SanBag Reaffirms Commitment to Support Funding For Gold Line Extension

While the effort to extend the Gold Line further east from the Azusa/ Glendora border continues to push a hesitant Metro for support, the project gained momentum earlier this week when the San Bernardino Associated Governments publicly backed the extension to Montclair.

Raymond Wolfe, executive director of the transportation agency, assured the Montclair City Council that he and his staff would support ongoing efforts to push the light rail project beyond Azusa to Montclair.

Construction from Pasadena to Azusa is on track for a 2015 completion, however approved plans to bring the light rail through Glendora, San Dimas, Claremont and Montclair has yet to receive full funding.

Wolfe said while Metro remains reluctant to include the extension project past Azusa in Measure R, it will be up to Wolfe’s board to come up with the $55 million to fund the 3,000-foot stretch from the Los Angeles County line to Montclair, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Wolfe’s comments come following speculation that SanBag’s focus was on building "Lexus lanes" car pool or express lanes along the 10 Freeway rather than bringing the light rail to Montclair.

Wolfe said that some of the funding for the extension will come from Measure I, a San Bernardino County transportation tax.

Wolfe told the council:

"We just wanted to have an understanding that SanBag is truly interested in this project. I understand in this process I can see there is strong commitment. This project is all about money and I realize L.A. County is a major factor in the Gold Line extension to Montclair. "

Habib Balian, CEO for the Foothill Extension Gold Construction Authority, praised SanBag’s support of the project.

“We appreciate SANBAG CEO expressing his support for the extension to Montclair in recent days, emphasizing their strong commitment to completing the line to Montclair,” said Balian in a statement.

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