98-624: The Foothill Extension (formerly the Gold Line Foothill Extension ) is a construction project extending the light rail A Line , a part of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The project begins at the former terminus of the former Gold Line at Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena and continues east through the "Foothill Cities" of Los Angeles County . The plan's first stage, "Phase 2A", extended
196-724: A "light rail" vehicle (it is a heavy rail vehicle), and is only included for comparison purposes. Low-floor LRVs have the advantage of a low-floor design, allowing them to load passengers directly from low-rise platforms that can be little more than raised curbs. High-floor light rail systems also exist, featuring larger stations. Historically, the track gauge has had considerable variations, with narrow gauge common in many early systems. However, most light rail systems are now standard gauge . Older standard-gauge vehicles could not negotiate sharp turns as easily as narrow-gauge ones, but modern light rail systems achieve tighter turning radii by using articulated cars . An important advantage of
294-565: A $ 45 million increase in total budget, to $ 735 million, to reflect updated cost estimates. Phase 2A is 11.5 miles (18.5 km) long and included stations at Arcadia , Monrovia , Duarte/City of Hope , Irwindale , Azusa Downtown , and APU/Citrus College , as well as a new Division 24 Maintenance and Storage Facility . Phase 2B is the project to extend the A Line from the Phase 2A terminus in Azusa east to Montclair . The final EIR
392-458: A bus, there will be even more capacity when there is a combination of cars and light rail. Table 3 shows an example of peak passenger capacity. The cost of light rail construction varies widely, largely depending on the amount of tunneling and elevated structures required. A survey of North American light rail projects shows that costs of most LRT systems range from $ 15 million to over $ 100 million per mile. Seattle's new light rail system
490-403: A chaotic breakdown inflow and a dramatic drop in speed (a traffic jam ) if they exceed about 2,000 vehicles per hour per lane (each car roughly two seconds behind another). Since most people who drive to work or on business trips do so alone, studies show that the average car occupancy on many roads carrying commuters is only about 1.5 people per car during the high-demand rush hour periods of
588-1142: A common right-of-way (however, Link converted to full separation in 2019). Some systems, such as the AirTrain JFK in New York City, the DLR in London, and Kelana Jaya Line in Kuala Lumpur , have dispensed with the need for an operator. The Vancouver SkyTrain was an early adopter of driverless vehicles, while the Toronto Scarborough rapid transit operated the same trains as Vancouver, but used drivers. In most discussions and comparisons, these specialized systems are generally not considered light rail but as light metro systems. Around Karlsruhe , Kassel , and Saarbrücken in Germany, dual-voltage light rail trains partly use mainline railroad tracks, sharing these tracks with heavy rail trains. In
686-746: A connection to the Metrolink San Bernardino Line ; Claremont with a connection to the Metrolink San Bernardino Line; and Montclair with a connection to the Metrolink San Bernardino Line and the Foothill Transit Silver Streak . Foothill Gold Line expects 17,800 riders by 2035. Planning for the Foothill Extension Phase 2B ( Azusa to Montclair ) began in 2003, and significant work has been completed for
784-416: A light rail train may have three to four cars of much larger capacity in one train under the control of one driver, or no driver at all in fully automated systems, increasing the labor costs of BRT systems compared to LRT systems. BRT systems are also usually less fuel-efficient as they use non-electrified vehicles. The peak passenger capacity per lane per hour depends on which types of vehicles are allowed on
882-435: A live rail. In outer areas, the trams switch to conventional overhead wires . The Bordeaux power system costs about three times as much as a conventional overhead wire system and took 24 months to achieve acceptable levels of reliability, requiring the replacement of all the main cables and power supplies. Operating and maintenance costs of the innovative power system still remain high. However, despite numerous service outages,
980-543: A longer distance. Light rail cars are often coupled into multiple units of two to four cars. Light rail systems may also exhibit attributes of heavy rail systems, including having downtown subways, as in San Francisco and Seattle . Light rail is designed to address a gap in interurban transportation between heavy rail and bus services, carrying high passenger numbers more quickly than local buses and more cheaply than heavy rail. It serves corridors in which heavy rail
1078-642: A more diverse range of design characteristics than LRT, depending on the demand and constraints that exist, and BRT using dedicated lanes can have a theoretical capacity of over 30,000 passengers per hour per direction (for example, the Guangzhou Bus Rapid Transit system operates up to 350 buses per hour per direction). For the effective operation of a bus or BRT system, buses must have priority at traffic lights and have their dedicated lanes, especially as bus frequencies exceed 30 buses per hour per direction. The higher theoretical of BRT relates to
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#17327831307561176-407: A result, has many of the operating characteristics of a metro system rather than a light rail system. A capacity of 1,350 passengers per train is more similar to the heavy rail than light rail. Bus rapid transit (BRT) is an alternative to LRT and many planning studies undertake a comparison of each mode when considering appropriate investments in transit corridor development. BRT systems can exhibit
1274-575: A study focused on better serving Ontario International Airport via public transport . Out of the six alternatives narrowed down from 32 that were more closely studied, one of these alternatives included "Alternative D-1", which proposed extending the Gold Line from Montclair Transcenter along the San Bernardino Line until Cucamonga Creek, which the line would then follow to terminate at Ontario International Airport. In October 2018,
1372-534: A top speed of 55–71.5 miles per hour (88.51–115.1 km/h) depending on the system, while the trains on the all-underground Montreal Metro can only reach a top speed of 72 kilometres per hour (44.74 mph). LACMTA light rail vehicles have higher top and average speeds than Montreal Metro or New York City Subway trains. Many light rail systems—even fairly old ones—have a combination of both on- and off-road sections. In some countries (especially in Europe), only
1470-481: A tramway, a light metro, and, in a narrow sense, rapid transit. This is especially common in the United States, where there is not a popularly perceived distinction between these different types of urban rail systems. The development of technology for low-floor and catenary-free trams facilitates the construction of such mixed systems with only short and shallow underground sections below critical intersections as
1568-464: Is 69% complete. As of July 2024, the extension to Pomona is 85% complete, on budget, and is expected to open for revenue service in early-January 2025. There has been past interest in extending the Gold Line (now the A Line ) from Montclair Transcenter in Montclair to Ontario International Airport . Currently, no active proposals exist to plan or construct this extension. In 2006, when
1666-470: Is a generic international English phrase for types of rail systems using modern streetcars/trams, which means more or less the same thing throughout the English-speaking world . Light rail systems can range from trams runnig in streets along with other traffic, to semi-metro systems having portions of grade separated track. People movers are even "lighter", in terms of capacity. Monorail
1764-575: Is a separate technology that has been more successful in specialized services than in a commuter transit role. The use of the generic term light rail avoids some serious incompatibilities between British and American English . The word tram , for instance, is generally used in the UK and many former British colonies to refer to what is known in North America as a streetcar , but in North America tram can instead refer to an aerial tramway , or, in
1862-602: Is a significant amount of overlap between the technologies; similar rolling stock may be used for either, and it is common to classify streetcars or trams as a subcategory of light rail rather than as a distinct type of transportation. However, some distinctions can be made, though systems may combine elements of both. Low-floor light rail lines tend to follow a reserved right-of-way and with trains receiving priority at intersections, and tend not to operate in mixed traffic, enabling higher operating speeds. Light rail lines tend to have less frequent stops than tramways, and operate over
1960-419: Is approximately every 20 minutes every day. As of spring 2024, the following connections are available: The station is within walking distance of the following notable places: Sierra Madre Villa station was designed by artist Tony Gleaton . Its structure features large photo portraits that are suspended above the platform access stairways. The pedestrian bridge, as well as the structural beams and posts of
2058-563: Is by far the most expensive in the US, at $ 179 million per mile, since it includes extensive tunneling in poor soil conditions, elevated sections, and stations as deep as 180 feet (55 m) below ground level. This results in costs more typical of subways or rapid transit systems than light rail. At the other end of the scale, four systems (Baltimore, Maryland; Camden, New Jersey; Sacramento, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah) incurred construction costs of less than $ 20 million per mile. Over
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#17327831307562156-426: Is especially important for wheelchair access, as narrower gauges (e.g. metre gauge) can make it challenging or impossible to pass the tram's wheels. Furthermore, standard-gauge rolling stock can be switched between networks either temporarily or permanently, and both newly built and used standard-gauge rolling stock tends to be cheaper to buy, as more companies offer such vehicles. Overhead lines supply electricity to
2254-502: Is expensive. Similarly, the most expensive US highway expansion project was the " Big Dig " in Boston, Massachusetts, which cost $ 200 million per lane mile for a total cost of $ 14.6 billion. A light rail track can carry up to 20,000 people per hour as compared with 2,000–2,200 vehicles per hour for one freeway lane. For example, in Boston and San Francisco, light rail lines carry 9,600 and 13,100 passengers per hour, respectively, in
2352-575: Is hard to distinguish between what is called light rail, and other forms of urban and commuter rail. A system described as a light rail in one city may be considered to be a streetcar or tram system in another. Conversely, some lines that are called "light rail" are very similar to rapid transit ; in recent years, new terms such as light metro have been used to describe these medium-capacity systems. Some "light rail" systems, such as Sprinter , bear little similarity to urban rail, and could alternatively be classified as commuter rail or even inter-city rail. In
2450-485: Is impractical. Light metro systems are essentially hybrids of light rail and rapid transit. Metro trains are larger and faster than light rail trains, with stops being further apart. Many systems have mixed characteristics. Indeed, with proper engineering, a rail line could run along a street, then go underground, and then run along an elevated viaduct. For example, the Los Angeles Metro Rail 's A Line "light rail" has sections that could alternatively be described as
2548-484: Is one of the highest capacity ones, having been upgraded in a series of expansions to handle 40,000 passengers per hour per direction, and having carried as many as 582,989 passengers in a single day on its Line 1 . It achieves this volume by running four-car trains with a capacity of up to 1,350 passengers each at a frequency of up to 30 trains per hour. However, the Manila light rail system has full grade separation and as
2646-740: Is planned to break ground in spring 2025 and be completed in 2030. The corridor extension is being planned, managed, and implemented by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, simply known as Foothill Gold Line. The joint powers authority is governed by appointees from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA),
2744-542: The Cádiz TramBahia , where trams share track with commuter and long-distance trains from the main terminus in the city and curve off to serve cities without a railway connection. Some of the issues involved in such schemes are: There is a history of what would now be considered light rail vehicles operating on heavy rail rapid transit tracks in the US, especially in the case of interurban streetcars . Notable examples are Lehigh Valley Transit trains running on
2842-590: The Las Vegas Convention Center Loop that would cost $ 60 million. However, the company eventually dropped out of the project because they refused to submit another refined proposal. Despite this, the SBCTA moved forward with plans on the project. The new plans for the project include two 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tunnels that will cost roughly $ 492 million. The SBCTA selected HNTB as their new contractor to design, build, and maintain
2940-758: The London Underground and the New York City Subway . Conventional rail technologies including high-speed , freight, commuter , and rapid transit urban transit systems are considered "heavy rail". The main difference between light rail and heavy rail rapid transit is the ability for a light rail vehicle to operate in mixed traffic if the routing requires it. The world's first electric tram operated in Sestroretsk near Saint Petersburg , Russia , invented and operated on an experimental basis by Fyodor Pirotsky in 1880. The first tramway
3038-616: The Los Angeles County portion of the Pomona to Montclair project. Courtesy of the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), CalSTA released close to $ 500 million for the project, with the remainder of the $ 798 million to be allocated by the end of 2024. On July 11, 2024, the Foothill Gold Line board of directors unanimously voted to work with Kiewit Corporation as their contractor to build
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3136-637: The Netherlands , this concept was first applied on the RijnGouweLijn . This allows commuters to ride directly into the city center, rather than taking a mainline train only as far as a central station and then having to change to a tram. In France, similar tram-trains are planned for Paris, Mulhouse , and Strasbourg ; further projects exist. In some cases, tram trains use previously abandoned or lightly used heavy rail lines in addition to or instead of still in use mainline tracks. In 2022, Spain opened
3234-874: The O-Train Trillium Line in Ottawa, Ontario , Canada, the River Line in New Jersey , United States, and the Sprinter in California , United States, which use diesel multiple unit (DMU) cars. Light rail is different from the British English term light railway , long-used to distinguish railway operations carried out under a less rigorous set of regulations using lighter equipment at lower speeds from mainline railways. Light rail
3332-703: The Philadelphia and Western Railroad high-speed third rail line (now the Norristown High-Speed Line ). Such arrangements are almost impossible now, due to the Federal Railroad Administration refusing (for crash safety reasons) to allow non-FRA compliant railcars (i.e., subway and light rail vehicles) to run on the same tracks at the same times as compliant railcars, which includes locomotives and standard railroad passenger and freight equipment. Notable exceptions in
3430-564: The Regional Connector having opened on June 16, 2023, the north (Pasadena–Azusa–Pomona) branch of the then-L/Gold Line was absorbed into the A Line , providing service from Long Beach via Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena to Azusa. The entire 23.8-mile (38.3 km) route (Phase 2A and 2B) of the Foothill Extension follows the roadbed of the former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway 's Second Division through
3528-435: The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) and Ontario International Airport are currently in the process of trying to implement a tunnel with autonomous, zero-emission vehicles on an "on-demand" basis from the Metrolink San Bernardino Line 's Rancho Cucamonga station to Ontario International Airport . Initially, The Boring Company proposed constructing a single 2.8-mile (4.5 km) tunnel similar to
3626-560: The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), in cooperation with the SBCTA and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), conducted a transit and rail planning study for the corridor connecting the eastern San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County with the western San Bernardino Valley in San Bernardino County . This study considered two options for
3724-530: The medians of roads . If run in streets , trains are usually limited by city block lengths to about four 180-passenger vehicles (720 passengers). Operating on two-minute headways using traffic signal progression, a well-designed two-track system can handle up to 30 trains per hour per track, achieving peak rates of over 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction. More advanced systems with separate rights-of-way using moving block signaling can exceed 25,000 passengers per hour per track. Most light rail systems in
3822-652: The " LRT Alternative", including extensions of the Gold Line to Ontario International Airport, the "Arterial Option" and the "Cucamonga Creek Option". The Arterial Option followed Indian Hill Boulevard and Holt Boulevard , while the Cucamonga Creek Option had the same routing as Alternative D-1 in the 2014 study. In January 2020, California State Assemblyman Chris Holden ( D - Pasadena ), representing California's 41st State Assembly district , introduced Assembly Bill AB 2011. The measure would've formed
3920-410: The "Pasadena Metro Blue Line" project. The station, under naming schemes, is named for Sierra Madre Villa Avenue rather than the nearby city of Sierra Madre , although the major thoroughfare leads to Sierra Madre. The station has a 965 space, five-floor parking garage, accessed from Sierra Madre Villa Avenue and North Halstead Street. The first floor of the parking garage has a multi-bay bus plaza, and
4018-624: The 1970s was proven to have been a technical failure by the following decade. After World War II, the Germans retained many of their streetcar networks and evolved them into model light rail systems ( Stadtbahnen ). With the exception of Hamburg , all large and most medium-sized German cities maintain light rail networks. The concept of a "limited tramway" was proposed by American transport planner H. Dean Quinby in 1962. Quinby distinguished this new concept in rail transportation from historic streetcar or tram systems as: The term light rail transit
Foothill Extension - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-646: The Foothill Cities. These cities are in the foothills south of the San Gabriel Mountains , in the northern San Gabriel and Pomona valleys. Beginning at the former Gold Line terminus at Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena , the route extends roughly east, ending at Montclair Transcenter in Montclair , in San Bernardino County . The route parallels several major roads and highways, including I-210 ( Foothill Freeway ), Huntington Drive , and Foothill Boulevard . The Foothill Extension
4214-423: The Foothill Extension is split into two projects. Project 1 is the relocation of freight railroad tracks, which is complete. Project 2 is the construction of the light rail line itself the A Line utilizes. On December 2, 2017, officials broke ground for Phase 2B in a ceremony at Citrus College . The cost of the project is estimated at $ 1.5 billion. Completion of Phase 2B (including Montclair Transcenter)
4312-436: The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. Neither bill was able to pass the state legislature. On May 18, 2020, the SBCTA ceased negotiations on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the extension, following Holden's committing against further action on his legislative proposal, killing these attempts at the project. As a cost-effective solution compared to the proposed extension, estimated at around $ 1–1.5 billion,
4410-495: The French city of Bordeaux , the tramway network is powered by a third rail in the city center, where the tracks are not always segregated from pedestrians and cars. The third rail (actually two closely spaced rails) is placed in the middle of the track and divided into eight-metre sections, each of which is powered only while it is completely covered by a tram. This minimizes the risk of a person or animal coming into contact with
4508-643: The Gold Line Foothill Extension was completed in April 2006 and covered the entire corridor between Sierra Madre Villa station in Pasadena and Montclair Transcenter in Montclair . The final environmental impact report (FEIR) study assessed two different construction options: an LRT Full Build alternative, which would complete the full extension to Montclair, and an LRT Build To Azusa alternative, which would extend only to Azusa; this
4606-574: The Pomona to Montclair project. The project's construction contract award is set for spring 2025 and should take five years to complete and open in 2030. On October 31, 2024, having received the total $ 798 million in funding from CalSTA, the Metro board of directors unanimously voted to transfer the funds to Foothill Gold Line. Additionally, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) has set aside $ 80 million in funding to directly fund
4704-496: The SBCTA within the proposed rail right-of-way to a state-created independent construction authority. Both state legislators presented their bills to the SBCTA board of directors at the March 7, 2020, board meeting. The board voted to oppose both bills and passed a motion reasserting itself as the sole authority to plan, design, and build new mass transit projects in San Bernardino County . Despite this, both bills were supported by
4802-520: The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SVGCOG), and the cities of Los Angeles , South Pasadena , and Pasadena . In addition to enhancing mobility in one of the most congested metropolitan areas in the United States, the 23.8-mile project (38.3 km) is seen as an economic catalyst for the region, generating 6,900 jobs during the construction phase and creating infill and transit-oriented development opportunities. With
4900-662: The US are the NJ Transit River Line from Camden to Trenton and Austin's Capital MetroRail , which have received exemptions to the provision that light rail operations occur only during daytime hours and Conrail freight service only at night, with several hours separating one operation from the other. The O-Train Trillium Line in Ottawa also has freight service at certain hours. With its mix of right-of-way types and train control technologies, LRT offers
4998-455: The US as a whole, excluding Seattle, new light rail construction costs average about $ 35 million per mile. By comparison, a freeway lane expansion typically costs $ 1.0 million to $ 8.5 million per lane mile for two directions, with an average of $ 2.3 million. However, freeways are frequently built in suburbs or rural areas, whereas light rail tends to be concentrated in urban areas, where right of way and property acquisition
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#17327831307565096-666: The United States and in North America . In Britain, modern light rail systems began to appear in the 1980s, starting with the Tyne and Wear Metro from 1980 and followed by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London in 1987, continuing into the 1990s including the establishment of the Manchester Metrolink in 1992 and the Sheffield Supertram from 1994. Due to varying definitions, it
5194-590: The United States are limited by demand rather than capacity (by and large, most American LRT systems carry fewer than 4,000 persons per hour per direction), but Boston's and San Francisco's light rail lines carry 9,600 and 13,100 passengers per hour per track during rush hour. Elsewhere in North America, the Calgary C-Train and Monterrey Metro have higher light rail ridership than Boston or San Francisco. Systems outside North America often have much higher passenger volumes. The Manila Light Rail Transit System
5292-472: The United States, "light rail" has become a catch-all term to describe a wide variety of passenger rail systems. Light rail corridors may constitute a fully segregated corridor, a dedicated right-of-way on a street, an on-street corridor shared with other traffic, a corridor shared with other public transport, or a corridor shared with pedestrians. The most difficult distinction to draw is that between low-floor light rail and streetcar or tram systems. There
5390-730: The United States, light rail operates primarily along exclusive rights-of-way and uses either individual tramcars or multiple units coupled together, with a lower capacity and speed than a long heavy rail passenger train or rapid transit system. Narrowly defined, light rail transit uses rolling stock that is similar to that of a traditional tram, while operating at a higher capacity and speed, often on an exclusive right-of-way. In broader use, it includes tram-like operations mostly on streets. A few light rail networks have characteristics closer to rapid transit or even commuter rail , yet only when these systems are fully grade-separated are they referred to as light metros . The term light rail
5488-521: The West San Bernardino County Rail Construction Authority, which would've designed and constructed the extension from Montclair to Ontario International Airport. Holden would be aided by California State Senator Anthony Portantino (D- La Cañada Flintridge ), who introduced his bill, SB 1390, on February 21, 2020, which went even further and would've transferred taxpayer funds and land owned by
5586-415: The ability of buses to travel closer to each other than rail vehicles and their ability to overtake each other at designated locations allowing express services to bypass those that have stopped at stations. However, to achieve capacities this high, BRT station footprints need to be significantly larger than a typical LRT station. In terms of cost of operation, each bus vehicle requires a single driver, whereas
5684-533: The at-grade crossing reconstruction is complete. The freight/light rail bridges over channels and washes began in 2021, relocating and building new bridges to facilitate the freight and the A Line (then known as the L Line). These bridges were the first to finish as they didn't impact vehicular traffic. The light rail bridges, crossing major streets, began briefly. As required by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC),
5782-866: The case of the Disney amusement parks , even a land train . (The usual British term for an aerial tramway is cable car , which in the US usually refers to a ground-level car pulled along by subterranean cables .) The word trolley is often used as a synonym for streetcar in the United States but is usually taken to mean a cart, particularly a shopping cart, in the UK and elsewhere. Many North American transportation planners reserve streetcar for traditional vehicles that operate exclusively in mixed traffic on city streets, while they use light rail to refer to more modern vehicles operating mostly in exclusive rights of way, since they may operate both side-by-side targeted at different passenger groups. The difference between British English and American English terminology arose in
5880-422: The city of Ontario joined the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, city leaders pushed to further extend the line to Ontario International Airport . On March 9, 2009, the city passed a resolution affirming their support for this extension. The extension would be 7.5 miles (12.1 km) in length. In 2008, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority commissioned a study by KOA Corporation to determine
5978-421: The closure of Glasgow Corporation Tramways (one of the largest in Europe) in 1962. Although some traditional trolley or tram systems continued to exist in San Francisco and elsewhere, the term "light rail" has come to mean a different type of rail system as modern light rail technology has primarily post-WWII West German origins. An attempt by Boeing Vertol to introduce a new American light rail vehicle in
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#17327831307566076-584: The construction of the approximately 1-mile-long (1.6 km) segment of the extension within San Bernardino County , matching the project's current total estimated cost of $ 878 million. The first part of the construction, starting in August, focused on reconstructing the 28 at-grade crossings and relocating utilities. Gladstone Street in San Dimas was the first one to begin. Nearly all reconstructions commenced and finished in late 2022. As of June 2023,
6174-415: The day. This combination of factors limits roads carrying only automobile commuters to a maximum observed capacity of about 3,000 passengers per hour per lane. The problem can be mitigated by introducing high-occupancy vehicle ( HOV ) lanes and ride-sharing programs, but in most cases, policymakers have chosen to add more lanes to the roads, despite a small risk that in unfavorable situations an extension of
6272-755: The direct translation, which is city rail (the Norwegian term, by bane , means the same). However, UMTA finally adopted the term light rail instead. Light in this context is used in the sense of "intended for light loads and fast movement", rather than referring to physical weight. The infrastructure investment is also usually lighter than would be found for a heavy rail system. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), in its Glossary of Transit Terminology, defines light rail as: ...a mode of transit service (also called streetcar, tramway, or trolley) operating passenger rail cars singly (or in short, usually two-car or three-car, trains) on fixed rails in
6370-480: The east. However, officials in San Bernardino County convinced planners to further continue the extension to Montclair Transcenter in Montclair, an additional 0.8 miles (1.3 km) to the east, saying the transit center made for a natural terminus for the line. It is expected to cost an additional $ 70 million to extend the A Line from Claremont to Montclair, across county lines. Construction on Phase 2B of
6468-563: The feasibility of such an extension, which they dubbed "Phase 2C." The study found the extension would be feasible and provided several alignment alternatives. The extension would be between 7 miles (11 km) and 15 miles (24 km) and add up to four new stations, depending on the chosen alignment. In November 2014, the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), the precursor to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), conducted
6566-865: The fourth floor has the train platform access, with faregates, ticket vending machines, and a pedestrian bridge, which passes over the westbound lanes of the Foothill Freeway. Sierra Madre Villa was the Gold Line's northern terminus from 2003 until 2016. Service on the first phase of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Project began on March 5, 2016, which extended the line to APU/Citrus College station . A Line service hours are from approximately 4:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m daily. Trains operate every 8 minutes during peak hours, Monday to Friday. Trains run every 10 minutes, during midday on weekdays and weekends, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Night and early morning service
6664-419: The installation of the 230,630th rail clip (rail clips permanently attach the steel rail to the concrete railroad ties), officially completing major construction for the new light rail tracks from Glendora to Pomona. Currently, crews are focusing on final system work, active train testing, constructing the four stations, and integrating artwork throughout the alignment's stations and bridges. Station construction
6762-458: The late 19th century when Americans adopted the term "street railway", rather than "tramway", with the vehicles being called "streetcars" rather than "trams". Some have suggested that the Americans' preference for the term "street railway" at that time was influenced by German emigrants to the United States (who were more numerous than British immigrants in the industrialized Northeast), as it is
6860-524: The latter is described as light rail. In those places, trams running on mixed rights-of-way are not regarded as a light rail but considered distinctly as streetcars or trams. However, the requirement for saying that a rail line is "separated" can be quite low—sometimes just with concrete "buttons" to discourage automobile drivers from getting onto the tracks. Some systems such as Seattle's Link had on-road mixed sections but were closed to regular road traffic, with light rail vehicles and buses both operating along
6958-462: The light rail concept was the "Shaker Heights Rapid Transit" which started in the 1920s, was renovated in 1980-81 and is now part of RTA Rapid Transit . Many original tram and streetcar systems in the United Kingdom , United States , and elsewhere were decommissioned starting in the 1950s as subsidies for the car increased. Britain abandoned its tram systems, except for Blackpool , with
7056-432: The light rail crossing at Foothill Blvd, Route 66, Lone Hill Blvd, and Bonita/Cataract Ave needs to be grade-separated (light rail only) with a flyover bridge. Those bridges feature the neighborhood's citrus design and will include local artwork. All of them are substantially complete. The more complex component was the freight track relocation. The freight originally existed in the middle of the corridor, leaving no room for
7154-464: The light rail extension. To create space, the construction authority relocated it to the north side (south side west of Lone Hill Blvd) of the alignment. It is complete as of October 2022. With the relocation work finished, crews began work on the light rail system by installing the overhead line , train control systems, and the light rail track. On June 24, 2023, an event held in La Verne culminated in
7252-465: The old and new systems. Since the 1980s, Portland, Oregon , has built all three types of system: a high-capacity light rail system in dedicated lanes and rights-of-way, a low-capacity streetcar system integrated with street traffic, and an aerial tram system . The opposite phrase heavy rail , used for higher-capacity, higher-speed systems, also avoids some incompatibilities in terminology between British and American English, for instance in comparing
7350-680: The opening date to Montclair back, as well as outright placing the 3.2-mile segment at risk of cancellation altogether. However, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Foothill Gold Line) was persistent in seeking funding for the project. On July 8, 2024, Governor of California Gavin Newsom and the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced the distribution of the first year of funding from California State Senate Bill 125 (SB125). Metro allocated $ 798 million of SB125 funding to complete
7448-437: The peak direction during rush hour. Sierra Madre Villa station Sierra Madre Villa station is an at-grade light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located in the median of Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway), at Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, in Pasadena, California . The light rail station opened on July 26, 2003, as the northern terminus of the original Gold Line , then known as
7546-502: The project. Light rail Light rail (or light rail transit , abbreviated to LRT ) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology while also having some features from heavy rapid transit . The term was coined in 1972 in the United States as an English equivalent for the German word Stadtbahn , meaning "city railway". Different definitions exist in some countries, but in
7644-556: The required clearance height can be reduced significantly compared to conventional light rail vehicles. Reference speed from major light rail systems, including station stop time, is shown below. However, low top speed is not always a differentiating characteristic between light rail and other systems. For example, the Siemens S70 LRVs used in the Houston METRORail and other North American LRT systems have
7742-432: The right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way. Light rail vehicles are typically driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley [pole] or a pantograph ; driven by an operator onboard the vehicle; and may have either high platform loading or low-level boarding using steps." However, some diesel-powered transit is designated light rail, such as
7840-415: The road network might lead to increased travel times ( Downs–Thomson paradox , Braess's paradox ). By contrast, light rail vehicles can travel in multi-car trains carrying a theoretical ridership up to 20,000 passengers per hour in much narrower rights-of-way , not much more than two car lanes wide for a double track system. They can often be run through existing city streets and parks , or placed in
7938-401: The roads. Typically roadways have 1,900 passenger cars per lane per hour (pcplph). If only cars are allowed, the capacity will be less and will not increase when the traffic volume increases. When there is a bus driving on this route, the capacity of the lane will be higher and will increase when the traffic level increases. And because the capacity of a light rail system is higher than that of
8036-618: The same as the German term for the mode, Straßenbahn (meaning "street railway"). A further difference arose because, while Britain abandoned all of its trams after World War II except in Blackpool , eight major North American cities ( Toronto , Boston , Philadelphia , San Francisco , Pittsburgh , Newark , Cleveland , and New Orleans ) continued to operate large streetcar systems. When these cities upgraded to new technology, they called it light rail to differentiate it from their existing streetcars since some continued to operate both
8134-613: The segment. The final EIR for the project was certified by the Construction Authority board in March 2013, and advanced conceptual engineering began in 2014. On June 23, 2017, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority 's (Metro's) board of directors approved a $ 1.4 billion budget Thursday to extend the A Line (then the Gold Line ) from APU/Citrus College station in Pasadena to Claremont station in Claremont , 11.5 miles (18.5 km) to
8232-408: The standard gauge is that standard railway maintenance equipment can be used on it, rather than custom-built machinery. Using standard gauges also allows light rail vehicles to be conveniently moved around using the same tracks as freight railways. Additionally, wider gauges (e.g. standard gauge) provide more floor clearance on low-floor trams that have constricted pedestrian areas at the wheels, which
8330-551: The system was a success with the public, gaining up to 190,000 passengers per day. Automatic train operation is employed on light rail networks, tracking the position and speed of a train and hence adjusting its movement for safety and efficiency. One line of light rail (requires 7.6 m, 25' right of way) has a theoretical capacity of up to 8 times more than one 3.7 m (12 foot) lane on a freeway, excluding busses, during peak times. Roads have ultimate capacity limits that can be determined by traffic engineering , and usually experience
8428-538: The then-Gold Line to APU/Citrus College station in Azusa ; it opened on March 5, 2016. The first part of "Phase 2B" will extend the now A Line a further four stations to Pomona–North station on the Metrolink San Bernardino Line in Pomona , broke ground in December 2017 and is planned for completion in early-January 2025. The second part of Phase 2B will further extend the line two stations to Montclair Transcenter in Montclair , located in San Bernardino County ,
8526-503: The trams, making it safe on city streets. Several systems in Europe and a few recently opened systems in North America use diesel -powered trains. When electric streetcars were introduced in the late 19th century, conduit current collection was one of the first ways of supplying power, but it proved to be much more expensive, complicated, and trouble-prone than overhead wires . When electric street railways became ubiquitous, conduit power
8624-460: The vast majority of light rail systems. This avoids the danger potentially presented by an electrified third rail . The Docklands Light Railway uses an inverted third rail for its electrical power, which allows the electrified rail to be covered and the power drawn from the underside. Trams in Bordeaux , France, use a special third-rail configuration where the power is only switched on beneath
8722-434: The widest range of latitude of any rail system in the design, engineering, and operating practices. The challenge in designing light rail systems is to realize the potential of LRT to provide fast, comfortable service while avoiding the tendency to overdesign that results in excessive capital costs beyond what is necessary to meet the public's needs. The BART railcar in the following chart is not generally considered to be
8820-421: Was certified by the Construction Authority board in March 2013. Phase 2B is 12.3 miles (19.8 km) long and will take approximately 17.9 minutes to traverse. The segment between Azusa and Pomona is 9.1 miles (14.6 km) long, and the segment between Pomona and Montclair is 3.2 miles (5.1 km) long. The alignment will have six new Metro stations: Glendora ; San Dimas ; La Verne ; and Pomona with
8918-543: Was coined in 1972 by the U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA; the precursor to the Federal Transit Administration ) to describe new streetcar transformations that were taking place in Europe and the United States. In Germany, the term Stadtbahn (to be distinguished from S-Bahn , which stands for Stadtschnellbahn ) was used to describe the concept, and many in UMTA wanted to adopt
9016-551: Was dubbed Phase 2A. On February 28, 2007, the Construction Authority Board certified the final EIR and decided to complete the "LRT Build to Azusa" alternative. In October 2009, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) board of directors unanimously voted to include the Gold Line Foothill Extension in its long-range plan and approved funding for the construction and operation of Phase 2A. A groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2A
9114-432: Was expected by early 2026. On July 10, 2020, major construction began on Phase 2B, building four stations from Azusa to Pomona, with service estimated to start in early-January 2025. Full construction to Claremont and Montclair by 2028 depended on additional funding to be secured by October 2021. However, on September 10, 2021, state funding was past due for constructing the route further east of Pomona. This pushed
9212-459: Was held on June 26, 2010; construction began the following summer and was completed in September 2015, with the extension entering service on March 5, 2016. The original project budget for Phase 2A was $ 690 million, including not only construction but also the purchase of vehicles, financing, administrative costs, mitigation, and other costs; in March 2011, the Construction Authority requested
9310-408: Was initially conceived as "Phase 2" of the Gold Line , split into two parts, hence the numbering of its two phases. The route between Los Angeles and Pasadena is considered "Phase 1". The Gold Line Construction Authority (now Foothill Gold Line), which took over the Phase 1 project from Metro in 1999, also coordinates the Phase 2 projects. The initial draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for
9408-677: Was introduced in North America in 1972 to describe this new concept of rail transportation. Prior to that time the abbreviation "LRT" was used for " Light Rapid Transit " and " Light Rail Rapid Transit ". The first of the new light rail systems in North America began operation in 1978 when the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta , adopted the German Siemens-Duewag U2 system, followed three years later by Calgary, Alberta , and San Diego, California . The concept proved popular, with there now being numerous light rail systems in
9506-632: Was the Gross-Lichterfelde tramway in Lichterfelde near Berlin in Germany, which opened in 1881. It was built by Werner von Siemens who contacted Pirotsky. It initially drew current from the rails, with overhead wire being installed in 1883. The first interurban to emerge in the United States was the Newark and Granville Street Railway in Ohio, which opened in 1889. An early example of
9604-527: Was used in those cities that did not permit overhead wires. In Europe, it was used in London, Paris, Berlin, Marseille, Budapest, and Prague. In the United States, it was used in parts of New York City and Washington, D.C. Third rail technology was investigated for use on the Gold Coast of Australia for the G:link light rail, though power from overhead lines was ultimately utilized for that system. In
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