LA Metro’s Funding Commitment Keeps Brain Train on Track

LA Metro’s Funding Commitment Keeps Brain Train on Track

By Dr. Edward C. Ortell

Citrus College Governing Board Member

Late last year, cost escalations in the amount of $570 million, threatened the completion of the Gold Line from the APU/Citrus College Station in Azusa to Montclair. To address the shortfall, LA Metro (Metro) voted in January to grant an additional $97 million to the project and seek creative solutions to close the remaining gap.

With Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti officiating, a groundbreaking ceremony for the newest phase of the Gold Line took place at Citrus College in December 2017. Mayor Garcetti has been an enthusiastic proponent of the Gold Line since becoming LA’s mayor in 2013. His vision for the future includes taking the line to the Ontario International Airport.

Also known as “the Brain Train,” due to it close proximity to more than two dozen institutions of higher education, the 12.3-mile extension of the Gold Line was originally slated to stretch from the Azusa to Montclair. New stations were planned for Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair. However, in November 2018, due to significantly increased cost estimates, the Gold Line Construction Authority reduced the scope of the project, slashing about $133 million in costs and ending the phase in La Verne.

The change in terminus was met with disappointment and controversy, prompting the Construction Authority to work hard on finding solutions to get the line to Pomona, where it will serve low-income residents, many of whom have few transportation alternatives. After weeks of negotiations, Metro voted on January 23 to provide additional funding and to work with the Construction Authority on other funding solutions. At this time, building the line to Claremont and Montclair will require additional funding that has not yet been identified.

Currently, this massive transportation initiative is back on track to bring jobs, commerce and economic prosperity to our region in the near term and the future. An important part of that prosperity will be the Gold Line’s ability to connect many destinations, including two dozen colleges and universities, all within a short walk, bike or bus ride from future stations.

For students, many of whom are first-generation college students, transportation costs represent a significant portion of the cost of higher education. The Gold Line will allow them to travel from communities throughout Southern California to prestigious colleges and universities in close proximity to the Gold Line. From there, they will find rewarding careers, become productive members of society and make vital contributions to a vibrant local economy.

About the Author:

Dr. Edward C. Ortell is the senior governing board member at Citrus College and a Professor Emeritus at Pasadena City College. He has served on the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) state board of directors and eight terms as president of the Citrus College Board of Trustees.