Foothill Gold Line E-News

August 2025 E-News Update

REMINDER: Metro to Begin Passenger Service on Glendora to Pomona Segment on Sept. 19

Photos: Four new stations will open for passenger service on September 19, 2025

In about three weeks (on Friday, September 19, 2025), Metro will begin passenger service on the Glendora to Pomona extension of the Metro A Line.

Ahead of the historic opening day, the Construction Authority again would like to thank the residents, businesses and students of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona for your patience and understanding over these past five years as this important project was completed. We look forward to riding this new extension with you starting September 19.

For questions about passenger service, fares, schedules, parking, bike lockers and more at the four new stations from Glendora to Pomona, please visit Metro’s official website at https://www.metro.net/alinetopomona/. You can also call 323-GO-METRO (323-466-3876) or email customerrelations@metro.net.

STAY SAFE AND ALERT: Metro Running Trains From Glendora to Pomona at Full Service Levels

Photos: Trains traveling throughout Glendora to Pomona corridor as part of pre-revenue operations by Metro

Ahead of the September 19 opening, Metro continues to carry out final preparations to ready the 9-mile Foothill Gold Line light rail project from Glendora to Pomona for passenger service. Last month, Metro began full pre-revenue operations, running trains at full service levels to simulate passenger service. Community members, motorists and pedestrians should always expect a train at railroad crossings. Please follow all safety instructions.

Photo: Train traveling through Fulton Rd. crossing in La Verne/Pomona as part of pre-revenue operations by Metro

Stay Safe, Be Alert

Please stay safe by always expecting a train when crossing the railroad corridor. The light rail trains run up to their maximum speed of 55 MPH. It is important that residents, commuters and pedestrians be aware and alert and follow all safety rules near the train tracks. Important activities and rules to be aware of:

• Always expect a train.
• Never walk on the train tracks.
• Never go around the lowered gates.
• Obey all warning signs and watch for trains from both directions.

For more information, see Metro’s official notice in English (click here) and Spanish (click here).

New Faregates at Glendora to Pomona Stations to Enhance Safety

Photos: Crews installing new faregates at La Verne/Fairplex Station

When passenger service begins from Glendora to Pomona, riders at the four new stations will notice a different style of faregate at the platform entrances and exits. In comparison to the nearby operational stations with no faregates, the new stations will have the latest, taller faregates, which stand over seven feet tall. These are part of Metro’s overall plan to enhance rider safety and fare compliance and are currently being installed throughout the Metro system in phases.

As seen in the photos above, crews have been installing these new faregates at the four new stations where riders will enter and exit the platforms.

Here’s an except from Metro’s announcement on the new faregates about their key features and how they will work:

Key features of the new faregates:  

• They’re taller. Standing over 7 feet tall, it’s impossible for fare evaders to jump over the new gates. (The current faregates, by contrast, hover around 3 feet.)  
• They’re more precise. The new faregates are equipped with additional sensors that detect motion more precisely than their predecessors. This has been proven to reduce the potential for non-paying riders “piggybacking” or “tailgating” behind paying riders. 
• They’re sturdier: The new gates have special electromechanical locks, so determined fare evaders can’t force open the door by pushing them. The new gates still comply with fire and life safety requirements.  
• They’re more user-friendly: Instead of turnstile bars that like to get caught in your bike’s handlebars or the strap of your bag, the new faregates have paddle-style doors, making it easier to bring bicycles, luggage, and other belongings on the system.  
• They’re “smarter”: If a fare evader does manage to squeeze through the new gates, the sensors can record the incident, providing valuable data that will help us deploy our staff more effectively.

To learn more about Metro’s new faregates, click here.

REPORT: Economic Impact of Building/Operating Gold Line to Montclair for San Bernardino County Economy

Graphic: Artist rendering of future Montclair station

The Construction Authority recently commissioned a study by Kleinhenz Economics to measure the economic impact to the San Bernardino County economy of building and operating the Foothill Gold Line to Montclair. Here are some highlights of the findings:

During the construction phase alone from 2026 through 2031, for every $1 million spent, the project will generate an economic output of $1.4 million for the San Bernardino County economy. For example, with an $80.3 million contribution from San Bernardino County towards construction ($41 million of which is coming from the State TIRCP grant), the project will generate for the county’s economy:

• $112.3 million in economic output
• 580 jobs
• Labor income of $45.9 million
• $1.7 million in county tax revenue ($15.1 million overall for all levels of government)

Additionally, during the first three years of operation of the light rail line within Montclair, for every $1 million spent, the project will generate an economic output of $3.5 million for the San Bernardino County economy – assuming the trains arrive to/from the Montclair station every eight minutes. San Bernardino County’s expenditures to operate the line annually is expected to be about $5.3 million, but in return, the line’s operation will generate for the county’s economy:

• $18.6 million in annual economic output (over $13 million more than it costs to operate)
• 289 annual jobs
• Annual labor income of $28 million
• $2.9 million in county tax revenue over three years ($19.2 million for all levels of government over three years)

Additional Findings

In addition to the economic impacts of building and operating the project, the study also found that:

• 193,000 commuters from Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties cross over county lines for work each day
  • Within those numbers, more than 30,000 workers from Ontario, Upland and Montclair alone commute to LA County cities served by the Gold Line; and nearly 24,000 LA County workers from cities served by the Gold Line commute to Ontario, Upland and Montclair for work.
• The line’s connection at Montclair will also provide LA County residents easier access to Ontario International Airport and the future Brightline High Speed Rail.
• New Transit Oriented Developments planned around the Montclair Station as a result of the Gold Line’s planned extension create even greater economic benefits in the long run for San Bernardino County from local tax revenues from new construction and new residential spending in the county.

You can read the full report by clicking here.

Pomona to Montclair Segment Update: Procurement Process Currently Underway

On June 26, the Construction Authority issued the first of two Request for Proposals (RFPs) to deliver the final project segment from Pomona to Montclair. The first RFP was issued to hire a team to complete the design/engineering services for the final 3.3-mile, two-station segment, that includes the Claremont and Montclair stations.

Issuance of the design/engineering RFP in late June was the first step in the new plan to deliver the project, which also includes hiring a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to work alongside the design team ahead of the CMAR proposing a guaranteed maximum bid to build the project. The RFP for the CMAR is expected to be issued in November; the same month the design/engineering services contract is expected to be awarded.

Thank you for your continued interest in the Foothill Gold Line. We appreciate your patience as we build this important regional project.

Lisa Levy Buch, Chief Communications and Strategic Development Officer and the Public Affairs Team