Transit Briefs: LACMTA, Met Council, SacRT

LACMTA

The $1.5 billion, four-station Foothill Gold Line light rail project that will run 9.1 miles from Glendora to Pomona has reached substantial completion, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority reported Jan. 3. It is now ready to be turned over to LACMTA for final testing, training of operators and other crews, emergency and safety preparations, pre-revenue operations and simulated revenue service, and final approvals by the California Public Utilities Commission, among other tasks that will take place in the months ahead. The project is adding new Metro A Line stations in the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, and Pomona.

The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, which has overseen the bulk of construction, is an independent transportation planning and construction agency that was created in 1998 by the California State Legislature to plan, design, and build the LACMTA Gold Line light rail system from Union Station to Montclair (now part of the Metro A Line system). The agency completed the first two segments, Union Station to Pasadena and Pasadena to Azusa, in 2003 and 2015, respectively. A 2025 opening date for the third segment, from Glendora to Pomona, has not yet been determined; “LACMTA will announce the date in the future,” according to Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority.

The third segment’s design-build contract was completed by Kiewit-Parsons, a Joint Venture (KPJV), over the past five years and included all project elements. The $906.5 million contract included design and construction of four new light rail stations and associated multi-modal parking facilities; light rail systems, including track, power, train control, communications and safety equipment; nine miles of relocated freight track that initially sat in the middle of the now-shared rail corridor; 19 bridges, including four new light rail bridges that span major city streets and intersections in Glendora and San Dimas; 21 at-grade street crossings; 10 miles of decorative sound and retaining walls; corridor-wide fencing to prevent trespassing; testing of the line and new systems; and more.

“The Kiewit-Parsons team did an outstanding job designing and constructing the light rail project from [Glendora to Pomona], despite significant and unprecedented challenges,” Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority CEO Habib F. Balian said. “It is unusual for a large infrastructure project to come in on time and on budget, but KPJV was partners with the Construction Authority from the start and found ways to innovate and keep the project moving through the Covid-19 pandemic, historic heatwaves and historic rains.”

“Reaching substantial completion is an important achievement for the entire team at the Construction Authority, Metro [LACMTA], our contractors and our corridor cities,” added Balian. “We are proud to be the first light rail project funded by Measure M to have broken ground and to now be completed, and we look forward to handing the project over to Metro as they prepare to put the extension on-line later this year.”

The design-build contract for the Foothill Gold Line from Glendora to Pomona was executed in October 2019, and major construction on the project began in July 2020 after several months of final design work. Los Angeles County’s Measure M half-cent sales tax provided the majority of funding for the project, along with nearly $100 million of residual funds from the Measure R half-cent sales tax not used to complete the now-operational Pasadena to Azusa segment, according to Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. Additionally, the project was awarded a nearly $300 million grant through CalSTA’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) in 2018. Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority reported that the majority of the TIRCP grant funds have been used to complete the Glendora to Pomona segment, with approximately $40 million set aside for the final project segment from Pomona to Montclair. In 2021, the project was also awarded a $650,000 grant from CalRecycle to use tire-derived aggregate as part of the project. As a result, approximately 548,200 tires were recycled and utilized to reduce noise in areas along the project corridor where noise impacts were identified and could be reduced through this effort, according to Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority.

With the third segment complete, LACMTA is preparing the final project segment—from Pomona to Montclair—for construction. Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority said it expects to have the design-build team for this 3.2-mile, two-station project under contract in spring 2025 and to break ground later in the year. The final project segment is slated to take approximately five years to build. 

Met Council

The Met Council in Minnesota has adopted a 2025 operating budget that includes funding to grow the Transit Rider Investment Program (TRIP), expand the use of supplemental security officers, partner with community-based organizations, and bring on more police officers and Community Service Officers (CSOs), it reported Jan. 5. The budget also provides funding for more maintenance staff dedicated to cleaning and maintaining stations, vehicles, and track areas.

“We continue to act with urgency to provide the kind of experience our riders and staff deserve, investing in efforts that are working while seeking new opportunities to involve new partners to expand our impact,” General Manager Lesley Kandaras said.

According to Met Council, the 2025 budget provides $10.75 million for contracted supplemental security services and the continued use of contracted employees such as TRIP Agents—personnel who inspect fares and support riders—and up to $750,000 to partner with organizations focused on issues like substance abuse disorders, mental health, and housing.

SacRT

SacRT on Jan. 5 resumed light rail service to all Folsom area stations following completion of a new passing track at the Glenn/Robert G. Holderness Station, which now features boarding from both sides of the platform. Construction began in January 2024 and was completed in December 2024. The agency said it had to finalize track testing and get California Public Utilities Commission approval before service could restart.

Trains on weekdays now serve Folsom area stations (Historic Folsom, Glenn/Robert G. Holderness, Iron Point and Hazel) every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Weekend service (Saturdays and Sundays) will continue with 30-minute frequencies at all Folsom stations.

“Our commitment to providing reliable, safe, and accessible transportation remains stronger than ever,” said SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li. “We’re proud to bring light rail service back to the Folsom area, expand service frequency, and introduce our new low-floor trains. These improvements are a major step forward in modernizing transit in the Sacramento region.”

SacRT in September rolled out the first of its new Siemens Mobility S700 low-floor light rail vehicles on the Gold Line. “These state-of-the-art trains are designed to provide a smoother, more accessible ride for all passengers,” the agency noted.