By The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority has chosen HNTB for its first-of-a-kind technology tunnel mobility approach to Ontario Airport for the project and construction management services contract.
HNTB will collaborate with SBCTA to purchase, pick and oversee the design, development, operation and management of the project operator, known as DBOM. This unique project would link the airport to the Rancho Cucamonga station area via a 6.4km (4-mile) long tunnel that carries passengers using autonomous vehicle technologies.
The project is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of this year. Completion is expected to be done within 48 months.
Carrie Schindler, SBCTA director of transit and rail asserted “The Ontario Airport Loop project is a transformational project for our region that will improve mobility, reduce traffic congestion and have a significant positive impact on the environment for our residents as ONT continues to grow,” he also added “Total cost will be about $85M when adding an operations center, management services and paying operators prevailing wages.”
Schindler furthermore pointed out “This is 15 times less than a $1 to $1.5bn surface rail extension from the Metrolink San Bernardino Line, or other alternatives considered, and could be built in four years rather than the 10 years it would take to fund and extend a more traditional connection.”
The introduction of this project would transform the station into a multimodal regional centre. It will bind the future Brightline passenger rail service to Las Vegas via Metrolink from the City of Los Angeles, while also providing traveler services to get to Ontario Airport.
Ian Choudri, HNTB project manager and senior vice president said “The concept of moving people in more efficient and cost-effective ways — while optimizing fixed infrastructure costs and deploying emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles — is the future of mobility services in the United States,” he also concluded “When completed, the project will transform the San Bernardino region by reducing congestion, improving the environment and attracting more businesses and airline traffic to Ontario Airport. At the same time, this project will set a gold standard for the country to refer to and deploy similar systems to improve quality of life for residents.”
