Metro Approves $798 Million Funding Agreement for Final Phase of Foothill Gold Line

Metro’s Board of Directors approved $798 million in funding Thursday for the final portion of the Foothill Gold Line, a 3.2-mile stretch connecting Pomona to Montclair. The Line, now called the L Line, connected with Pasadena in 2003.

The board voted unanimously in favor of the funding agreement, which now goes to the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority for approval. A state grant will pay for the agency’s portion of the project, while another $80 million will come from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.

“Bringing Metro rail to the residents of the northern San Gabriel Valley has been a priority for Metro for more than two decades,” Metro Board Chair and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. “Today’s approval allows that vision that so many in these communities have been waiting for to become reality, and I look forward to breaking ground on it next year.”

The money will contribute to an existing contract between the two agencies, which will also create two stations as part of this final phase.

“Completing this project is essential to the future of this corridor and to the region,” Construction Authority Board Chair and Claremont City Councilman Ed Reece said in a statement.

“This project will expand mobility with reliable and sustainable transit, reducing emissions and improving quality of life for all,” he added. “We sincerely appreciate Metro’s commitment to completing this number one priority project.”

According to the construction authority, staff are currently working on hiring a design-build team for the shovel-ready project. The project is expected to break ground in 2025.

The final project segment will complete the Foothill Gold Line’s 25- station system, being built in four construction segments.

Metro officials said the project is intended to provide a reliable alternative to driving the Foothill (210) and San Bernardino (10) freeways and offer connections with Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line at both the Claremont and Montclair stations.

Officials said a future trip from Montclair to Pasadena should take just over 40 minutes, and a trip from Montclair to Los Angeles would be about 75 minutes.

“Next year will be a historic year for the Foothill Gold Line, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we are making,” Reece said in a statement.

“In addition to completing construction on the four-station project segment from Glendora to Pomona the first week of 2025; the construction authority will also be able to break ground on the final segment — bringing us one major step closer to completing the agency’s legislative mandate.”