Rancho Cucamonga link to high-speed train to Las Vegas wins key state approvals

A backstage institution proposing to physique a high-speed bid from Victorville to Las Vegas has taken a measurement toward adding an extension on the Cajon Pass to Rancho Cucamonga.

Brightline West has signed agreements with cardinal authorities proscription agencies that laic the model for connecting the Vegas-bound bid to a newly designed presumption to beryllium built successful Rancho Cucamonga that connects with existing Metrolink work betwixt San Bernardino and Los Angeles, the institution announced.

Here’s what the caller Cucamonga Station volition look like. Details are not yet finalized, but the presumption volition beryllium an introduction constituent for caller work to Ontario International Airport and Las Vegas. These projects are inactive successful the planning/design phases. A caller flat analyzable is being built arsenic portion of transit-oriented development. (Image courtesy of City of Rancho Cucamonga)

With readying for the 170-mile bid to Vegas good underway, the institution connected Thursday, Oct. 21, signed agreements with California State Transportation Agency, the California Department of Transportation and the California High-Speed Rail Authority for the Rancho Cucamonga spur.

The agreements let the institution to statesman negotiating for rights of mode that volition agelong for 48 miles wrong the 15 Freeway. The extremity is to link the high-speed bid to the Metrolink strategy astatine a aboriginal presumption successful Rancho Cucamonga, offering question betwixt Los Angeles and Las Vegas by train.

Brightline predicts the high-speed bid work from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga volition instrumentality 2 hours, astir fractional the driving time. The travel betwixt Los Angeles and Las Vegas, utilizing Metrolink and the caller high-speed bid done the High Desert, volition instrumentality astir 3 hours 1 way.

The institution has said the high-speed bid volition whisk passengers astatine speeds of up to 180 mph. The outgo of a summons has not yet been revealed.

“This Memorandum of Understanding marks a captious milestone successful our extremity to link the Los Angeles metropolitan country with the iconic amusement destination of Las Vegas,” said Mike Reininger, CEO of Brightline Holdings, successful a prepared statement.

“This strategy volition supply an optimal question solution betwixt Southern California and Las Vegas, and opens up the world of emission-free, hospitality-focused high-speed obstruction work to millions of radical traveling betwixt these destinations each year,” Reininger added.

A timeline for the task has not been set, said Greta Seidman, spokesperson for the project. Once crushed is broken, operation of the bid enactment volition instrumentality astir 4 years, she said.

The company’s agreements with authorities agencies let it to determination guardant with negotiations with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and the metropolis of Rancho Cucamonga. Preliminary plans for the southerly hold called for the enactment to beryllium built on the 15 Freeway and erstwhile reaching Foothill Boulevard, jogging westbound to link with the caller presumption that connects to Metrolink, to beryllium located conscionable westbound of Milliken Avenue.

Not lone would it beryllium the archetypal specified ground, non-driving enactment to Las Vegas from Southern California, but the confederate hold of the high-speed bid would beryllium the archetypal obstruction enactment for moving commuters to and from the High Desert and employment centers successful the San Bernardino and westbound valleys.

By moving zero-emission trains, the institution estimates the projects volition trim c dioxide emissions that origin planetary clime alteration by 400,000 tons each twelvemonth and trim the fig of conveyance miles traveled by 935 cardinal annually.

Brightline estimates the task volition tally astir 11 cardinal trips annually. Last year, the institution estimated it would outgo $5 cardinal to physique and volition beryllium privately financed.

Besides the nexus to the Brightline train, the aboriginal Rancho Cucamonga presumption is planned to supply entree to a passageway project that would transport passengers underground to and from Ontario International Airport. Also, the region proscription bureau is looking astatine extending a zero-emission bid equipped with a substance compartment from the Arrow enactment being built successful Redlands to Rancho Cucamonga and beyond, arsenic good arsenic a caller autobus accelerated transit line.

“Along with planned underground loop work to Ontario International Airport, the upcoming Redlands Passenger Rail Service and the West Valley Connector autobus accelerated transit system, high-speed obstruction to and from Las Vegas is shaping up to beryllium a crippled changer for our region,” Curt Hagman, president of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and president of SBCTA, said successful a prepared statement.

Added Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Dennis Michael: “We firmly judge this is the champion determination successful each of Southern California, and spot enhanced transit arsenic a cardinal constituent successful gathering a caller exemplary for living, moving and playing.”

Brightline presently operates obstruction work betwixt Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach successful Florida.