New rail tech is reviving an old idea: extending light rail to Ontario Airport
As the Gold Line makes its way to Montclair, San Bernardino County transportation officials continue to worry about what will happen if light rail winds up going all the way to Ontario International Airport.
While there is no plan (or funding) to extend the Gold Line service so far east, the idea has been a point of contention for San Bernardino County Transportation Authority officials. They say an extended Gold Line would mean a loss or ridership for Metrolink, as passengers opt for the cheaper — and heavily subsidized — Gold Line. And they note that building and operation costs could cost San Bernardino County taxpayers billions, for a line that would be used primarily by commuters coming and going from Los Angeles County.
"What we need to be doing in our county, is trying to figure out what is the best connection… that will benefit our taxpayers first and foremost," said Ray Wolfe, executive director of SBCTA.
That said, pushing the Gold Line to the Ontario Airport is, for some, a tantalizing idea. The project could generate good jobs, possibly for years, in an area that could use them. And the very thing that makes it scary to some transportation officials — it's a lower-cost option for riders — could make it appealing to the voting public.
The current, $1.5 billion push to extend the Gold Line 12.3 miles from Glendora to Montclair has been lauded by some supporters as a both a regional job creator and a way to relieve congested roads and freeways.
And while county transportation officials don't dispute the Gold Line's benefit to commuters along the 210 Freeway corridor, they're looking to a newer transit option within the county — the Arrow service planned in Redlands — as a possible template for the future.
The service, expected to start in Redlands in 2021, will run smaller, diesel-fueled trains called Diesel Multiple Units, or DMUs, and eventually, an even more efficient train known as a Zero Emission Multiple Unit, or ZEMU.
Arrow passengers will be able to travel between downtown San Bernardino and the University of Redlands, and the county's transportation agency is working with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to study the feasibility of eventually extending DMUs all the way to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.
The diesel units are cheaper to operate and are more fuel efficient than larger Metrolink trains. They also can run on the same tracks, making them a viable alternative to light rail, which requires a unique track system as well as overhead electrical wiring and charging stations.
The DMU option could prove beneficial on the heavily used San Bernardino Metrolink line, which is seeing more transit-oriented development, Wolfe said.
It also could protect the San Bernardino Metrolink line from seeing further declines in ridership.
Since the Gold Line was extended to Azusa in 2016, fewer people have been taking the Metrolink service in that area. The Metrolink station in Covina, roughly four miles from the nearest Gold Line station, saw a 24.8 percent drop in ridership, according to data from L.A. Metro.
That could be attributed to the difference in fares, Wolfe said; a one-way ticket on the more heavily subsidized Gold Line is $1.75, while a Metrolink ticket costs $7.75.
If fares drop at stations east of Montclair, Wolfe said, his agency might have to rely more on taxpayer subsidies.
"There's a huge differential and it's not that the Gold Line is cheaper to operate," Wolfe said. "It's that it's more heavily subsidized. That's an issue that we're concerned will propagate as the service comes into the corridor."
Wolfe said a push to extend Metrolink or DMU service would leave taxpayers on the hook for a couple billion dollars — money that is not yet available for either project.
When San Bernardino County voters approved the Measure I half-cent sales tax extension in 2004, they approved funding for various transportation projects, including the Redlands rail line. But the sales tax — which will remain in effect through at least 2040 — does not finance any transit extension to the airport.
Wolfe said transportation officials are partnering with the Ontario International Airport Authority on possibly using passenger boarding fees, and working with the state and other stakeholders on their options, to finance a future extension project.
But it's all predicated on demand at the airport, he said.
"We don't need to invest significant taxpayer dollars to do something today," he said. "We need to figure out when it's going to be important, and then we need to figure out how to pay for it."
A growing airport?
It's unclear how many people will want to go to Ontario Airport in coming years.
In 2016, Ontario was the gateway for about 4.25 million arrivals and departures, up slightly from 2015 but well under the 7.2 million passengers hosted by Ontario in 2007.
For airport officials, who gained local control from Los Angeles World Airports two years ago, the long-term goal is to see that number climb. A light-rail extension could make that goal easier, and reduce the need to build new parking.
"From the airport's perspective, anything that will bring people there other than driving a car, we support," said Alan Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority and a city councilman in Ontario.
When the Gold Line extension started a few years ago, there were no other real transit options in the county, Wapner said. Now, referencing the DMU service in Redlands, he and others can see options that might make sense.
"We're coming up with a whole new mode of transportation with the use of DMUs and more," said Wapner, who also sits on the Authority's board of directors.
What Wapner would like to see is a multi-modal transportation center at the airport, bringing all modes of transportation together, similar to the ARTIC in Anaheim.
"The commitment we made to the community is (that) we're going to continue growing our airport… as long as it doesn't impact the quality of life," he said.
In other words, Wapner said, they'd like Ontario to expand and serve residents without becoming another LAX, which is burdened by too many vehicles and not enough public transit .
"We want to be able to grow our airport with people coming here and not contributing to congestion and environmental impact," he said.
Montclair City Councilman Bill Ruh, who championed efforts getting the Gold Line to his city, said an extension to Ontario airport could win over San Gabriel Valley residents who otherwise might drive to use LAX.
"They're making really good strides in getting people to use the airport — this makes sense," Ruh said. "It's an easy connector and I see a benefit for the whole region."
The extension also could offer people landing in Ontario better connectivity, he said.
"The other opportunity is for people who land in Ontario who may have business in other parts of the region, to simply get on a train, go to Pasadena, do what they need to do there, and take a train back to the airport," he said.
The extension has gained support of politicians on both sides of the county border, including Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona.
"We should be building for the future, and extending the Gold Line would not only enhance mobility and convenience for air passengers and commuters, but also bolster Ontario Airport's ability to be a transportation hub and driver for economic development," Torres said in an emailed statement.
Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez, D-Chino, who authored legislation that added Montclair as a Gold Line stop, said the idea of extending light rail to the airport is not a new issue, but one that the community cares a lot about given the potential benefits.
"It is something we must continue talking about."
Source: Sandra Emerson