In a surprise move, Foothill Transit’s board voted to take over two heavily-used bus routes within the heart of the San Gabriel Valley operated for decades by the much larger Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The move could free up bus drivers from MTA, known as Metro, to become train operators on two Metro light-rail lines set to open nearly simultaneously sometime in 2016, sources said.

Metro Executive Officer of Service Development Jon Hillmer said shedding two bus lines would save Metro money and could help the agency fill sorely needed train operator positions for the Expo Line Phase 2 from Culver City to Santa Monica, and the Foothill Gold Line Extension from east Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora border.

The West Covina-based Foothill Transit has its eye on two lines, Line 190 and Line 194, which together carry 7,600 boarding passengers every weekday and 2,800 to 4,000 every Saturday and Sunday.

Both Metro bus lines begin at the El Monte Bus Station, operated by Metro, and carry passengers east to Cal Poly Pomona. Line 190 runs north of the 10 Freeway along Ramona Boulevard, San Bernardino Road and Badillo Street through El Monte, Baldwin Park, West Covina. Covina and Walnut. Line 194 runs south of the 10, primarily along Valley Boulevard through El Monte, Industry, La Puente and Walnut.

Hillmer said Metro has operated these lines for at least 30 years. In the last decade, Metro cut back service by shortening the 490 line, which once took passengers all the way to Cal State Fullerton, into the 190, which goes as far east as Pomona.

Because these lines run near other Foothill Transit lines and do not enter other counties, something not allowed by Foothill Transit’s charter, they are available for pick up, explained Kevin McDonald, deputy executive director of Foothill Transit.

A takeover of a bus route by Foothill Transit has not occurred since 2002, McDonald said, when Foothill usurped the 699 line from Montclair to downtown Los Angeles.

If approved by both agencies, riders would save money since it costs $1.75 per ride on Metro with two free hours of transfers, but $1.25 per ride on the blue-and-white Foothill Transit buses.

Foothill, which uses private contractors to operate its bus lines, serves 14 million annual riders in the San Gabriel Valley and in Montclair on a $78.3 million operating budget. These two lines would add about 1.4 million or more riders per year, a bump of more than 10 percent to its total, a significant increase, McDonald said.

The two lines use 20 buses and about 40 drivers, or 1 percent of its fleet. “We would absorb the operators into our current system,” Hillmer said. “We are already looking for more operators of our trains, both on the Gold Line and the Expo Line.”

Once negotiations begin between the two agencies, Metro will evaluate the impact, Hillmer said. He estimated the process could take about six months and would have to be approved by the Metro board.

Diamond Bar Councilwoman and Foothill Transit executive board member Carol Herrera said Metro indicated it may want to cut costs. “Metro has said they want to reduce some of their bus lines, some of their service,” she said.

McDonald said having bus riders within the 1.8 million population of the San Gabriel Valley use one system makes it less of a hassle. Riders wouldn’t have to switch back and forth from system to system.

“Metro prefers to operate the big routes, the rapid buses, the heavy-hitter routes. Those become economical when you are running with union labor,” said Bart Reed, executive director of The Transit Coalition, a group dedicated to public transportation in Los Angeles County.

More than 5,000 Metro bus and light-rail train operators are represented by the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation Union, said Andrew Gonzales, who is a spokesman for the transit division of the union.

The union may have been caught off-guard by Foothill Transit board’s action.

Gonzales said his union was still learning what losing those two lines could entail and did not yet have a position. He was convening a conference call with other union managers Thursday afternoon.

“There are contractual issues,” he said.