Battle for funds pits the long-awaited Gold Line to Inland Empire vs. Valley and Southeast L.A. projects – San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

The following excerpts appeared in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on August 23, 2022. To read the full article (may require subscription), click here.

Battle for funds pits the long-awaited Gold Line to Inland Empire vs. Valley and Southeast L.A. projects – San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Construction continues at the San Dimas Gold Line (L-Line) overpass, seen here during an event celebrating 50 percent completion of the Gold Line light rail (L-Line) extension project in San Dimas on Friday, June 17, 2022. The project, which started in 2020 during the pandemic, extends the light-rail system into Glendora, La Verne, San Dimas and Pomona. The state legislators and city leaders are advocating to LA Metro to fund the next extension to Claremont and Montclair. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

By Steve Scauzillo

August 23, 2022

[excerpts]:

With a $97 billion California state surplus, local leaders thought they could grab some of that money to build a 3.2-mile extension of a Los Angeles County light-rail line into San Bernardino County, which would be the first of its kind to cross county lines.

But getting the $748 million in gap-funding needed for the extension of the foothill Gold Line, recently renamed the L Line, from Pomona to Claremont and Montclair, is far from a sure thing.

Najarian said he wants the Gold Line extension to receive the state surplus funding. He agrees with a letter sent to him by State Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Burbank, chairman of the California state Senate Appropriations Committee, asking Metro to prioritize the Gold Line extension into Montclair for the TIRCP grant.

“I want to make sure that the Gold Line makes it onto the priority list,” Portantino said. “The state made that surplus money available, and as far as I am concerned the Gold Line should be the top priority.”

Claremont Mayor Ed Reece noted that the San Gabriel Valley legislative caucus has been advocating in Sacramento, and to L.A. Metro, to finish the Gold Line. He said the project would relieve traffic on the 210 and provide environmental benefits. Also, he said the funding would go directly into construction.

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