the time to thank the elected officials who had fought tooth-and-nail for the Foothill Extension over the past few years, the Metro Board of Directors for showing a commitment to the Foothill Extension, and the City of Monrovia for (lack of a better term) taking one for the team in order to see the line a reality in 2013.
In addition, the paper reminds readers just how important last month’s LRTP vote was for the region:
This project, now funded east from Pasadena to the Azusa/Citrus College station, will begin creating positive economic waves in terms of contracts and jobs beginning now through its completion in 2013.
…
By extending the Gold Line light-rail tracks from east Pasadena at Sierra Madre Villa Street to Azusa, and then, eventually, to Montclair and maybe even to Ontario International Airport, it will remove many commuters from cars, put them into trains and thereby relieve congestion on the traffic-choked Foothill (210) Freeway. The light-rail system will finally reach east San Gabriel Valley and eventually Inland Empire residents – precisely the neighborhoods where people drive long distances to and from jobs in Pasadena, Glendale/Burbank and Los Angeles. By adding choices for commuters, it will speed up travel and reduce air pollution.
Amidst a flurry of editorials, stern lectures from Congressional representatives (as well as State legislators), and staged protests from bus riders in front of Metro headquarters, the Metro Board of Directors came in yesterday with their game faces on and with the intent of passing the 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan. After we pointed out during our live-tweet that the Board room computers were running the archaic Windows 98 operating system, just as the Directors were lining up to vote on the LRTP – the computers crashed. That didn’t stop them as the Board went the old-school roll call route and voted unanimously to pass the 30-year Long Range Transportation Plan.
But considering it took until 2 PM to cast the vote (the meeting started around 10 AM), there was a lot that happened before the Board was able to arrive at that point.
Largest Contingency of Foothill Extension Supporters (this year) Show Up
Not to be outdone by bus supporters (three of them dressed in devil costumes) who filled up three long rows worth of seats, more than 100 supporters – ranging from elected officials to community leaders to residents and students – from the San Gabriel Valley made the trek to Metro headquarters to make one last stand for the Foothill Extension. If you live in a city along the 210 freeway up to Ontario, you were represented.
The San Gabriel Valley delegation of federal, state, and local legislators took to the stand first for public comment on the LRTP. Seeking to carry the momentum from the bipartisan Congressional letter that was made public a few days ago, the federal and state legislators reiterated concerns that Los Angeles County stood to lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years if the Board did not expand their federal funding strategy to include the Foothill Extension (Azusa to Montclair), Crenshaw corridor, and Eastside Extension Phase II projects. Representatives of state legislators Anthony Portantino, Carol Liu, and Gloria Romero reminded the Board that the voters who approved Measure R made it clear they wanted projects to move into construction as soon as possible – a criteria that the Foothill Extension was more than qualified for. A letter signed by eight state elected officials was also submitted to the Board in support of a more inclusive funding strategy.
If you read yesterday morning’s Los Angeles Times editorial take on the federal funding drama, you might have been surprised (at least I was) to read the Times’ claim that the federal government rarely funds more than one project at the same time. Not letting this tidbit get by them, a bipartisan Congressional delegation of representatives on behalf of David Dreier, Adam Schiff, Judy Chu, Grace Napolitano, Joe Baca, and others responded during public comment that, despite the editorial’s claims, it was not uncommon to have several projects funded by the federal New Starts program at the same time. If you go back to the infamous signed letter from a few days ago, it actually lists examples of this happening.
The local delegation (pictured right) was led by Glendora City Councilman Doug Tessitor, Duarte City Councilwoman Lois Gaston, Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, and Monrovia City Councilman Joe Garcia. The most interesting comments from the local delegation came from the Monrovia representatives, who – like we previously reported – reminded the Board that the city of Monrovia has the land and resources necessary for the much-needed rail maintenance facility, but the city will only commit as a partner to this yard if Metro agrees to operate the Foothill Extension (to Azusa in 2013). To show how serious they were, Mary Ann Lutz stated that the city prefers not to have the yard, but they are willing to host it in return for the Foothill Extension.
Speaking of local elected officials, county-uniter and West Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl stated in his public comment his support for the Congressional letter and the idea of including more projects in Metro’s federal strategy.
Board Responds to Congressional Letter
With the bipartisan Congressional letter having taken the transit news circles by storm, there was no way the Metro Board was going to ignore it.
In the Chair’s report, Ara Najarian talked about going to Washington in an attempt to lay the groundwork for federal funding for the Subway and Regional Connector. After feeling like he had accomplished something, he was blindsided and put on the defensive when the Congressional letter surfaced. In response to the letter, Najarian stated that Metro had not done a good job of briefing our federal representatives on their local strategy – that there were details that our members of Congress were not aware of. In the end, Najarian’s message was simple: let’s all get our act together.
Ridley-Thomas, Antonovich, Fasana, and Molina Stand Up for Regional Equity
When it was the Metro Board’s turn to discuss the LRTP prior to their vote, much of the lengthy debate had centered around a motion drafted by Board members Mark Ridley-Thomas, Gloria Molina, Michael Antonovich, and John Fasana. Without going into the details of the debate (in which Ridley-Thomas, Antonovich, Fasana, and Molina argued for regional equity until the very end), the motion eventually was included as an amendment in the final LRTP, which helped ease most of the concerns about the Foothill Extension’s future. So here’s what’s in for the San Gabriel Valley.
Pasadena to Azusa Phase Will Operate Earlier if Construction Finishes Earlier
With $851 million allocated for the first phase of the Foothill Extension in the prior draft of the LRTP, the lingering concern was the operational date set by Metro for 2017 – which meant the line would run almost 4 years after the expected completion in 2013. While not placing into writing an operational date of 2013, the amendment to the LRTP requires that Metro operate the line if the Construction Authority can complete it before 2017. Let’s see what happens.
Funding for Phase to Claremont
The amendment also instructs Metro staff to determine non-New Starts sources of funding for the Foothill Extension phase to Claremont and Crenshaw line. The second phase of the Foothill Extension needs approximately $320 million to complete construction. Metro Chair Ara Najarian mentioned a few weeks ago that the Foothill Extension could receive bits of federal assistance through the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and EPA departments. Maybe those?
In addition, like the first phase, Metro is required to commit to operating the line as soon as it is built.
So, let’s get to that groundbreaking in June, shall we?
