CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
September 8, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita D. Scott, City Manager
Submitted By: Meg McWade, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: GOLD LINE (A LINE) PARKING PROTECTION PLAN
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Approve the Gold Line (A Line) Parking Protection Plan and mitigation strategies; and Authorize implementation of the mitigation strategies in the Gold Line (A Line) Parking Protection Plan, as appropriate.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Metro Gold Line (A Line) extension to the Pomona North Station plans to begin revenue operations on September 19, 2025. To manage the anticipated demand for parking in the area, staff recommends the City Council approve the parking mitigation strategies outlined in the A Line Parking Protection Plan (Attachment No. 1) to be implemented within a one-half mile radius of the Pomona North Station, with initial installation funded by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. As a note, any residential preferential parking mitigation strategy would require future City Council consideration and approval.
SB1439/GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLICABILITY:
☐ When this box is checked, it indicates the agenda item is subject to the Levine Act SB1439 requirements. Councilmembers are reminded to check their campaign contributions and determine whether they have received a campaign contribution of $500 or more that would require disclosure and/or recusal from discussing or acting on this agenda item. Campaign contributions of $500 or more made 1) by any person or entity who is identified in the agenda report as the applicant or proposer or 2) on behalf of the applicant or participant, including a parent, subsidiary or otherwise related business entity, or 3) by any person who has a financial interest in the agenda item requires a councilmember to comply with SB1439.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The mitigation strategies are “No Metro Metrolink Parking” signs, time-limited parking signs, or residential preferential parking permit programs. No funds are necessary for the initial installation, as the cost of the City selected option is expected to be covered by the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Authority).
The costs noted below are intended to reflect future annual maintenance required for the various sign options. For instance, the City may need to replace signs due to graffiti, knock downs, and/or wind damage, and perform similar maintenance work. The fiscal impact is dependent on the alternative selected for implementation. A breakdown of the alternatives and estimated costs are provided below.
PUBLIC STREETS (listed by option number, only one option will be implemented per street block/segment):
Option 1 - “No Metro Metrolink Parking” Signs - Average Estimated Annual Cost $200 per mile x 3 miles = $600/year - Residential and Commercial Areas Option 2 - Time Limited Parking Signs - Average Estimated Annual Cost $250 per mile x 3 miles = $750/year- Residential and Commercial Areas Option 3 - Residential Parking (Preferential) Permits - Average Estimated Annual Cost $800 per mile x 3 miles = $2,400/year - Residential Areas Only The funding for these alternatives will be requested in future fiscal year operational budgets for the Public Works Department - Engineering and Paint and Sign Divisions, to be paid out of General Fund, Measure R, and/or Measure M revenues. Any increases in parking citation revenue will be used to cover the parking enforcement costs and are not anticipated to be available to fund the sign installation program.
DISCUSSION:
The 9.1-mile, four-station Glendora to Pomona North Gold Line (A Line) Extension Project began major construction in July 2020 and reached substantial completion on January 3, 2025. It has now been transferred from the Gold Line Construction Authority to Metro for final testing, certification, and pre-revenue operations of the light rail transit system. The Gold Line Construction Authority continues to support Metro and anticipates Metro light rail revenue operations will begin on September 19th.
The Pomona North (A Line) Light Rail Train Station will have a new multi-modal station with five hundred and thirty paid parking spaces to be shared with Metrolink in two parking areas. The new parking area has amenities for riders who arrive walking, or by using a bicycle, bus/shuttle or drop-off area. The existing Metrolink Station parking spaces have historically not been paid spaces. Gibson Transportation Consulting, Inc. was hired to conduct a Parking Utilization and Protection Study (Study) for the City of Pomona in preparation for passenger service on the A Line Metro Light Rail. The Study aimed to identify where protection may be needed for vulnerable private and public parking near the new station for use by new rail passengers. The Study covered two areas. It included a quarter-mile radius around the new station, which is the most likely potential area for parking impact, and a half-mile radius, which is the furthest likely potential area for parking impact. As seen on the graphic below, the Study identified potential impacted areas with a shortage of reasonably available and convenient parking due to increased parking demand upon the station's opening.
The Study had several recommended mitigation strategies:
“No Metro & Metrolink Parking” Signs – Signs that discourage Metro and Metrolink parking could be placed within proximity to the station but may have limited effect. These signs are legally unenforceable. Cars cannot be ticketed or towed with these signs. This mitigation strategy applies in both residential and commercial areas.
Time Limited Parking Signs – In areas with adequate off-street parking, hourly parking restrictions can be effective and not onerous on residents and businesses. Three-hour parking restrictions, during the peak morning commute hours, could be implemented on both commercial and residential streets.
Residential Parking Permit Program – If the above strategies are not sufficient in residential neighborhoods, a residential parking permit program would be considered if significant support from residential households is present. If that were the case, staff would come back to City Council at a future meeting and request the current suspension of preferential parking be rescinded temporarily, so the implementation of a preferential parking district can be established. If reinstated, per Pomona Municipal Code Section 58-239(d), the prerequisites for the establishment of a preferential parking district are either by petition signed by seventy-five percent of residents or by City Council on its own motion after a noticed public hearing. Approval of a residential parking permit program would be provided to City Council for future consideration.
Community outreach (Attachment No. 2) was conducted in the surrounding area to solicit input on the level of parking protection desired on specific residential and commercial streets around the new station. All residents and businesses within a half-mile radius were invited to a community meeting held at Palomares Park. There were interested parties in attendance to hear about the station, potential impacts to surrounding property, as well as the City’s options for addressing any issues. A survey (Attachment No. 3) was provided at the May 15, 2025, Community meeting as well as made available online through a mailing to residents within a half-mile radius of the station. Residents and businesses were asked to provide responses on their preferred mitigation strategies by June 1, 2025, related to the following options.
Requires City Council approval.Requires City Council approval.
Requires City Council approval.
Requires City Council approval.
As anticipated, since the A Line has not begun operations, the City received a limited number of survey responses. Feedback from the community meeting and surveys indicated general support for the “No Metro & Metrolink Parking” and even some support for permit parking. Staff has authorized the Gold Line Construction Authority to place the Option 1 – “No Metro & Metrolink Parking” signs (sample for illustrative purposes only) in certain locations in advance of the revenue operations beginning in September. Additional signs will be placed in another phase.
In the vicinity of the station, there are several streets which are private and will be handled outside of the City’s purview. Gold Line Construction Authority and Metro have been working with businesses along the private streets and will be posting signs at the request of those businesses.
The parking impacts, if any, of the light rail station on parking in surrounding neighborhoods will not be felt until the A Line is open for riders in a few weeks. Metro plans to charge for parking at the station which serves both Metrolink and Metro A Line customers additionally affecting the parking demand in the area. Staff will continue to seek feedback on the impacts as well as provide an update, as appropriate. Additionally, Metro will be performing an update to its parking impact study after the opening of the station, which will be used to guide future recommendations.
It is recommended that City Council approve the Gold Line Parking Protection Plan (A Line) mitigation strategies as presented in Attachment No. 1, and authorize implementation of mitigation strategies, as appropriate.
Prepared by:
Sylvia Gonzales, Management Analyst
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment No. 1: Metro A Line Pre-Operations Parking Protection Recommendations Pomona Station Attachment No. 2: May 15, 2025, Community Meeting Presentation for Gold Line (A Line) Parking Management Plan Attachment No. 3: City Survey for Residential Public Streets Gold Line (A Line) Parking Protection Plan