KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
California Secretary of Transportation David Kim announced Wednesday a $107 million grant has been given to upgrade the Metrolink railroad tracks on the Antelope Valley Line through Santa Clarita, officials said.
The grant is expected to be used to add additional train tracks in various locations to allow trains to pass in areas they were not able to in the past, according to officials.
This is another step in the multi-year efforts by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and regional stakeholders to support critical improvements to the region, officials said.
“This award is the result of an incredible partnership between our local North Los Angeles County cities, Metro, Metrolink and key regional stakeholders,” said Barger, who also sits on the Los Angeles Metro and Metrolink boards of directors. “We are so grateful the state recognized the value and importance of our proposal and we look forward to our ongoing collaboration to ultimately deliver major improvements that will benefit millions of people who use this transportation corridor annually. Considering the struggles our communities have endured in recent weeks, this is cause for celebration.”
The major capital projects that are intended to be funded through this grant include:
- Balboa Double Track Extension, just south of I-5/SR-14 Interchange, which would allow for additional capacity and passing.
- Lancaster terminal improvements, including new layover and light maintenance facilities.
- Canyon siding extension, which allows for additional passing in the Santa Clarita Valley area.
- Brighton to McGinley double track, a key segment of the critical Brighton-to-Roxford Double Track project, which will add capacity and additional passing between Sylmar and Burbank, according to officials.
This funding request, coupled with local matching funds, is expected to take thousands of cars off the 5 and 14 Freeways daily, according to Barger’s office.
The Transit and Intercity Rail Capital grant is also set to fund a Zero-Emissions Multiple Unit Pilot project, which will test new zero-emission trains on the Antelope Valley Line to assess flexibility and cost savings using clean rail technology, according to officials.
This is part of a larger Metro and Metrolink commitment to implement zero-emissions trains throughout L.A. County and Southern California.
“This would not have been possible without the leadership of our regional partners, including more than 40 elected officials and local stakeholders who submitted letters of support,” Barger said. “Thank you to Secretary Kim, our cities, Metro and Metrolink leadership and staff and North County Transportation Coalition Executive Director Arthur Sohikian for their efforts.”
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What are the results of the upgrade? What will change? Is spending $107 Million justified? The article does not mention the answers to these questions.
Does that make the 14 North and South six lanes in both directions? If train uses increase will there be increased parking at the stations. It takes longer to find a place to park than it takes to drive, and the commute on the Metrolink is not cheap. Spend the money on the freeways first.
Most of this sounds good we do have a lot of congestion on that 14fwy.. But testing zero emissions train testing, are we really going to reinvent the wheel? Is elon musk a stake holder? I believe Most of these trains are powered by diesel generators that power electric motors already “hybrid” so I can’t imagine these hand full of trains are doing much polluting. Most people like to drive themselves to work it’s a feeling of independents. It would probably be a better investment to make these trains more inviting more fun to ride. Maybe put a little cafe in there an office space something to make you want to try the metro link. Something to make you consider taking the family on a train ride, one that isn’t like sitting on an old stinky city bus on tracks.
Sounds like the upcoming new development with a train depot are going to use it—Sounds like another wonderful “green new deal” being close to “high density housing”!!
You and the article mention specific actions. My question is what effect do “improvements” have on the trains? Additional capacity and passing is too general.
The stupid Santa Clarita councilwoman stated that 30 minute service will be coming to the Metrolink trains. That was not a 30 minute train service to downtown. That would have been significant to getting people out of their cars and onto the train. It was a train would be leaving Santa Clarita every 30 minutes. How stupid, and a total waste of money! The parking lot at the train station on Soledad was full before the virus. WHERE WOULD THE EXTRA TRAIN PASSENGERS PARK THEIR CARS? Just because the idiot councilwoman says people would ride their bikes there, doesn’t mean it will actually happen.
The current train can’t make it up the hill to Palmdale at more than 10mph. An electric train cannot go up hills.
You should familiarize yourself with Dunning-Kruger then find your place on the graph. You’ve clearly never been in an electric car. Never wondered why San Francisco and Seattle kept so many of their bus routes electric. It’s because electric motors have more torque than diesel ones and can thus climb steep grades faster and more efficiently than their diesel counterparts.
Also, if the parking lots are full it means their is high demand for the service. Demand that might be satisfied by 30 minute headways. You certainly don’t grow ridership by offering fewer trains.
How can you criticize another wonderful “green new deal” plan brought to us from wonderful AOC/Garshity/Newsom/ilk, etc. Make and widen more roads/Fwys.!!
Widening our roads/freeways won’t solve anything…We continue to expand our freeways and by no surprise, traffic gets worse or stays the same.