East San Gabriel Valley residents could soon have a new – and cheaper – way to get to Ontario International Airport and other points in the Inland Empire, including a connection point to a planned high-speed rail train to Las Vegas.

The 19-mile West Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit project from Pomona to Rancho Cucamonga with a stop at the airport last month moved a major step closer to reality with the presentation of an $87 million check on March 20 from the Federal Transit Administration. It marked the last major piece of funding for the $320 million project.

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and that county’s major transit operator, Omnitrans, are jointly developing the project. According to a fact sheet on the project, construction is set to begin this summer and take about two years to complete.

Like its counterparts in Los Angeles County, this bus rapid transit project is a bus-only lane that gets priority during rush hour, making the commute time somewhat shorter than conventional bus lines. This line will also have a 3.5-mile dedicated bus lane that no other vehicles can access.

A total of 21 stations are planned, including the three at the western end in Pomona.

For residents of the eastern San Gabriel Valley, this bus rapid transit line will provide the first direct express transit link to Ontario International Airport. Metrolink, the regional commuter rail service, has a route from the San Gabriel Valley into the Inland Empire, but that route passes about four miles north of the airport. Passengers seeking to get to the airport must catch a connecting bus line at an additional cost from Metrolink’s Rancho Cucamonga station.

The other major advantage is that this West Valley Connector bus line costs only $2 one-way, versus as much as $10.75 for a one-way trip on Metrolink. Passes for frequent travelers on the bus line are also cheaper.