San Bernardino County Transportation Authority

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is the successor to San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG or SanBAG). They are responsible for administering the Measure I half-cent tax which voters in San Bernardino County, California, passed most recently in 2004. The SBCTA conducts transportation planning, construction, and operation in San Bernardino County. The SBCTA is a joint powers authority comprising the entire county and its cities. Every city and county supervisor is provided one seat on the board, and it also includes a nonvoting member from the California Department of Transportation's (Caltrans) District 8.

San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
Overview
HeadquartersSan Bernardino Santa Fe Depot
San Bernardino, California
Operation
Began operation1973 (1973) as San Bernardino Associated Governments[1]

History

In 2016, Senate bill 1305, consolidated five different transit agencies into SBCTA. Those agencies were County Transportation Commission, County Transportation Authority, Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies, Congestion Management Agency, and Subregional Planning Agency.[2]

In 2019, SBCTA mulled direct takeover of Omnitrans due to its 520 million dollar deficit.[3] In response to pressure of county supervisors, SBCTA initiated a study of consolidation of Omnitrans called SBCTA County-wide Transit Efficiency Study.[4] By the end of 2020, SBCTA balked at the idea of consolidating Omnitrans under SBCTA due to pension Obligations.[5]

Funding

SBCTA operates with a budget of 1.160 billion dollars as of the 2023 fiscal year[6]

Planning

The SBCTA conducts transportation planning for San Bernardino County, California, as well as aligning with plans from neighboring agencies.

I-10 Express Lanes

The SBCTA and Caltrans completed the $929.2 million Phase 1 project to add tolled express lanes to Interstate 10 (I-10) from the Los Angeles County line to Interstate 15 (I-15).[7] Under Phase 1, 18 bridges throughout the corridor will either be replaced or widened to accommodate the new toll lanes.[8] It is expected to be completed by 2023.[9][10]

I-15 Express Lanes

The SBCTA has planned to implement tolled express lanes to I-15 from the Riverside County line to Duncan Canyon Boulevard. Construction is expected to begin in 2023. The project is expected to cost $469.65 million.[11]

North First Avenue Bridge

Due to automobile damage sustained to the North First Avenue Bridge in Barstow, the SBCTA took over the replacement of the bridge from the city due to its critical importance, since it passes over the BNSF Southern Transcon rail corridor and yard. The expected cost of the project is $62 million. Currently, it is in the design phase to replace the 1930's bridge.[12][13][14]

West Valley Connector (BRT)

The West Valley Connector, also known as the omnitrans purple line,[15] is a 35-mile long (56 km) bus rapid transit project spearheaded by the SBCTA that will connect Pomona with Fontana.[16] The first phase is a 19-mile long (31 km) segment that will run along Holt Boulevard to Ontario International Airport and Metrolink’s Rancho Cucamonga station.[17] Phase 1 will have 21 stations along the route.

Tunnel to Ontario International Airport Project

The SBCTA is currently in the process of implementing a 4-mile tunnel (6.4 km) from Metrolink’s Rancho Cucamonga station to Ontario International Airport as a cost-effective solution compared to the Foothill Extension project of the Los Angeles Metro Rail’s A Line.[18][19][20] The Ontario Airport Loop was expected to cost around $75 million compared to the Foothill Extension at around $1.5 billion.[21]

The current project planning is being developed by HNTB[22] after The Boring Company dropped out due to their refusal to submit another refined proposal. The estimated costs are around $492 million under the current expanded proposal.[23]

The SBCTA is in the process of double-tracking Metrolink's San Bernardino Line from CP Lilac to Rialto station to increase capacity and frequency within San Bernardino County.[24]


Transit services

Bus

The SBCTA provides transit funding for all the bus transit agencies in San Bernardino County. It is also responsible for the oversight of Omnitrans, Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA), Needles Area Transit (NAT), Mountain Transit, and Basin Transit.[25]


Fare Subsidy

In 2023, SBCTA expanded its Free Fares for School K-12 program to all transit agencies in order to boost transit use with San Bernardino County Youth[26]

San Bernardino County is served by and partially funds three of Metrolink's lines. This includes the San Bernardino Line, which has the highest ridership of the entire system, the Inland Empire–Orange County Line, which terminates at the San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot and San Bernardino–Downtown stations, and the Riverside Line, which serves Ontario–East station.

Arrow
Logo of Arrow

Arrow, formerly the Redlands Passenger Rail Project (RPRP or RPR), is a commuter rail line which runs from the San Bernardino Transit Center in Downtown San Bernardino in the west to the University of Redlands in Redlands in the east. Simulated service testing commenced on September 12, 2022.[27] Service commenced on October 24, 2022.[28]

In 2019, SBCTA ordered Zero emissions multiple unit from Stadler for the Arrow line.[29] The trainset is expected to be in operation by 2024[30]


Van Pool

SBCTA administers the County's van pool Commuter service called SB Loop. Currently the system consists of 72 vehicles, averaging 37,000 trips per quarter. SBCTA also subsidizes Victor Valley Transit Authority's van pool. Averaging 119,400 trips per quarter in 189 vehicles [31]

Freeway Service Patrol

In order to reduce congestion, the SBCTA implemented the Freeway Service Patrol (FSP), whose purpose is to tow stranded motorist within the urbanized area of San Bernardino County. Service operates during peak traffic times.[32]

Active transportation

The SBCTA maintains a countywide active transportation plan. Although San Bernardino County is vast, much of the population is concentrated in the San Bernardino Valley portion in the county's southwest corner. The SBCTA requires complete streets within San Bernardino County when cities apply for roadway expansion grants.[33][34][35]

Pacific Electric Trail

The Baldwin Park Subdivision within San Bernardino county is owned by SBCTA. SBCTA currently licenses the railroad right of way as a class one bike trail to the cities within the rail corridor. The city of Rialto has expressed in expanding the bike trail to SBCTA, once Union Pacific abandons the rail service in the eastern 2.5 miles of the subdivision.[36]

References
  1. "About SBCTA". SBCTA. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  2. "SBCTA Fiscal Year 2023/2024" (PDF). SBCTA. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  3. "$520 million deficit has Omnitrans eyeing layoffs and bus-line reductions, but is it enough?". San Bernardino Sun. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. "Consolidation Study and Innovative Transit Review" (PDF). Omnitrans. San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  5. "Omnitrans dodges takeover, but endures service cuts and layoffs". San Bernardino Sun. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  6. "Annual 2023/2024 Budget" (PDF). SBCTA. SBCTA. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  7. "I-10 Corridor Project" (PDF). GOSBCTA. July 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  8. "I-10 Express Lanes".
  9. "I-10 Corridor Project Final Findings" (PDF). GOSBCTA. September 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  10. "Final project report" (PDF). GOSBCTA. September 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  11. "-15 CORRIDOR PROJECT PA/ED" (PDF). SBCTA. SBCTA. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  12. "North First Avenue Bridge Over BNSF Railroad Project". SBCTA. SBCTA. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  13. "'Deficient' bridge may finally be replaced with $3.2M more than planned from Barstow taxpayers". Daily Press. gannett. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  14. McGee, Charlie. "Barstow declares emergency, enlists $250K to fix 'extreme peril' on First Street Bridge". Victorville Daily Press. Gannett. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  15. "west valley connector O&M agreements". omnitrans.primegov.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  16. Authority, San Bernardino County Transportation. "West Valley Connector Project". ceqanet.opr.ca.gov.
  17. "West Valley Connector (BRT)".
  18. "Ontario airport tunnel project by Elon Musk moves to next phase". 5 February 2021.
  19. "SBCTA Board accepts Boring Co.'s qualifications, authorizes next steps in the development of the Ontario Loop project". 3 February 2021.
  20. "SBCTA Board accepts Boring Co.'s qualifications, authorizes next steps in the development of the Ontario Loop project". 3 February 2021.
  21. "Elon Musk-backed tunnel to California airport gets go-ahead". 4 June 2020.
  22. "selected by SBCTA for Ontario Airport tunnel project". HNTB. 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  23. John, Darryn (20 July 2022). "The Boring Company abandons plans for Ontario Airport loop in California". Drive Tesla. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  24. "Metrolink San Bernardino Line Double Track Project (Lilac to Rancho)". SBCTA. SBCTA. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  25. "Public Transit and Rail". SBCTA. SBCTA. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  26. "Popular Omnitrans Free Fares for School Program to Expand Countywide in 2023-2024 School Year". www.citynewsgroup.com. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  27. "Redlands rail line to begin simulated service Monday". SB Sun. San Bernardino Sun. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  28. "Arrow | San Bernardino Redlands Train | Metrolink". www.metrolinktrains.com. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  29. "San Bernardino County agency orders its first zero-emission train for Redlands rail service". Redlands Daily Facts. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  30. "North America's first hydrogen-powered train coming to SBCTA". www.masstransitmag.com. Mass Transit Magazine. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  31. "Agenda - Thursday, August 10, 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  32. "Freeway Service Patrol". SBCTA. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  33. "Non - Motorized Transportation Plan (2018)". SBCTA. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  34. "Active San Bernardino Data". sbcta. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  35. "Complete Streets". SBCTA. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  36. "Board of Directors Meeting July 5, 2023" (PDF). San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. SBCTA. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
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