http://www.sbsun.com/business/20131103/rail-to-redlands-project-update-shows-increased-costs
By Greg Cappis, November 3, 2013
As the Rail to Redlands project rumbles along, officials reported
delays, rising costs and a bus system integrated with the commuter train
line to expand public transportation opportunities in the East Valley.
Originally,
the project extending the Metrolink from San Bernardino to three stops
in Redlands was expected to cost around $156 million. At a meeting of
stakeholders Wednesday, officials said the extension project is now
expected to cost between $200 and $300 million.
San Bernardino Associated Governments is leading the project that combines public and private funds.
Bids for the first mile of trackwork and a transit center in downtown San Bernardino have been sent out.
“We want to award (those two) contracts at our December board meeting,” said Mitch Alderman, SANBAG transit director.
Final
design plans will get underway next spring, before environmental
reports are expected to be cleared — in mid-2014, according to Alderman.
He
said the recent, partial government shutdown delayed part of the
environmental review process, but “we’re still anticipating
environmental clearance sometime in the middle of next year.”
Another mix up in required environmental documents cost $1 million and a year’s time, Alderman said.
Alderman
presented the project update inside the San Bernardino County
government building to other members of a steering committee formed by
Third District Supervisor James Ramos to keep the project on track.
The
group also heard a presentation from Omnitrans about new and altered
bus lines, planned to coincide with the new train stops.
The
easternmost stop is planned for the University of Redlands. Another stop
will be located near downtown. The third stop will be near Esri’s
campus at New York Street and Redlands Boulevard before continuing to
San Bernardino.
From there, the Metrolink can transport passengers to Los Angeles’ Union Station where riders can hop on other lines or buses.
Omnitrans
expects a rapid transit bus to run from Northern San Bernardino to the
transit center in downtown San Bernardino before continuing southwest to
Loma Linda. They’re hoping thousands of employees and students take
advantage of the two-prong transportation system.
Officials are working to adjust bus routes so people can take public transportation from their homes to work.
“Making sure to integrate the two systems is really important,”
said Larry Sharp of Inland Action, a nonprofit driven to improve the
economic landscape of the Inland Empire.
For example, in downtown
Redlands the current Omnitrans bus stop is a block or two from the
proposed site of the train station, according to Alderman, who spoke of
moving it closer to the train stop.
“If you’re really going to have a viable system it would be best if you left your car at home,” Sharp said.
The ad hoc committee is scheduled to reconvene Feb. 27.