Metro’s regularly scheduled board meeting takes place tomorrow at the MTA Building at 9:30 AM. Our good friend Damien Newton of LA Streetsblog has taken the sometimes-cryptic Metro Board agenda and has churned out his always-excellent preview of the issues to be addressed. Heavy on highway issues and light on the Gold Line Foothill Extension itself, the agenda does contain an item that concerns the Foothill Extension corridor.
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority has recently received approval from Metro staff to start the process to environmentally clear and possibly acquire land for a rail maintenance facility to be located in the city of Irwindale. The facility is a high priority for Metro because the agency doesn’t have enough space to store and maintain cars from several planned lines (including the Foothill Extension). Duarte Mayor and Metro Board member John Fasana is set to introduce a motion seeking confirmation from the Metro Board on its support for the Authority to start this process as well as confirmation that they will reimburse the Construction Authority for the cost of conducting the necessary activities. Of the $735 million in Measure R allocated to the Foothill Extension project, more than $200 million is earmarked for the maintenance yard.
Once again, for those not able to attend we will be covering the Metro Board meeting on Twitter @iwillride.