Elon Musk and San Bernardino County’s transportation agency began exclusive negotiations this week on construction of an underground people-mover from the Metrolink train station in Rancho Cucamonga to Ontario International Airport. If the project moves forward, operation could begin in late 2023 or early 2024.
According to SGVT Tribune, riders would get in a Tesla Model 3s or a specially designed 12-passenger Tesla tram and travel up to 127 mph on a track for the short, 4-mile trip. The vehicles are electric and produce zero emissions.
Three above-ground stations would be built: one near the existing Metrolink commuter rail station, and two at the airport—at Terminal 2 and Terminal 4. A one-way ride would take about five minutes, according to the SBCTA. The loop would carry about 1,200 people per day, or 10 million-plus per year.
The cost for the project during early discussions in 2019 started at $45 million but the proposal submitted to SBCTA by the Boring Co. in December placed the cost at $85 million. This would be the first rail-like connection at Ontario airport, and would lessen congestion from single-passenger cars using the 10 Freeway.
The Loop would cost considerably less than the stalled $1- to $1.5-billion light-rail extension of the Gold Line (now known as the L Line) from Pomona to the airport, and could be built in two or three years rather than the 10 years it would take to extend the light-rail, according to the SBCTA.
Source: SGVT Tribune
