Mobility

Mobility Element

Ontario is strategically located within a regional transportation network that includes an international airport with passenger and air cargo operations, three freeways, three freight rail lines, commuter and passenger rail services, public transit and a local network of streets and multi-purpose trails. This network provides multimodal transportation options for those traveling within, to or through the City. This robust system creates unique opportunities for Ontario as a regional jobs hub and a complete community. Ontario’s Vision to concentrate growth in key locations will allow the City to capitalize on this transportation system.

Ontario’s Vision is that there will be more mobility options as the City and the region grow. Personal vehicles will continue to provide individual mobility and flexibility for travel, though fuel systems will change, and guidance technology will become much more sophisticated. Bus travel will be a convenient and reliable option. The commuter rail system will provide service all day throughout the region and high-speed rail may be developed for longer-distance trips. Air travel will be linked through a future multimodal station in close proximity to ONT airport where access to many modes of transit will be available. Freight transportation via trucks, rail and air cargo will provide efficient movement of goods to the City, region, and beyond while minimizing negative impacts.

The mobility system will be coordinated with future land use patterns and levels of buildout. Access and connectivity to mobility options will be integrated into neighborhoods, center, corridors and districts. The placement of housing, jobs and amenities in closer proximity to each other and design strategies focused on the pedestrian and a variety of multimodal options will make walking and other forms of active transportation a desirable alternative to driving.

Purpose

The Mobility Element:

  • Provides overall guidance for the City’s responsibility to satisfy the local and subregional mobility needs of our residents, visitors, and businesses while maintaining the quality of life outlined in the Vision.
  • Coordinates the mobility system with future land use patterns and levels of buildout.
  • Addresses access and connectivity among the various neighborhoods, centers, corridors, and districts.
  • Addresses the range of mobility options, including vehicular, trucking, freight and passenger rail, air, pedestrian, bicycle, other modes of active transportation, and transit.

Principles

The City believes:

  • Access to convenient local and regional mobility options is essential to the City’s growth and prosperity.
  • A comprehensive multimodal mobility system is vital to providing equitable access to jobs, schools, shopping, services, parks, and other key destination points for people of all abilities and incomes.
  • Transportation systems should reflect the context and desired character of the surrounding land uses.   
  • Well designed and maintained roadways, sidewalks, and bikeways are essential for the safe and efficient movement of goods and people.
  • Transportation routes and their rights-of-way should be planned and preserved based upon projected travel demands.

 


    Interactive Maps

    Mobility Element Web Map Figures

     

     

    M Mobility Element Sections

    ACCORDION
    M-1 Roadway System

    Ontario’s roadway system must meet multiple goals. It must provide convenient access and be safe, free flowing, visually appealing, multifunctional and in context with its surroundings. The roadway system should be designed to provide the necessary capacity to accommodate the traffic generated from the future buildout of the Land Use Plan while maintaining feasible Level of Service standards. The street rights-of-way also need to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, landscaping, traffic control devices, and infrastructure in a manner that is safe and aesthetically pleasing. Exhibit M-01, Roadway Classifications shows the hierarchy of our roadway system, consistent with the guidelines of the Federal Highway Administration.

    Goals  
    M-1 A system of roadways that meets the mobility needs of a dynamic and prosperous Ontario.
    Policies  
    M-1.1

    Roadway Design and Maintenance. We require our roadways to:   

    1. Comply with federal, state, and local design and safety standards;    
    2. Meet the needs of multiple transportation modes and users;     
    3. Handle the capacity envisioned in the City of Ontario Master Plan of Streets and Highways;    
    4. Be maintained in accordance with best practices; 
    5. Be compatible with the streetscape and surrounding land uses; and  
    6. Promote the efficient flow of all modes of traffic through the implementation of intelligent transportation systems and travel demand management strategies.

    (Link to Community Design Element Policies CD-2.5, CD-2.6, CD-2.16, CD-3.3)

    M-1.2

    Mitigation of Impacts. We require development to mitigate its traffic impacts.

    M-1.3 Agency Coordination on Roadway Improvements. We work with Caltrans, SBCTA, and others to identify, fund, and implement needed improvements to roadways when necessary. We work with neighboring jurisdictions to promote regional connectivity, access, and meet operational level of service standards at the City limits.
    M-1.4 Complete Streets. We work to provide a complete, balanced, context-aware, multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users of streets, roads, and highways, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, seniors, movers of commercial goods, and users of public transportation. We prioritize implementation of complete streets improvements in environmental justice areas to facilitate opportunities for residents to use active transportation systems.
    M-1.5 Level of Service. Maintain a peak hour Level of Service (LOS) E or better at all intersections. Maintain Level of Service D or better on arterial streets in the City. Develop and maintain a list of locations where LOS E or LOS F are considered acceptable and would be exempt from this level of service policy. Considerations for LOS exemption include being restricted by environmental constraints, lacking available right-of-way, deterring an increase in VMT, or degrading other modes of travel (such as bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure).
    M-1.6 Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled. We will strive to reduce VMT through a combination of land use, transportation projects, travel demand management strategies, and other trip reduction measures in coordination with development projects and public capital improvement projects.
    M-2 Active Transportation

    In Ontario, active modes of transportation, such as walking and bicycling, promote a healthy lifestyle, improve air quality and traffic congestion by reducing the number of vehicles on the road, help to provide equitable access for people of different abilities and incomes to all areas of the City, and play a key role in creating vibrant neighborhoods, centers, corridors, and districts. Promoting development patterns and a mix of land uses that encourage active transportation combined with requiring thoughtful design of our trails, rights-of-way, buildings, and public realm to create a safe, comfortable, and convenient experience is integral to establishing a robust active transportation network.

    Goals  
    M-2 A system of trails and corridors that facilitate and encourage active modes of transportation.
    Policies  
    M-2.1

    Active Transportation. We maintain our Active Transportation Master Plan to create a comprehensive system of on- and off-street bikeways and pedestrian facilities that are safe, comfortable, and accessible and connect residential areas, businesses, schools, parks, and other key destination points.

    M-2.2

    Bicycle System. We provide off-street multipurpose trails and Class II bikeways as our preferred paths of travel and use the Class III for connectivity in constrained circumstances. When truck routes and bicycle facilities share a right-of-way, we prefer Class I or Class IV bicycle facilities. We require new development to include bicycle facilities, such as bicycle parking and secure storage areas.

    M-2.3 Pedestrian Walkways. We require streets to include sidewalks and visible crosswalks at major intersections where necessary to promote safe and comfortable mobility between residential areas, businesses, schools, parks, recreation areas, and other key destination points. (Link to Community Design Policy CD-3.3)
    M-2.4 Network Opportunities. We use public rights-of-way and easements such as, utility easements, levees, drainage corridors, road rights-of-way, medians, and other potential options to maintain and expand our bicycle and pedestrian network. In urban, mixed- use, and transit-oriented Place Types, we encourage the use of underutilized public and private spaces to expand our public realm and improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity. (Link to Community Design Element Urban, Mixed Use, and Transit-oriented Place Types Section)
    M-3 Public Transit

    Public transportation plays an important role in providing an equitable and comprehensive transportation system and is essential to achieving the Vision. It provides an alternative mode of transportation for motorists and a primary mode for the transit dependent. Though the development and operation of most public transit services and facilities are outside the City’s authority, the City actively promotes transit through sound land planning, urban design, and active participation in regional transportation agencies. Future features of the public transit system in Ontario could include a new multimodal transit center, more extensive and frequent local bus service, higher-speed bus rapid transit corridors for longer trips, more Metrolink trains that connect to other regional hubs, convenient transfer centers, light and high-speed rail connections, improved feeder systems, connections to the City's active transportation network, and future land use patterns that are designed to promote transit use.

    Goals  
    M-3 A public transit system that is a viable alternative to automobile travel and meets basic transportation needs of the transit-dependent.
    Policies  
    M-3.1

    Transit Partners. We maintain a proactive working partnership with transit providers to ensure that adequate public transit service is available, cost-efficient, and convenient, particularly for residents in environmental justice areas.

    M-3.2 Alternative Transit Facilities at New Development. We require new development adjacent to an existing or planned transit stop to contribute to the creation of transit facilities, such as bus shelters, transit bays and turnouts, and bicycle facilities, such as secure storage areas.
    M-3.3 Transit-Oriented Development. We may provide additional development-related incentives to those inherent in the Land Use Plan for projects that promote transit use and reduce vehicle miles traveled.
    M-3.4 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridors. We work with regional transit agencies to implement BRT service and reduce vehicle miles traveled by targeting destinations and corridors with the highest number of potential riders.
    M-3.5 Light Rail. We support extension of the Metro Rail Gold Line to Ontario, and will work to secure station locations at the proposed multimodal transit center.
    M-3.6 Metrolink Expansion. We advocate expansion of Metrolink service to include the Downtown and the multimodal transit center.
    M-3.7 High Speed Rail. We encourage the development of high-speed rail systems that would enhance regional mobility in Southern California and serve the City of Ontario.
    M-3.8 Feeder Systems. We work with regional transit agencies to secure convenient feeder service from the Metrolink station and the proposed multimodal transit center to employment centers in Ontario.
    M-3.9 Ontario Airport Metro Center Circulator. We will explore development of a convenient mobility system, including but not limited to shuttle service, people mover, and shared car system, for the Ontario Airport Metro Center.
    M-3.10 Multimodal Transportation Center. We intend to ensure the development of a multimodal transportation center near ONT airport to serve as a transit hub with amenities for transit riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists transitioning to local buses, BRT, the Gold Line, high-speed rail, the proposed Ontario Airport Metro Center Circulator, and other future transit modes. We support locations for the multimodal transportation center that are north of ONT airport, between Vineyard Avenue and Interstate 15.
    M-3.11 Transit and Community Facilities. We require the future development of community-wide serving facilities to be sited in transit-ready areas that can be served and made accessible by public transit. Conversely, we plan (and coordinate with other transit agencies to plan) future transit routes to serve existing community facilities.
    M-4 Goods Movement

    Goods movement in Ontario is provided via trains, trucks, and airplanes. The movement of goods to and through Ontario is critical to our economy, enabling growth of industrial and transportation-related businesses in the City and region. However, planes, trucks, and trains generate noise and air pollutants and contribute to traffic congestion along flight paths and corridors and at railroad grade crossings. To mitigate these impacts, we are committed to building grade-separated rail crossings, designing and locating industrial and warehousing land uses, and developing truck routes to protect our neighborhoods from truck traffic.

    Goals  
    M-4 An efficient flow of goods through the City that maximizes economic benefits and minimizes negative impacts.
    Policies  
    M-4.1

    Truck Routes. We designate and maintain a network of City truck routes that provide for the safe and efficient transport of goods while minimizing negative impacts on local circulation and noise-sensitive land uses, as shown on Exhibit M-04, Truck Routes. We will minimize conflicts on truck routes through the design and implementation of buffers between travel lanes and pedestrian and bicycle facilities on designated truck routes.

    M-4.2

    Regional Participation. We work with regional and subregional transportation agencies and adjacent cities to plan and implement goods movement strategies, including regional truck routes, plans and projects that improve mobility,  support the efficient movement of goods, and minimize negative environmental impacts. (Link to Environmental Resources Policy ER-4.3)

    M-4.3 Railroad Grade Separations. We eliminate at-grade rail crossings identified on Exhibit M-01,  Roadway Classifications.
    M-4.4 Environmental Considerations. We support both local and regional efforts to reduce/eliminate the negative environmental impacts of goods movement through the planning and implementation of truck routing and the development of a plan to evaluate the future needs of clean fueling/recharging and electrified truck parking.
    M-4.5 Air Cargo. We support and promote a ONT airport that accommodates 1.6 million tons of cargo per year, as long as the impacts associated with that level of operations are planned for and mitigated.
    M-5 Regional Transportation

    The transportation system serving Ontario, which includes three freeways, three rail mainlines and an international airport, provides our city with unparalleled regional access and is a primary reason for our tremendous potential. However, regional transportation forecasts project more congested freeways and local streets, which could limit economic development and affect quality of life. To maximize our potential and achieve our Vision, the City needs to be an active participant and leader in identifying and developing solutions to these issues through cooperative regional and subregional planning efforts.

    Traditional solutions won’t be enough to solve projected future regional traffic congestion and new approaches may be needed. The City should take a leadership role at the federal, state, regional, and subregional levels to pursue the most promising strategies.

    Goals  
    M-5 A proactive leadership role in helping identify and facilitate implementation of strategies that address regional transportation challenges.
    Policies  
    M-5.1

    Regional Leadership. We maintain a leadership role to help identify and implement potential solutions to long-term regional transportation problems.

    M-5.2

    Land Use Compatibility with Regional Transportation Facilities. We work with ONT, railroads, Caltrans, SBCTA, and other transportation agencies to minimize impacts.

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