–Photo by Terry Miller
In a letter sent to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority today, the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership and thirteen chambers of commerce and organizations across the region urged the Metro Board to amend the Short Range Transportation Plan to include the Azusa to Claremont leg of the Gold Line Foothill Extension.
The letter outlined the importance of an effective transportation network to the vitality of the San Gabriel region, citing the alleviation of traffic congestion and affordable travel alternatives for local residents as benefits of extending the Gold Line.
“We are concerned that the Metro will not keep its promise to voters who approved Measure R to complete the Gold Line to Claremont,” commented Cynthia Kurtz, President and CEO of San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, “The completion of this project is vital to this region where nearly one-fifth of Los Angeles County residents reside.”
The letter indicates that the Azusa to Claremont extension is environmentally cleared and ready for design and build in 2017. The extension has the potential to be completed by 2022, a date comfortably within the timeline of the Short Range Transportation Plan.
Signers of the letter include the Azusa, Duarte, La Verne, Arcadia, Monrovia, Claremont, Pasadena, South Pasadena, El Monte/South El Monte, Irwindale, and Alhambra Chambers of Commerce, as well as the Citrus Valley Association of Realtors, Industry Manufacturers Council, and San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership.
The San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership is a regional, not-for-profit corporation supported and directed by its members and committed to the continued successful economic development of the San Gabriel Valley. A collaboration of businesses, local government, higher education institutions, and non-profits, the Partnership pursues this commitment by fostering the success of business, engaging in public policy, marketing the San Gabriel Valley and connecting people, companies, and organizations in the San Gabriel Valley. For more information, contact the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership at (626) 856-3400 or visit its web site at www.valleyconnect.com.
