The following excerpt appeared in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on November 5, 2019. To read the full article, click here (may require subscription).

Gold Line CEO, Montclair leaders consider funding sources to bring light rail closer to San Bernardino County – Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

By Steve Scauzillo

November 5, 2019

[excerpt]:

[Foothill Gold Line CEO] Habib Balian told the City Council on Monday, Nov. 4, about the intensive lobbying effort underway since Oct. 5. He also discussed how the cities of Pomona, Claremont and Montclair and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority can work together to overcome the funding shortfall that threatens plans to link the Los Angeles County light-rail service with San Bernardino County riders via the Montclair Transcenter.

Balian suggested the money could come from gas tax dollars under SB 1, which already has funded part of the $2.1-billion, 12.3-mile extension of the light rail east from Glendora. The first phase of the extension, a 9.1-mile segment from Glendora to north Pomona, is under construction. A second phase, a contract option, includes the unfunded $450-million, 2.6-mile extension from Pomona to Claremont and a short, 0.6-mile segment from the county line to Montclair. The latter could be paid for by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, which has collected about $81 million of the $97.4 million needed for that portion of the project from local Measure I funds and from a state grant.

Another source of funding for the Gold Line extension east of Pomona could be the state’s low-carbon emissions fund paid into by entities releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, Balian said.

A third option would be to seek funds from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), but this would require the project undergo additional environmental screening under the federal National Environmental Policy Act. The project is cleared under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Federalizing the project would add costs and time, Balian said.

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