Mid County Parkway Environmental Comment Period Extended

As part of the federal and state environmental process for projects, the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) has recently released its Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) on the Mid County Parkway Project. Since its release, RCTC has held a series of public information meetings and public hearings to allow for public comment. Feedback from this process prompted the Commission to take action during the November 12th Public Hearing to extend the public comment period to 90 days. Because the environmental document is very lengthy, the commissioners wanted to ensure that the public would have adequate time to review the document and provide their comments. The public comment period will now close on January 8, 2009.

For those who would like to review the document, copies can be found locally at the RCTC offices, Caltrans District 8 Offices, City of Corona Public Works Department, the public libraries in the Cities of Corona, Hemet, Moreno Valley, Perris, San Jacinto, and Woodcrest in the County of Riverside. You may also access the draft EIR/EIS and find general project information at www.midcountyparkway.info. At the close of the comment period, all comments will be incorporated into the final EIR/EIS. The final document is anticipated to be ready for approval in late 2009.

Grade Separation Funding Strategy: A Blueprint of Advancing Projects

Currently, an estimated 68 million tons of rail freight passes through Riverside County while only an estimated three million tons move within Riverside County destinations. The impacts of the rail traffic in terms of traffic delays, disruption to public safety and emergency responses, and air quality contribute to the high priority of funding placed on grade separations.

There are 61 at-grade crossings in Riverside County that are located along the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroads. Of the 61 grade separations, 31 were considered to be at priority locations. Twenty projects of the 31 priority grade separations have identified some level of funding and are at various stages of project development.

At the November 12, 2008, Riverside County Transportation Commission meeting, the commission approved the 2008 Funding Strategy that adopts the grade separation funding priority and allocates the Proposition 1B Transportation Corridor Improvement Fund (TCIF) funding. The cost of these 20 projects is estimated to be $980.5 million, of which $414.8 million has been programmed through federal, state, and local funding sources while the remaining $565.6 million is funded through unsecured sources such as railroad contributions, voluntary container premiums, or other sources. The proposed TCIF allocation is $152.7 million.

Of the 20 grade separations proposed, eight are fully funded, five are partially funded, and seven projects have little to no funding and are dependant on new funding.