Good morning CalMatters reader,

It's Wednesday, Dec. 17, and today I'm reporting on our transit, warehouses and jails.

The Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink Station will not be connected to the Ontario International Airport by underground metro, the Press-Enterprise reported.

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) Board made the decision to halt the ONT Connector project on Dec. 3, citing the high cost of starting the project. The two lowest bids came in at $1.28 billion and $2.46 billion, said Victor Lopez, Director of Transit & Rail Programs, at the Dec. 3 meeting.

Travelers can still take the Omnitrans bus shuttle between the train station and the airport for $2 per ride.

Rancho Cucamonga Mayor L. Dennis Michael made the motion to cancel the project.

“We have been planning on the Ontario Connector for several years now. It started with The Boring Company, and we couldn’t work with them, but as a responsible member of this body—I think we’re all here for the same reason, that is to move projects forward when they financially make sense. Since this project morphed from seven-hundred million dollars to 1.2 billion on the lowest bid, it’s insane to even consider going any further with this,” Michael said at the meeting.

The Boring Company initially said the project cost would be less than $1 million when they gave an unsolicited bid for the project in 2019, according to the Los Angeles Times. The company stepped out of the project for undisclosed reasons. The SBCTA spent $36 million on developing the project and clearing it with environmental regulations, costs that Executive Director Carrie Schindler said can be salvaged when asked by Chino Mayor Eunice Ulloa.

“I think, absolutely (it can be salvaged). I don’t have a recommendation on what direction to go at this point, and I think we need to take a hard look at it. We do have an environmentally cleared project footprint. And while it is a sad day, it is a frustrating day, personally for me as well, I don’t like to see this. I’ve built a lot of great projects, and it is very frustrating to be at this point. We can’t ignore the value of the Metrolink San Bernardino line, especially that we have passenger priority over freight, which is a huge resource for this region. The Brightline connection coming in, which includes three round trips of commuter-type service to Rancho Cucamonga. The airport has thrived under local control. I don’t know if it’s been ten years now, but it’s a huge economic driver to our region. So, it is frustrating to be here, but it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be looking at how to connect these important resources,” Schindler said.

The Brightline connection mentioned by Schindler is a private project to connect Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga with a train that goes 200 miles per hour, with a station stop in Victor Valley. 

Warehouse moratoriums are becoming increasingly common in the Inland Empire. The Perris City Council just implemented a 45-day pause on new warehouse permits on Dec. 9, the Press-Enterprise reported.

The Yucaipa City Council is considering canceling a $200,000 special election in which voters would decide to approve a warehouse project, KVCR reported. The Freeway Corridor Specific Plan would allow warehouse construction along Live Oak Canyon Road. 

Last month, Redlands City Council voted to direct staff to pause the approval of new warehouse permits citywide, Community Forward Redlands reported. Their decision came after eight months of city discussion. Only six warehouses have been built in the city since 2016, according to a city staff report.

In May, CalMatters’ Jim Newton reported on the Inland Empire’s shifting stance on warehouse construction.

The Southern California News Group released part two of its investigation into jail deaths across Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange and Los Angeles Counties last Friday. The 4,000-word investigation headline “Death behind bars: County jails embrace reforms to save lives, but will they work?” shows some of the work county jails have taken to improve safety. 

This year, they reported, San Bernardino’s jails became the first of seven in the state to fulfill a settlement to improve conditions. Their report goes into San Bernardino’s hiring of mental health professionals, Riverside’s work to combat drug trafficking in jails and the county’s outstanding needs.

Other stories you should follow:

Redlands Unified removes Push, restricts The Bluest Eye // Community Forward Redlands

Riverside Unified Expands Career Training Programs with $5.5 Million State Grant // Raincross Gazette

A Century Of Peace: Riverside Residents Celebrate Mt. Rubidoux Landmark // Riverside Record

Riverside Launches App-Based Rewards Pilot Program To Support Local Businesses // Riverside Record

Council Strengthens Ethics Defenses for Accused Officials After False Complaints // Raincross Gazette

Caltrans transfers ownership of Euclid Avenue to Chino // Chino Champion

Mobile court room debuts in Joshua Tree // Inland Empire Law Weekly

9 new pickleball courts open at $2 million Riverside complex // Press Enterprise

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