RIALTO - It's been 66 years since the Pacific Electric Railway offered a major thoroughfare here, but now city leaders want to revive it. This time, though, they want to fill it with bikes and pedestrians, not trolley cars. The idea is to join other cities in developing a regional trail system on the old Pacific Electric lines that will run more than 20 miles from downtown Rialto to downtown Claremont and eventually farther west, all the way to the ocean.
It's good for families and kids, and I think it will enhance our community even more," said Councilman Ed Scott, who has been pushing the idea. Some cities west of Rialto already have started work on their part of the trail. Upland's trail has been open for almost two years.
The original line came through Rialto in 1914, and kids took the trolley to San Bernardino High School before there was a high school in Rialto, said local historian John Adams. People also took the red trolley cars to Los Angeles, the beach, Riverside and to Urbita Springs in San Bernardino to dance and listen to music at the lake that existed at that time. "It was just a jewel of a transportation system," Adams said.
As better roads were built, people started using automobiles, and regular service on the line stopped in Rialto in 1941, Scott said. To pay for the new development, the city has asked Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, to seek a federal grant, Scott said.
The project will cost about $5 million, said Recreation and Community Services Director Larry Thornburg. Upland's trail hosts a stroller walking program and a senior walking program, said Upland Recreation Services Manager Roberta Knighten. In Rancho Cucamonga, where the city's $10 million trail is not complete, people already have started using it, said Assistant Engineer Kenneth Fung.
News RSS