Today, Metro CEO Phil Washington announced the opening date for the initial 12-mile extension of the Foothill Gold Line. The new Gold Line extension is set to open on March 5, 2016.

The line was built by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. When it was substantially complete in September, it was turned over to Metro for testing. The Gold Line extension includes 12 miles of track, new maintenance yards, 1,525 parking spaces, and six new stations: Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, Azusa Downtown, and Azusa Pacific University/Citrus College. Metro estimates anticipate 13,600 new daily riders.

Additional phases are anticipated to extend the line east from Azusa to Monclair and then further into San Bernardino County, though these are not yet funded.

A shortage of rail cars means that initial operations will feature less than optimal headways. Trains will operate every 12 minutes, with more frequent service likely starting in late 2016.

The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority recently celebrated station dedications. For a tour of the then-under-construction Gold Line Extension, see the 2014 SBLA series of articles on the rail line, transit-adjacent development, bridges, and maintenance yards.