December 10, 2018 the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority hosted a Public Scoping Meeting at the La Verne Community Center that allowed visitors to view information on the project, proposed changes, the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) information and new phasing plan for the line from Glendora to Montclair. Below you will find images of the plan, white paper and e-news update.
If you wish to comment on the Scope of the SEIR written comments will be accepted if received on or before January 4, 2019. Please address written comments to:
Lisa Levy Buch
Chief Communications Officer
Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority
406 East Huntington Drive, Suite 202
Monrovia, CA 91016-3633
Email: LLevyBuch@foothillgoldline.org
Meeting Information:
Earlier this month, the Construction Authority announced a proposed plan to deliver nearly 70% of the Foothill Gold Line light rail extension from Glendora to Montclair at least two years ahead of schedule and avoid tens of millions of dollars annually in market escalation and risk money proposed by the four design-build teams competing for the Glendora to Montclair Alignment contract; while increasing the budget for the 12.3-mile, six station light rail project by $570 million to a total project budget of $2.1 billion.
The need for the proposed plan follows receipt of bids by the four teams competing for the design-build contract. All four bids reflected a significant unfavorable shift in market conditions since the agency completed the project estimate two years ago. When added with current unknowns and risk within the construction industry locally and nationally, these factors resulted in bids for the long-term construction project coming in hundreds of millions of dollars over the project estimate and secured funding available.
With the proposed plan, the Construction Authority proposes to modify the Glendora to Montclair Project to allow for the potential to construct and operate the Project in four phases (instead of two phases, as previously approved) and a proposed modification to the location of the future parking facility at the Pomona North Station. In response to this proposed change, the Construction Authority will be hosting scoping meeting and initiating the preparation of a SEIR to evaluate the potential for significant impacts that may result from the different potential construction and operation phasing options under review, including: Phase 1-to La Verne/Pomona Fairplex Station; Phase 2-to Pomona North Station; Phase 3-to Claremont Station; and Phase 4-to Montclair Station. The SEIR will also evaluate the potential for significant impacts that may result from relocating the future parking facility at the Pomona North Station from the north side of the station to the south side.
The proposed possible construction and operation phasing is necessary to match with both existing funding and pending/future funding and provides the Construction Authority the flexibility to build and operate the phases as funding becomes available. The purpose of this public scoping meeting is to solicit input on potential issues to be considered and addressed, as applicable, in the SEIR.
