SBCTA Reaffirms Role in San Bernardino County
March 9, 2020
At the March Board of Directors Meeting, the SBCTA Board approved a resolution reaffirming SBCTA’s responsibility as the transportation planning agency and the voter-approved steward of transportation funding in San Bernardino County. In addition, the resolution solidifies SBCTA’s stance that it will not delegate its obligation to fund, plan, construct and deliver major transportation projects in San Bernardino County.
In late January, Assembly Member Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) introduced legislation (Assembly Bill (AB) 2011) that would create a construction authority that focuses solely on extending Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Gold Line to Ontario International Airport (ONT). AB 2011 looks to create the West San Bernardino County Rail Construction Authority. The construction authority would be governed by a seven-member Board of Directors consisting of representatives from Los Angeles County Metro, Montclair, Upland, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, as well as the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) and SBCTA.
Similarly, State Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) introduced Senate Bill 1390 that also creates a new construction authority in San Bernardino County to extend Gold Line from Montclair to ONT. SB 1390 goes a step further by being more explicit about redirecting Measure I resources to fund the efforts of the new construction authority.
SBCTA has opposed both bills.
In an effort to better understand these two legislators’ intent with the respective bills, SBCTA extended an invitation for Senator Portantino and Assembly Member Holden to address the Board at the March 4th Board of Directors meeting. Both attended and engaged in discussion with the Authority’s leadership in attendance at the meeting. The SBCTA Board remains steadfast in its opposition of the proposals set forth by the respective bills. Click here to view the video from that meeting.
