A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system called The West Valley Connector (WVC) project is coming to San Bernardino in 2024. The federal, state and city governments have collectively earmarked $266 Million for the project. The biggest portion of this amount, $115 Million, comes from the federal government. Part of the funding will buy 18 electric buses plying on the route.

This was announced by the San Bernardino County Transport Authority. Phase I of the project is a 19 miles long BRT corridor that traverses the cities of Pomona, Montclair, Ontario, and Rancho Cucamonga, with 21 stations altogether between these cities.

Precisely, the project will have:

15.5 miles of the curb lane

3.5 miles of center-running, dedicated BRT lanes through central Ontario

Transit signal priority and queue jump lanes

We have covered it in our weekly wire roundup

Aim of the Project and Completion Deadlines

The aim is to provide transit service in the most heavily traveled bus corridor in the area,

The project will connect to Ontario International Airport (ONT), probably the most important facility for the region’s economic activity. The project will also provide easy reach to destinations like Ontario Convention Center, Ontario Mills shopping, and Victoria Gardens. Currently, the project is in the ‘Environment’ phase, following which there will be design, construction, and project completion phases.

The service will provide 3,900 Daily Linked Trips and 984,800 Annual Linked Trips, according to an estimate by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA).

Providing Connectivity to Ontario International Airport

The Ontario International Airport is the fastest growing major commercial airport in the U.S. It is a logistics gateway serving the Inland Empire region, from San Bernardino County to LA County and Orange County. Furthermore, UPS Airlines uses it as a hub, and the airport is situated in Amazon Air’s focus city.

SBCTA: A Catalyst for Inland Empire’s Urban Development

The San Bernardino County Transport Authority is a catalyst for urban development in the Inland Empire region. Its focus on increasing mobility and connectivity to and from San Bernardino county will bring more economic opportunities to the region.

The authority has other projects as well under the planning phase. These include:

• The Zero-Emission Multiple Unit (ZEMU) between San Bernardino and Redlands
• The Redlands Passenger Rail Project
• The Lilac to Rancho Double Track project, or Metrolink San Bernardino Line Double Track Project

The Redlands Passenger Rail Project will start operations in 2022. A major theme in future projects by SBCTA is zero-emission rail and bus technologies to achieve a greener passenger future.