A Line’s Claremont extension moves one step closer – Claremont Courier

An A Line train arrives at the La Verne/Fairplex station Tuesday. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

By Andrew Alonzo

June 4, 2026

[excerpts]:

Once the final design reaches 85% completion, SSH Joint Venture will negotiate a construction services contract. Should they come up with a favorable estimate, “They will be the only ones bidding the job,” [Foothill Gold Line CEO Habib F.] Balian said. “The construction authority will give to them a signed contract for a fixed amount to build the project. Within that, they’re in charge of every aspect of construction, … but they will, of course, put together a bid, and that is a huge effort on a project of this size. And then in addition to that they will oversee every aspect of construction, from building parking structures to putting in the tracks and power substations to laying the rail to building the stations, installing artwork — every aspect of it will be done by this contractor.”

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“The Construction Authority was looking for a team that would not only provide great value during the initial preconstruction phase, but one that would do an excellent job building the project if they are successful at negotiating a construction contract with us next year,” wrote Construction Authority Board Chair and Claremont Vice Mayor Ed Reece in a statement. “And I am pleased that we had a highly competitive procurement that saw four qualified teams vying for the work. We are confident that SSH is an excellent selection, and we look forward to their efforts in the months ahead that will support the best design possible while also developing the best approach to building this important regional project.”

Funds for the Pomona-Claremont segment, about $800 million from Senate Bill 125 monies, were awarded to the Construction Authority in 2024. About $200 million has been used or earmarked thus far for design, acquisitions, and permits.

The Construction Authority’s Chief Project Officer Chris Burner told the Daily Bulletin work on the new segment to Claremont will include bridges over Garey and Towne avenues and Indian Hill Boulevard, and the relocation of Metrolink and freight tracks.

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Construction manager contract awarded to extend light-rail line from Pomona to Claremont – Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

A rendering of what the A Line station in Claremont would look like. (image courtesy of Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority)

By Steve Scauzillo

May 28, 2026

[excerpts]:

The last contractor needed for the 2.3-mile extension of the A Line light-rail from Pomona to Claremont — to begin preliminary construction work for the last leg that will bring the line to the eastern edge of Los Angeles County — was awarded a contract on Wednesday, May 27 by the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority.

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The team, a joint group with Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc., Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., and Herzog Contracting Corp., will look over the designs of the project being done by Parsons Transportation Group and come up with a construction plan and schedule from a construction point of view.

More importantly, the Skanska team will negotiate a full-on construction contract and offer a bid to the Construction Authority, expected by the Fall of 2027. If the price is within the Authority’s budget for the project, then the Skanska team will build the entire project. If not, the Construction Authority can reject it and find another construction contractor.

“The design team and the construction manager will work together for a year and a half. Then the construction manager will give us a bid. We will give it the thumbs up if we have sufficient funds for that,” said Habib Balian, CEO of the Construction Authority in an interview on Thursday, May 28.

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At their May meeting this week, the Construction Authority board of directors voted unanimously to award the construction manager contract for the 2.3-mile Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension to SSH Joint Venture (SSH), a team made up of Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc., Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. and Herzog Contracting Corp. The construction manager contract is the second of two major contracts now awarded to deliver the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method adopted by the board last year. The first, for design/engineering services, was awarded to Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. (Parsons) in January.

The award of the construction manager contract, which includes an initial authorization of $6.3 million for preconstruction activities, was the outcome of a competitive procurement process that saw bids from four well-qualified teams. SSH ranked the highest overall of the four teams competing for the contract, following review of the written proposals, in-person interviews and evaluation of their cost.

Each team was rated on management approach; experience, personnel and performance; interview performance; approach to working in a complex right-of-way corridor with Metrolink/SCRRA; and approach to light rail systems. Because the full cost of constructing the project won’t be determined until after the project design reaches about 85% (expected in Fall 2027), the procurement process used a formula that compared the four teams based on their preconstruction phase cost proposals and profit and overhead figures. Ultimately, the teams were ranked on a “best value” approach, in which technical scores and interview performance were weighted significantly heavier than the results of the price formula. SSH was ranked highest overall and determined to be the team providing the “best value.”

As SSH comes on board in the weeks ahead, their initial contracted work will involve supporting the design/engineering effort. During this preconstruction phase, SSH will be responsible for providing constructability reviews, value engineering, third-party coordination and cost estimating – all of which will inform the design efforts underway by Parsons. Following the project design reaching approximately 85%, SSH will have the possibility of building the project if the team successfully negotiates a construction services contract with an acceptable price.

Assuming a successful negotiation of the construction services contract, the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension, which will include a new Metro A Line station in the City of Claremont and take about four years to build, would be ready to start major construction as early as late 2027.

Parsons Continues to Ready Design/Engineering for Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension

Photos: Construction Authority and Parsons design staff meet in May as the design effort for Pomona to Claremont project continues

As reported earlier this year, and mentioned above, Parsons was awarded a six-year, $60 million design and engineering services contract this past January after a competitive procurement that resulted in Parsons being the top ranked team. Since the award, Parsons has been working alongside the Construction Authority to advance elements of the 2.3-mile light rail extension from approximately 30% design to 60% (the design will then be advanced to 85%, 100% and finally “Approved for Construction” drawings). The design effort will take approximately 18-24 months, and then Parsons will remain on the project to support the construction effort with any additional design services needed.

Master Cooperative Agreement Amendment Approved by Construction Authority and Metro

In another key decision this week, the boards of directors of both the Construction Authority and Metro voted to approve an amendment to the ongoing Master Cooperative Agreement (MCA) between the agencies. The MCA lays out the roles and responsibilities of each agency as they work together over the course of the project’s design, construction and testing, with the Construction Authority turning the completed project over to Metro for operations. The MCA was amended to clarify how the agreement would apply to a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method, which is being used to deliver the Pomona to Claremont segment.

As a reminder, the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension received $798 million in funding from Metro in late 2024 through SB 125.

David Allen: A Line trains are creating buzz from Pomona westward – Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Passengers disembark from an A Line train at the Pomona North station on Wednesday, May 6. The station, the end of the line, is attracting some 1,800 riders a day. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

By David Allen

May 10, 2026

[excerpts]:

Robert Dukes of Pomona took his 16-year-old grandson to Philippe on the A Line days before my own trip. The teen had never been to the French dip restaurant. His grandfather first ate there in 1952.

“It was our first time on the A Line and I was favorably impressed,” Dukes said. “A lot less expensive and better timetable than the alternative.”

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“We ride it from San Dimas to South Pasadena and other destinations,” says Ed Rivas of the former municipality, “and we love having the train in our city!”

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My SCNG colleague Grace Reaza’s retirement lunch last Wednesday was in Arcadia at a restaurant that is, providentially, two blocks from the A Line station.

I drove from Claremont to Pomona, paid $3 to park, boarded the train for 35 cents [senior fare], then turned around after lunch and repeated the steps.

All told, my round trip from Pomona was 38 miles. Cost: $3.70, less than the cost of a tank of gas.

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Without tariffs, A (Gold) Line extension to Claremont attracts multiple bidders for construction contract – Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

A rendering of what the A Line station in Claremont would look like. (image courtesy of Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority)

By Steve Scauzillo

April 28, 2026

[excerpts]:

As the A Line, the longest electric light-rail in the country, tries to stretch even farther from Pomona to Claremont, the effort will get a boost from four contractor teams posting bids, officials reported earlier this week.

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“It’s great for an owner to have three or four bids. We got four and that provides us with a lot of competition,” said Habib Balian, CEO of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority in an interview on Tuesday.

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Another key factor attracting more bids is the change to a new process that began with awarding a separate design/engineering contract to Parsons Transportation Group Inc. for $61 million on [Jan. 29]. The second contract, the major one for construction, should be awarded on May 27, he said.

Teams from the construction authority, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, cities and L.A. Metro, which operates the line, are putting their heads together to choose one of the four bidders to recommend to the construction authority board. Balian said they look at qualifications, including whether the bidder has ever built light-rail and were projects on-time and on-budget.

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“Receiving these four competitive proposals from contractor teams of this caliber is a testament to the vision and unwavering commitment of this board and agency to extending the Metro A Line and all of its benefits to Claremont,” said Ed Reece, chair of the construction authority board and Claremont [Vice Mayor]. “I look forward to reviewing with my board colleagues the staff’s recommendation in May, and reaching another critical milestone that brings us one step closer to expanding a reliable, world-class transit system that fuels economic growth, reduces our carbon footprint and affordably brings more people to more places.”

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Photo: (left to right) Foothill Gold Line Chief Project and Planning Officer Chris Burner, CEO Habib F. Balian, Office Manager Nathalie Griffiths and Submittals Manager Margaux Vogel with the four proposals submitted for the construction manager contract

The ongoing effort to ready the 2.3-mile Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension for construction reached a major milestone this week, when bids were received by four teams wishing to compete to be the project’s construction manager (or contractor). The bids were in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) released in February, following a successful industry review period of the draft RFP that was completed late last year.

The construction manager contract is the second of two contracts to be awarded to deliver the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension (which will add a new Metro A Line station in Claremont) through the “Construction Manager at Risk” (CMAR) delivery method. The first contract, awarded in January to Parsons, was for design and engineering services.

The construction manager proposals will now be distributed to several evaluation committees for review and scoring. They will be judged on their experience, personnel and performance history; their management approach; how they intend to handle working in a complex right-of-way corridor with Metrolink/SCRRA; and their approach to light rail systems, as well as their pricing approach.

The Construction Authority expects to have a recommendation for the board to consider for contract award at next month’s meeting.

How Two Teams Will Work Together to Ready and Build the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension

The design/engineering effort by Parsons has been underway since award of the contract earlier this year. The initial design work in the first few months is focused on underground utilities and drainage, but over the contract’s first two years, Parsons will design all elements of the 2.3-mile light rail extension from its current design level of approximately 30% to “Approved for Construction” drawings.

After the construction manager is hired (anticipated in May), the winning contractor team will initially work alongside Parsons to provide constructability reviews, value engineering, third party coordination and cost estimating during the design phase. Once the project reaches about 85% design (anticipated in mid-2027), the construction manager will have the possibility of building the project if the team successfully negotiates a construction services contract with an acceptable price. Assuming a successful bid for the construction work, it is expected that major construction will begin in late 2027/early 2028 and take about four years to complete to Claremont. During construction, Parsons will continue to support the project with any needed design services.

Third-Party Utility Work Underway

In anticipation of the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension moving forward to major construction starting as early as late next year, the Construction Authority has been coordinating with third-party utilities to schedule any work needed within the rail corridor ahead of the project. Charter Spectrum is the first of several utilities we expect to conduct work ahead of major construction beginning.

As shown in the photos above, Charter Spectrum is currently working to underground overhead communication lines below Towne Ave. in Pomona. While we are coordinating these activities ahead of the project, the individual utilities are fully responsible for all elements of conducting the work.

A Line’s new stations in eastern L.A. County adding riders, as increase ripples through line – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Metro A Line light-rail riders board the train as it travels the westbound route toward Long Beach, in Glendora on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

By Steve Scauzillo

March 10, 2026

[excerpts]:

In the northern foothill portion, where the [Metro A Line] light-rail line runs roughly between Chinatown and Pomona, [Metro CEO Stephanie] Wiggins reported nearly a 13% increase in January 2026 over last January.

“Meaning, the four new stations are not only new travel markets in eastern L.A. County, they are also helping increase ridership on other parts of the A Line,” Wiggins said.

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Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, an L.A. Metro board member who has been waiting for the A Line to reach his city for years, noted that the Pomona North A Line Station also has a station for the San Bernardino-to-L.A. Metrolink heavy-rail passenger line. Many take Metrolink from the Inland Empire, then change to the A Line.

“Without question, people who are trying to get to work are utilizing the system,” Sandoval said on Monday. “It is faster than when they were on the 210 Freeway and traffic is backing up.”

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One group that may be using the A Line and new stations more often are students, since the line is described by L.A. Metro as “rich in colleges.” Taking the A Line, students can reach Pasadena City College, Caltech, Citrus College, Azusa Pacific University, Cal Poly Pomona, Mt. San Antonio College, University of La Verne, Art Center College of Design and the Claremont Colleges.

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To read the interactive issue of Mobility, click here.

Below are just a few pictures from the opening day 10 years ago today:

Federal, state, county and local elected officials stopped to take a picture after the formal ribbon cutting took place on March 5, 2016.

An estimated 30,000 riders took an inaugural ride on the new line on opening day.

Each station hosted a community celebration on opening day. Above are photos from the Arcadia celebration which included appearances by Smokey Bear from the U.S. Forest Service office in Arcadia, as well as the iconic bugle call from the Santa Anita Racetrack bugler that welcomed the first train to the station.

Foothill Gold Line staff, consultants and contractors celebrating the opening.

Since the line opened on that memorable day, much has happened around each of the six stations. Despite the Covid-19 Pandemic and economic uncertainties that impacted our region, the country and the world during the first decade of the line, thousands of housing units and tens of thousands of square feet of commercial space have been built within a short walk of the six new stations. Below are photos of the stations today, along with some statistics of the growth that has taken place around each station to date, with more planned by each city in the future:

Arcadia Station

Surrounding the Arcadia Station are new mixed-use developments. Since the extension opened in 2016, more than 350 housing units and more than 50,000 square feet of commercial space have been built or are underway now.

Monrovia Station

Significant growth has taken place surrounding the Monrovia Station, where more than 1,200 housing units have been built within a short walk of the station since the opening 10 years ago.

Duarte/City of Hope Station

Since 2016, more than 630 housing units have been built adjacent to the Duarte/City of Hope Station, and City of Hope has expanded by more than 560,000 square feet – adding a new 147-room on-site hotel (bottom photo), eight-story outpatient medical building (shown rising above the campus in the background of the middle photo) and a new pavilion for medical, research and administrative purposes – all part of a 2018-approved specific plan update that allows more than 1 million square feet of new development on the campus.

Irwindale Station

While no new major land developments have yet to take place near the Irwindale Station, the city is currently reviewing a proposed specific plan that would add up to 3 million square feet of business/commercial development at the brewery site just west of the station, and has already approved a specific plan that would add nearly 2 million square feet of industrial/business and commercial development across the 210 Freeway from the station on 91.5 acres.

Azusa Downtown Station

The city of Azusa has added 290 housing units near their Downtown Station since the line opened, some directly adjacent to the station (shown in the middle picture below), as well as some a short walk from Route 66 where a new mixed-use development has been built that includes apartments, a theater, restaurant space and shops (bottom photo).

APU/Citrus College Station

In addition to the 1,250 homes built adjacent to the APU/Citrus College Station as part of the Rosedale planned community, a new 112-unit townhome project is now under construction near the station, as is an 8,250 square foot commercial project that will have outdoor dining.

We hope you have taken the opportunity to explore the new stations, view the amazing artworks created by the city-selected artists/artist teams and ride the extension to explore all that LA County has to offer over these past six months.

Here are two upcoming events taking place in March that might entice you to ride again to attend Night Markets at the Glendora and Pomona Stations: