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.”

…

“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!”

…

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.

To read the full article (may require subscription), click here.

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.

…

“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.

…

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.

…

“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.”

To read the full article (may require subscription), click here.

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.

…

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.”

…

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.

To read the full article (may require subscription), click here.

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:

SGV Connect 146: What’s Next for the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority

By Damien Newton

March 3, 2026

[excerpt]:

Newton:
Turning to the next extension, from Pomona to Claremont — bids came in high under the design-build model. Why change approaches?

Balian:
Design-build has served us well for two decades, but contractors are increasingly risk-averse, especially given tariffs and market uncertainty. That risk translated into higher bids. We’ve pivoted to a Construction Manager at Risk model. Parsons will complete the design to 100 percent over the next 18 months. A contractor will then review constructability and pricing, allowing us to move toward construction in early 2028 with greater cost certainty.

Newton:
Rail projects aren’t just about transportation. We’ve seen improved bus coordination and major transit-oriented development along the corridor. You recently released a report on the economic benefits of the Claremont extension.

Balian:
Yes. Development around stations in Pasadena, Monrovia, Azusa, and beyond has been significant. Cities are planning housing and mixed-use projects near stations, often years in advance. Beyond development, construction has created thousands of jobs. During operations, we project nearly $500 million in economic output within the first three years. The line also uniquely connects numerous colleges — from Pasadena City College to Azusa Pacific and the Claremont Colleges — making it an important educational corridor.

…

Balian:
Awarding the design contract is our immediate priority. We expect to select a CMAR contractor this summer and begin construction in January 2028. It’s a billion-dollar project with four bridges and significant regional impact. Cities want this line, and we’re eager to deliver it.

To listen to the full interview or read the transcript, click here.

Below are some key highlights from the report’s conclusions:

As highlighted in the report, during the seven-year design and construction phase alone (2026 to 2032), the project will generate more than $1.13 billion in economic output, support more than 4,700 jobs and produce more than $481 million in labor income. Workers will see an average annual income of $101,000. Furthermore, construction activity is estimated to generate more than $154 million in tax revenues, including more than $20 million in revenues for Los Angeles County.

In short, for every $1 million spent during the next seven years of final design and construction, the project will generate $1.6 million in total economic output for the region.

Once passenger service begins, the ongoing operations will continue to generate return on investment for the county. The report found that for every $1 million spent operating the extension, the project will generate $7.6 million in total economic output for Los Angeles County, driven by effects across the supply chain and from household spending.

Under an 8-minute headway scenario during the first three years of operations (2032 to 2034) alone, the project is estimated to generate nearly $460 million in economic output, support nearly 1,200 annual jobs and produce more than $490 million in labor income. The average annual wage for supported jobs is estimated at $137,000, which, like the average annual wage during construction, is significantly higher than the county’s median earnings. More than $123 million in total tax revenues will be generated in the first three years of operations, with Los Angeles County receiving approximately $22 million of that total. These economic benefits continue in perpetuity once passenger service is underway, and also result in even greater benefits if the line is operated at more frequent headways.

The report by Kleinhenz Economics concludes by noting that the actual economic benefits of the Pomona to Claremont Extension are likely even greater than quantified, as the study does not capture Metro A Line riders spending around the stations, the project serving as a catalyst for transit-oriented development near the rail line, the economic activity generated by residents and businesses at these new developments, and the environmental and public health benefits from reduced traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.

You can read the full report by clicking here.

You can also read media coverage in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, L.A. Business First, Progressive Railroading, Mass Transit Magazine, Metro Magazine and American Rails.

Photos: Construction Authority and Parsons staff hold kick-off meetings to begin design effort for Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension

The Construction Authority is holding kick-off meetings this week with Parsons, as they begin the design effort for the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension. This follows last month’s award of a six-year, $60 million design and engineering services contract to the engineering firm, following a competitive procurement process that began in June 2025 and saw bids from multiple teams.

Over the next 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. Once construction is underway, Parsons will also support the project with any needed design services over what is expected to be a four-year construction phase.

The design and engineering services contract is the first of two contracts needed to deliver the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method. The second contract is for the contractor.

The procurement process to hire the contractor (called the construction manager with this delivery method) reached a major milestone earlier this month with the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP), following a successful industry review period of the draft RFP that was completed late last year.

The construction manager contract is expected to be awarded this coming May, and will include an initial phase of work during project design that includes providing constructability reviews, value engineering, third party coordination and cost estimating. Once the project reaches 85%-90% design, the winning contractor 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.

For more on the contract award, read media coverage in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Los Angeles Business Journal, Claremont Courier, La Nueva Voz, Pasadena Now, Mass Transit Magazine, Railway Track & Structures, Passenger Transport, Metro Magazine and Progressive Railroading.

STAY AHEAD: Sign Up for Construction Alerts

While there is limited impactful work expected in 2026, there may be early utility-related construction taking place between Pomona and Claremont. Stay ahead of construction by signing up now to receive construction alerts. Click here to sign up.