Foothill Transit Breaks Ground on its First Ever Agency-Owned Park and Ride

October 26, 2011 | Filed under: Community and National News,Featured | Posted by: Admin

Industry, CA – Foothill Transit broke ground on its first ever agency-owned park and ride facility in the City of Industry on October 20th.
Adjacent to Industry’s Metrolink stop and convenient to the 60 Freeway, Foothill Transit’s new Industry Park and Ride will provide approximately 630 parking spaces for local residents who are increasingly choosing public transportation for their commutes into downtown Los Angeles.
“I tried Foothill Transit’s Line 499 for a few days and it made me wonder why so many commuters still drive their own cars to commute to work,” said Randy Saladanan, a customer who switched to Foothill Transit during the agency’s annual Dump the Pump campaign. “I was less stressed out and feel refreshed every time I ride the bus because either I am able to do other productive stuff during the ride or take a refreshing nap. And I save a lot of money by avoiding parking fees and use less gas.”
Randy is not alone in his experience and is increasingly joined by other local residents who want convenient access to public transportation for their daily commute to work. Finding locations for establishing safe and well-situated park and ride facilities that provide community access to choice has been an ongoing challenge for the agency.
“Thanks to our partnership with the City of Industry and the Federal Transit Administration, our first ever park and ride is becoming a happy reality,” said Carol Herrera, Chair of Foothill Transit’s Executive Board and Councilmember for the City of Diamond Bar. “Land is a precious commodity in Los Angeles County and access to public transportation is a priority for local businesses and residents. We clean the air by getting people out of their cars by offering them with a safe and convenient alternative. Everybody wins.”
Chair Herrera was joined at the ceremony by Industry Mayor David Perez, State Senator Bob Huff, who also used to serve on Foothill Transit’s Executive Board, and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano.
“Access to public transportation is so important,” said Napolitano. “We need to get TEA-LU [federal transportation funding] authorized and work together.”
Parking at the Foothill Transit Industry Park and Ride will be completely free and will have 15 electric vehicle charging stations, secure bike lockers for local cyclists, solar-powered LED lighting, video surveillance, and security gates. Construction of the facility will also follow LEED certification standards to reduce waste and recycle building products where possible.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by Summer 2013 at which point Foothill Transit Lines 497 and 493 will be rerouted to serve the Industry Park and Ride with daily service into downtown Los Angeles.
Foothill Transit is in its 23rd year of serving the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys in Los Angeles County. Its 300-bus fleet covers approximately 327 square miles, carrying over 14 million passengers with 35 fixed-route bus lines.
Foothill Transit is dedicated to being the region’s premier public transit provider committed to safety, courtesy, quality, responsiveness, efficiency, and innovation. To receive a complete travel itinerary of starts, stops, and transfers to your destination, call 1-800-RIDE-INFO or visit one of Foothill Transit’s five Transit Stores located in West Covina, Claremont, Pomona, Puente Hills Mall, and El Monte Station.
For the latest news, route maps, job openings, and past press releases, visit foothilltransit.org.