ONT Connector
c/o Tim Watkins
San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
1170 W 3rd Street
San Bernardino, CA 92810
Email: [email protected]
November 20, 2024
Subject: RailPAC comment letter on ONTconnector
—
Dear Chair Marquez, SBCTA Board Members, and ONT Connector project staff,
My name is Brian Yanity, and I am Vice President-South of the Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC), a 501c3 all-volunteer group of railroad professionals and advocates that has campaigned for improved personal mobility in California and the improvement of regional/commuter and intercity passenger rail service. I am also a regular rider of Metrolink, and an occasional passenger of ONT airport. Since its founding in 1978, RailPAC has taken a keen interest in leveraging the full potential of Southern California’s rail network.
RailPAC is pleased to provide public comment to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) on the draft environmental documents for the Ontario International Airport(ONT)connector project. RailPAC supports improved rail and bus transit to ONT, instead of the project as proposed “autonomous, on-demand vehicles”, or basically rubber-tired cars on pavement, inside a narrow tunnel. The proposed 4.2-mile long system would “provide a peak one-way passenger throughput of approximately 100 per hour” (pg 2-15 of DEIR). This is an extremely low capacity for a project purported to cost close to half a billion dollars. A conventional two-track light rail line can move over 20,000 people per hour. As proposed, the ONT Connector project will duplicate above-ground ONT Connect shuttle service and West Valley Connector BRT without enhancing capacity.
The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Loop, a similar model that is privately operated, has been plagued by traffic jams in the narrow tunnels, confusion among drivers, and serious safety and EMS concerns during construction and in operation. Tire dust particles inside the small tunnel present a health risk to riders[1]. Being that the ONT Connector takes the ‘cars in a tunnel’ concept even further by promising fully autonomous road vehicles (and not on a conventional fixed guideway). This means that what is being proposed is an entirely unproven concept. There is no track record of such a system operating anywhere in the world. This poses risks not only for safety and reliability, but also puts SBCTA at financial risk.
The EIR should expand its alternatives analysis to thoroughly evaluate conventional airport people mover, light rail or heavy rapid rail options for the ONT-Rancho Cucamonga corridor. These were not properly evaluated by the draft EIR. This should include an updated cost comparison and analysis of projected ridership levels to demonstrate cost-effectiveness over time, as well as VMT reduction on local highways. The EIR should include an assessment of the benefits of a rail solution for both local commuters (e.g. ONT employees) and travelers from surrounding cities and regions.
SBCTA and partner agencies have been studying transit connections between ONT and Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink station for decades. Over the years there have been serious evaluations of bus connections and rail extensions (both light rail Gold Line and rail Metrolink regional/commuter rail) to link these two transportation hubs. Studies in 2008, 2014, and 2018examined realistic rail options, including Metrolink Riverside Line extension west to ONT, and a Brightline West/Metrolink San Bernardino Line extension south to ONT. To quote from pgs. 2-3 of the Southern California Association of Governments’ Los Angeles and San Bernardino Inter-County Transit and Rail Connectivity Study, Final Report, October 2018[2] [figures on attached pages to this letter]:
- Commuter Rail Alternative (Commuter Rail Alt.) Phase 1: Increased commuter rail service on the Metrolink San Bernardino Line, double-tracking projects along the San Bernardino Line to accommodate the service increases, a commuter rail shuttle connecting Rancho Cucamonga to ONT, a new hybrid rail line connecting downtown Ontario to the University of Redlands, and a new station on the Metrolink Riverside Line in Downtown Ontario…(See Figure 5)
- Commuter Rail Alternative (Commuter Rail Alt.) Phase 2: All projects in the Commuter Rail Alternative Phase 1, additional service enhancements to the Metrolink San Bernardino Line, converting existing Metrolink commuter rail to hybrid rail service, additional double-tracking projects to accommodate the service enhancements, a spur on the San Bernardino Line to connect to ONT, an extension of the Ontario-Redlands line west to the City of Industry, and a re-routing of the Metrolink Riverside Line via ONT…. (See Figure 6)
- Hybrid Rail Alternative (Hybrid Rail Alt.)1: Hybrid rail service added to the existing Metrolink San Bernardino Line, double-tracking projects to accommodate the service enhancements (the same double-tracking segments as in the Commuter Rail Alternative Phase 2), and a spur off the San Bernardino Line to connect to ONT. This alternative also includes Hybrid Rail to Cal Poly Pomona as an optional connection… (See Figure 7)
Such extensions of the existing Metrolink lines would be more competitive for state and federal transit funding and better suited for future demand. It would also build upon public investments made in the existing Metrolink lines and stations. Given the potential for future high-speed rail connections from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, the EIR should address how a rail-based solution could better integrate with the Brightline West project than the limited-capacity ONT Connector that is being proposed by SBCTA.
ONT airport has great potential for passenger growth. We ask the SBCTA board to prioritize high-capacity, reliable rail solutions to meet San Bernardino County’s long-term transportation needs, and reject the low-capacity, high-risk, unreliable model in the Build Alternative that fails to provide the transit service our region deserves.
Sincerely,
Brian Yanity, Vice President-South
Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC)
[1] Auto rubber tire pollution poses health hazards primarily through the inhalation of tiny tire wear particles, which contain a mix of toxic chemicals like heavy metals (lead, zinc), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene, leading to respiratory issues, cardiovascular problems, and potential long-term health concerns, especially for vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.
[2] https://www.gosbcta.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Los-Angeles-and-San-Bernardino-Inter-County-Transit-and-Rail-Connection-Study-2018.pdf
