MONTCLAIR – The debate over whether or not San Bernardino Associated Governments is in support of the Gold Line extension to this city was put to rest when its director personally addressed the council Monday night.

Raymond Wolfe, executive director of the transportation agency, assured the city council that he and his staff will support any efforts that will help bring the the light rail project the necessary 3,000 feet beyond the Los Angeles County Line to Montclair.

When completed, the Gold Line would run from LA to Montclair. Right now, it ends in east Pasadena with the next construction phase under way to Azusa. The next portion would take the route to Claremont and Montclair.

But Wolfe warned the council the challenges to push east past the LA County line won’t come from his agency.

“The primary competition for funding for Gold Line isn’t in this county,” he said. “When the Gold Line is actually funded east of Azusa our board will make the decision to figure out how to fund that last stretch to get it to Montclair.”

The politics in LA have been, as Wolfe described as “very heady.” Last year, when transportation proponents were trying to gain support for Measure J – which would have extended the county’s transportation tax – there was a lot of debate over what projects would get the funds.

At that time the CEO of Metro made it clear it could be decades before funding to push the Gold Line east of the Azusa station would be allocated, Wolfe explained to the council.

“At this point it doesn’t make sense for us to spend the limited amount of money that we have on studies for a project that may be decades in the future,” he said.

His presentation comes two weeks after several of the council members, including Bill Ruh, expressed their frustration with the agency over their concerns that SanBag was reluctant to back the rail project as well as the necessary steps to provide the $55 million needed for the extension.

Ruh went as far as to say the agency is instead focusing its attention on building “Lexus lanes” car pool or express lanes along the 10 Freeway rather than helping obtain the necessary funding for the rail project. Ruh was not present at Monday’s meeting.

During his brief presentation to the council, Wolfe told the board that some of the funding for the project would come from Measure I, a San Bernardino County sales tax measure for transportation improvement projects.

When the measure was taken to the voters in 2004 it specifically outlined the transportation projects that it would fund, setting aside 8 percent of the funds for rail projects, Wolfe said.

But the Gold Line extension is not the only project eligible to receive the 8 percent of the annual revenues set aside for rail projects, Wolfe said.

The eligible expenditures in the rail program include purchasing new rail stock, new locomotives for existing Metrolink service, adding parking lots as well as an extension to the Redlands rail line.

SanBag receives about $8 million to $9 million annually through revenues collected from the measure, he added.

“I want to make it really clear that I do support the Gold Line extending across the county line to Montclair Transit Center,” he said.

Following the presentation Councilman John Dutrey, who was among the council members to raise their concerns with SanBag, thanked Wolfe for his leadership.

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

The Construction Authority Board of Directors will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at the Metro Gold Line Offices, 406 E. Huntington Drive, Suite 202, Monrovia, CA 91016 . Click here for more information or to view the meeting agenda and reports.

This week crews installed ten 88-foot long, 100,000 pound steel reinforced concrete girders on top of the Colorado Blvd bridge in Arcadia. Crews are now working to rebuild the street, curbs and gutters under the bridge, in anticipation of the street re-opening to traffic on Monday, May 20.

Metro must keep faith on the Gold Line: Opinion

Crews grade the area at the future Arcadia station in anticipation of beginning work on the platform foundations.

Palm Drive in Azusa re-opened to pedestrian and vehicular traffic this week after being closed four months for construction of supports for three rail bridges.

At their meeting on Thursday of this week, the Metro board approved the following names for the future Foothill Extension stations:

- Arcadia
- Monrovia
- Duarte/City of Hope
- Irwindale
- Azusa Downtown
- APU/Citrus College

Here is what just some people are saying to “The Source” in response to the name approval:

“L A McRae on April 25, 2013 at 1:06 PM said: I’m SO excited about the Gold line extension to Arcadia! The station is within 5 mins walking distance from my home & there are stations within 5 mins walking distance of both of my jobs! My poor 10 year old car will get to rest at least a few days a week!”

El Peatón on April 25, 2013 at 3:39 PM said: “No Azusa Downtown/Ridley-Thomas or Duarte/City of Hope/Tom Bradley station? I’m very surprised. Thank you Metro for keeping things simple.”

Just a person on April 25, 2013 at 1:39 PM said: “Some nice simple and logic names!!!!!!!”

Let us know what you think? Send us a comment.

Construction of the 24-acre Gold Line Operations Campus is moving along rapidly. As shown in this aerial photo, underground utilities are being installed throughout the campus and foundation work completed on the on-site buildings.

REMINDER: A three-month closure of Azusa Avenue at the railroad crossing in Azusa begins next Monday, April 29, 2013. Click here for details.

The Construction Authority Board of Directors will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at the Metro Gold Line Offices, 406 E. Huntington Drive, Suite 202, Monrovia, CA 91016 . Click here for more information or to view the meeting agenda and reports.

Work is underway on more than a dozen bridges along the 11.5-mile corridor. The abutment walls are nearing completion on the new Colorado Boulevard bridge shown here.