calif rail proposition 1A

[Dan O]

Metrolink doesn't stop in Ontario. The San Bernardino line stops in Upland, which looks to be about 4 miles from the airport. However, there are some freight tracks that are just north of the airport that perhaps could be utilized to provide service to the airport. I don't know a thing about them.

That's incorrect. The Metrolink Riverside Line stops at East Ontario station which is located on the southeast side of airport. Unfortunately, there's no access to the terminal. You'll have to call the taxi to pick you up.

Upland is a little too far, use Rancho Cucamonga station. There's an Omnitran bus (one transfer) will take you there, but it's not convenient.

East Ontario appears closer but is still 3 miles from the airport by road according to google maps. I don't know if that is to the entrance to the airport or the terminal. The darn runways get in the way or it would be much closer. So there are stations in the general vicinity but nothing you can begin to walk w/ luggage.

Rancho Cucamonga is 4.5 miles so not much help there. So appears all of them require a bus or a taxi to finish off the journey.

Thanks for the information re Riverside line. I thought that dipped more to the south for some reason.

Dan

 

[AlanB]

Metrolink doesn't stop in Ontario. The San Bernardino line stops in Upland, which looks to be about 4 miles from the airport. However, there are some freight tracks that are just north of the airport that perhaps could be utilized to provide service to the airport. I don't know a thing about them.

That's incorrect. The Metrolink Riverside Line stops at East Ontario station which is located on the southeast side of airport. Unfortunately, there's no access to the terminal. You'll have to call the taxi to pick you up.

Upland is a little too far, use Rancho Cucamonga station. There's an Omnitran bus (one transfer) will take you there, but it's not convenient.

East Ontario appears closer but is still 3 miles from the airport by road according to google maps. I don't know if that is to the entrance to the airport or the terminal. The darn runways get in the way or it would be much closer. So there are stations in the general vicinity but nothing you can begin to walk w/ luggage.

Rancho Cucamonga is 4.5 miles so not much help there. So appears all of them require a bus or a taxi to finish off the journey.

Thanks for the information re Riverside line. I thought that dipped more to the south for some reason.

Dan

Then I guess that I shouldn't tell you that two summers ago, I arrived into LA via the Chief, took the San Berdoo line to Rancho Cucamonga, and stayed at the Hilton Ontario. Additionally I rented a car from the Ontario airport.

I'll grant you that I'm a railfan, but it is doable.

By the way, the Sunset runs on tracks that run right in front of the airport, ie the northern side. Not sure what it might take to put in a convienent station, as well as getting Metrolink to stop there. But there definately are options for Ontario, should LA really want to take advantage of them in the future.

 

[Dan O]

Then I guess that I shouldn't tell you that two summers ago, I arrived into LA via the Chief, took the San Berdoo line to Rancho Cucamonga, and stayed at the Hilton Ontario. Additionally I rented a car from the Ontario airport.
I'll grant you that I'm a railfan, but it is doable.

Doable sure? But if I am making a connection I'd consider it less than ideal to turn up 4 miles from my destination and have to hoof it on foot, take a cab or search for a bus. That is assuming that I thought the metrolink actually stopped near Ontario airport. It's not quite the connection amtrak and the subway lines or metrolink make at LA Union station.

By the way, the Sunset runs on tracks that run right in front of the airport, ie the northern side. Not sure what it might take to put in a convienent station, as well as getting Metrolink to stop there. But there definitely are options for Ontario, should LA really want to take advantage of them in the future.

That would make more sense as it is at least on the side of the airport where the terminals are.

 

[George Harris]

It sounds like for the majority of the people who find SFO is the most convenient airport, Transbay Terminal will probably be more convenient than SFO, but those who find OAK the most convenient airport will probably find Transbay Terminal less convenient than OAK.
Perhaps if people tend to choose between SFO vs OAK based on factors other than which airport is closest to their actual destination, this distinction isn't important.

From downtown San Francisco it is about the same time to either SFO or OAK. The office where I work is about 3 blocks from the Transbay Terminal. From my perspective and that of several others living/working in downtown SF, OAK is the preferred airport because it is less of a zoo than SFO. On the other hand, depending on airline and destination, a person on the east side of the bay could well be going to SFO. To catch a train out of SF, the norm is go to the Amtrak Ferry Building stop and catch the bus across the bay to Emeryville. Getting to your start point is definitely NOT half the fun.

 

[zoltan]

I really don't understand your "directly served" question. Unless you live at either an airport or a railroad station, you will be traveling to them by some means or other. Obviously, airports are never in a downtown area, and for the most part, if not always, the railroad stations will be. If you are in the Oakland / San Francisco area, you can get to either SFO or OAK by BART for the one and BART/bus for the other, or a $40 taxi ride. Which airport you use depends on who you are flying with and where you are going. For the Rail: The plan is that the north end of the high speed rail will be at the Transbay Terminal, about a block off Market near First street. This is close to a BART station and probably more like a $5 to $10 taxi ride if you are in the city. San Jose will be a stop on the high speed, so for people in that area or other South Bay locations, the access will be the same or easier than the SJC airport. I leave the LA end to someone more familiar with that area.

The three-hour rule that planners use is based on the fact that transfer to an airport will, for the average passenger, will add sufficient time to a passenger's schedule that, when check in and security checks are added, flying cannot beat three hours for a door-to-door journey. This, of course, doesn't apply to those living very near airports, but as rail tends to penetrate population centres better in most cases, the figure does prove accurate for the majority of journeys. As I mentioned, the validity of the three-hour rule has been empirically observed on the Manchester-London and London-Paris corridors.