Inland Empire leaders celebrate Brightline West's Las Vegas high-speed rail project
Inland Empire leaders celebrated Brightline West high-speed rail project securing $3 billion in federal funding.
The high-speed rail project, which will connect Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas, was called a "game-changer" for the Inland Empire, during a gathering by local leaders Monday at the Cucamonga Station Metrolink Train Station.
Elected officials, business leaders and community stakeholders believe the new project will bring new and advanced economic development, mobility and career opportunities to Southern California’s most dynamic population center.
“This is an exciting moment for Greater Ontario and Southern California as a whole," said Michael Krouse, president and CEO of Greater Ontario California. "The Brightline West and Cucamonga Station projects are game-changers for our region, bringing in more visitors, providing more opportunities to connect workers with job opportunities, and showcasing all that Greater Ontario has to offer from a hospitality, entertainment and economic perspective."
The eagerly anticipated project, which will provide electrified high-speed rail service with stops in Hesperia and Apple Valley, cleared one of its final hurdles on Friday when the Biden Administration announced $3 billion in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Jobs, economic growth
The project is being hailed as one of the largest public investments ever for a privately built transportation system and a critical final step toward the start of construction, which could begin by early 2024, the leaders stated.
Brightline officials are hoping to get the California and Nevada high-speed rail project up and running in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Construction alone will support more than 11,000 jobs each year and bring $5 billion in spending to the county, $300 million of it to Rancho Cucamonga, city officials said.
“We are thrilled to witness the realization of this transformative project that connects our dynamic regions,” said Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Dennis Michael. “This strategic investment in cutting-edge infrastructure not only opens doors to jobs, economic growth, tourism, and commercial ventures but also enhances Southern California’s global connectivity.”
The project will also be the first to be built with American union labor. The fully-electric, zero-emission system will become one of the greenest forms of transportation in the U.S.
Transportation partnership
A partnership has been formed between the City of Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario Airport, the county, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, Omnitrans and Metrolink to maximize the arrival of the Brightline West project.
The projects align with Ontario International Airport’s mission of "connecting people, places and opportunities to build a better world," said and we applaud all who were involved in securing this critical funding,” said Atif Elkadi, CEO of the Ontario International Airport Authority.
“The arrival of Brightline West and the new Cucamonga Station underscore how the Inland Empire and western San Bernardino County have become a transportation hub and economic driver for Southern California and beyond," he added.
“This high-speed rail system will be a significant economic driver for San Bernardino County while improving connectivity and reducing congestion between here and Las Vegas,” said Dawn Rowe, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority board president. “It also will provide an efficient, sustainable transit solution through the Cajon Pass, which opens up new business employment and housing opportunities between the High Desert and East and West Valleys.”
Kome Ajise, executive director of the Southern California Association of Governments, said the project is critical to meeting the growth needs of the region.
"This extraordinary infusion of federal grant funding into a private project is a tribute to Brightline West, as well as Caltrans and every other stakeholder group that has collaborated on this innovative transportation solution,” Ajise said. “In a short amount of time, the Las Vegas-to-Rancho Cucamonga high-speed rail connector has become one of the most highly anticipated transportation projects in the U.S.”
Population growth
The high-speed rail project comes as San Bernardino County and the Inland Empire have established themselves as the new center of Southern California.
Now the 12th largest metropolitan area in the United States, the two-county region will add nearly 1 million new residents by 2050, according to the California Department of Finance.
By contrast, Los Angeles County is expected to lose population.
The project also puts a spotlight on the county’s growth as an economic and travel destination, centered at Cucamonga Station and nearby Ontario International Airport.
Plans are underway to redevelop the station into a state-of-the-art multimodal transportation center that may serve as many as 11 million passengers per year using the high-speed rail service.
Brightline West’s station in Rancho Cucamonga will have direct connectivity via California Metrolink to key points in Los Angeles, such as Union Station, the Daily Press reported.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Brightline West's high-speed rail Las Vegas project celebrated
