Although residents living along a proposed extension of the Gold Line appear to generally support bringing the transit line into San Bernardino County, there are still concerns of whether or not the extension is even necessary and how the construction of four tracks could affect the residential regions neighboring the project.

Community meetings in Pomona, Claremont, Glendora, and San Dimas concluded last week, allowing those affected by the Metro Gold Line’s proposed extension to Montclair to voice their concerns with the project.

The Gold Line Foothill Extension, from Azusa to Montclair, will span 12.6 miles, with the construction of six additional stations. The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority has been tasked by Metro to build the line.

The scoping meetings mark the beginning of the drafting process for project's environmental impact report, which acknowledges potential problems that may arise due to extending the light-rail line into the heart of the suburbs east of Los Angeles.

“I been a transit advocate for most of my life, and I’m very eager to see this come here, but I want it to come and be right,” said Judy Wright, one of the community members who spoke last week.

There is much debate about the ridership that will actually utilize the line, and how accessible the new stations would be to travelers. Community members hope that the line would be accessible not only by car, but also by bike and walking.

Another cause of concern is how the construction would affect present private property lines and the historical 1926 Santa Fe Depot, which is on the National Register of Historical Places.

All of these concerns will be investigated by the construction authority, which aims to continue working closely with the community to bring the Gold Line to Montclair.

 “We’re going to come back to the public, and we’re going to present more detailed alignment and station content, and by that point, you will get a very good idea about what we’re proposing around the stations. It is very important for us to hear these comments, and I myself as the lead of the design team can assure you that these concerns are very very important to us,” said the Azusa to Montclair Extension Project Manager, Eugene Kim.

After the authority completes its studies and the environmental impact report, the actual engineering of the extension begins. The authority is also analyzing different ways of extending the Gold Line to Ontario Airport.

See what some of the community members had to say:

 Reach reporter Jerry Ting here.