L.A. Metro cuts ribbon on A Line Extension to Pomona
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the beginning of passenger service on the extension of the Metro A Line to the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona, Calif.
The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority began major project construction in 2020. The $1.5 billion rail extension project was funded by L.A. Metro’s Measure R and Measure M transportation sales taxes, as well as the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) through its Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program. The project will be operated by L.A. Metro and adds nine miles to the current 48.5-mile Long Beach to Azusa Metro A Line. The agency notes it is the ninth project completed in its Twenty-Eight by ’28 initiative, which will help enhance the region’s transit infrastructure in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The extension will also connect people living in San Bernardino County to Los Angeles County via the joint L.A. Metro/Metrolink station in Pomona.
“The A Line will connect Angelenos to a wealth of destinations from the foothills to the beaches,” said L.A. Metro Board Chair and Whittier Council Member Fernando Dutra. “Now more Eastern San Gabriel Valley residents can take Metro rail to cities like Pasadena, Downtown LA, South LA and Long Beach, boosting mobility in communities that haven’t been served by rail for decades.”
According to L.A. Metro, additional destinations served by the extension include 19 nearby college and university campuses.
“From students and daily commuters to visitors and retirees, the Metro A Line is a vital link to dozens of schools, world-class medical facilities, major job and innovation hubs, and some of our county’s most treasured cultural and entertainment destinations,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and L.A. Metro Second Vice Chair Kathryn Barger. “A ride on the A Line is a gateway to opportunity.”
The agency says that with the extension, travel times between Los Angeles Union Station and the Glendora and Pomona Stations will range from 52 to 64 minutes respectively, compared to a 90-minute or longer drive. Trains will operate every eight minutes during peak service weekdays, 10 minutes off-peak, weekday and daytime weekend service and every 20 minutes during evening/late-night service. L.A. Metro says several Foothill Transit bus lines will directly serve the new rail stations to support the seamless integration of bus and rail services along the extension while the Pomona North Station will also provide a convenient connection with Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line, which serves the Inland Empire, further expanding transit options for L.A. Metro riders. The new connection is the third joint L.A. Metro/Metrolink hub in Los Angeles County.
“The Metro A Line Extension from Azusa to Pomona opens new possibilities for more than a million people in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, including thousands of students at colleges and universities in the area,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “We’re reaching people who didn’t have access to our system before and making [L.A.] Metro better for everyone with new connections in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona. Thank you to the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, CalSTA and LA County voters for making this extension a reality, and we can’t wait to welcome the community aboard.”