Parsons Awarded Design & Engineering Contract for Foothill Gold Line Claremont Extension

The board of directors for the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority have voted unanimously to award the design and engineering services contract for the Claremont Extension of the Metro A Line light rail system to the engineering firm of Parsons Transportation Group, Inc.

A decision was made following a lengthy and competitive procurement process that saw bids from a number of different teams.

The design and engineering services contract, which is set to span six years and has been valued at 60 million USD, is the first of two major contracts to be awarded as part of the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method that was adopted by the Construction Authority for the project last year.

It will include the design of all elements of the 2.3-mile-long light rail extension from its current design level (30%) to the Approved for Construction drawing stage, as well as support the project with any additional design services necessary during construction.

Foothill Gold Line Board Chair and Claremont Vice Mayor, Ed Reece, said:

While we evaluated three highly qualified teams, Parsons distinguished themselves as the clear leader for the Claremont Extension.

Their deep experience designing light rail projects, including with previous phases of the Foothill Gold Line, ensures they possess the specialised expertise needed to deliver this critical phase, bringing us one step closer to fulfilling our 25-station mandate and enhancing regional mobility, quality of life, and the environment.

Determined to be the top proposer of all three teams competing for the contract; Parsons scored 94 points out of 100 on evaluation criteria related to the company’s competence and qualifications, as presented in their written proposal, which took into consideration team qualifications such as relevant experience, financial stability, staffing and team organization, and project plan and approach. They also received the highest score during the interview stage (47 points out of 50).

Mark Fialkowski, President, Infrastructure North America for Parsons, said:

Parsons has led design teams for each phase of this project for the past 25 years, and we are excited to once again be selected to continue that legacy.

Extending light rail options opens access to neighborhoods that were once limited for commuters. The A Line expansion will improve commuter and visitor access between downtown Los Angeles and the eastern portion of Los Angeles County. It is rewarding for everyone who has been involved at Parsons to see the next segment move forward to design and come one step closer to fruition.

The procurement process for a construction manager is now currently underway, with the Construction Authority board today also approving release of the Request for Proposals (RFP), following a successful industry review period of the draft RFP that was completed late last year. The contract is expected to be awarded in May, and will subsequently be followed by an initial phase of work during project design that includes providing constructibility reviews, value engineering, third party coordination and cost estimating; with the possibility of building the project if the team successfully negotiates a construction services contract with an acceptable price once the project reaches 85%-90% design.

If the construction work bid is successful, work is expected to begin in late-2027 to early-2028, with completion set to follow four years after.