Foothill Gold Line to open March 2016

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) says that the Gold Line Foothill Extension Project will officially open to the public on Saturday, March 5, 2016.

 

The $1-billion project will extend the Gold Line from its current terminus at Sierra Madre Villa Station approximately 12 miles east to Azusa, with new station stops at Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte/City of Hope, Irwindale, Azusa Downtown and APU/Citrus College. The line is anticipated to carry 13,600 riders on a daily basis, with trains operating every 12 minutes during peak hours.

“The opening of the LACMTA Gold Line Foothill Extension will bring rail to new San Gabriel Valley communities and provide a relief valve for the increasingly congested 210 freeway,” said L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Mark Ridley-Thomas. “Its opening is a significant milestone: LACMTA is delivering on its promise to lead a transit revolution. Work is well underway to add four additional rail lines and a total of 32 new miles of service to L.A. County’s rail system in the coming years.”

The rail extension was built by the Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority and took approximately five years to build, with major construction completed in September 2015.

“Our testing and training process before we open any rail line is a big part of making safety LACMTA’s number one priority,” said Phillip Washington, LACMTA chief executive officer. “But once the Gold Line Extension opens to the public in March, it will be yet another example of our regional investment in transforming transportation across this region.”

LACMTA has now accepted delivery of the rail line extension and will require the next several months to complete pre-revenue operations testing to ensure the line is safe and ready for service. This precursor work is critically important for the successful launch of the rail line. LACMTA is testing the line, training operators, supervisors and maintenance personnel and will conduct extensive community outreach to help keep pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists safe around passing trains.

In addition to testing new trains, LACTMA also will test 23 miles of track. Tracks traverse 24 bridges and 14 at-grade street crossings. LACMTA must also test power and substation components in a simulated revenue service environment. Integrated testing will ensure that all systems, from power, communications, signals and grade crossings are all operating properly.

 

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