by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Next Friday, September 19, will cap a long-time collaborative transportation effort when the doors of new light rail trains traveling between Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas and Glendora along the 9.1-mile A Line light rail extension project open for passenger service.

A community event is set for 11:30 a.m. September 19 at the new Pomona station, 205 Santa Fe St.

Service along the new line is expected to run from 4 a.m. to midnight daily with fares starting at $1.75.

The extension, which was completed in January and has undergone tweaks and testing since, links the A Line from the existing station in Azusa to new facilities in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona.

The opening of the line will mark the third A Line extension project completed since 2000 by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, including Union Station to Pasadena, Pasadena to Azusa, and now Azusa to Pomona.

The extension was funded by a mix of state and local dollars including LA County Measure M, residual monies from Measure R set aside for an earlier segment, and grants from California State Transportation Authority’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program and CalRecycle.