Perris Valley Line

At the February 11th Commission meeting, a public hearing was held on the Perris Valley Line’s (PVL) Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND). 

In order to provide an opportunity for individuals to provide comments during evening hours, an additional public hearing was held on February 26, 2009 at the Riverside County Administrative Center.   All verbal and written comments received through February 26, 2009 will become part of the project’s review process.

The IS/MND examines the PVL’s environmental impacts including air quality, biological resources, community impacts, housing, employment and population conditions, cultural resources, floodplains, geology and soils, hazardous waste sites, noise, public services and utilities, parks, recreation areas, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, local traffic conditions, the visual character of the project area and water resources.  The IS/MND also describes the proposed project, potential impacts, and proposed avoidance, minimization and/or mitigation measures for each of these impacts.

The proposed PVL project extends Metrolink service 24 miles further into Riverside County, directly serving the communities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris.  If approved, the service will extend the existing Metrolink 91 Line, which currently runs to Fullerton and Los Angeles bringing commuter rail service to major employment centers such as Hunter Park, UC Riverside and Meridian Business Park as well as southern Riverside County.

Why is the PVL Needed? 

Riverside County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, projected to reach 3 million people by 2020.  By that time, the number of vehicles using the I-215 Corridor is expected to increase to 200,000 per day. The PVL will help relieve traffic congestion along its entire route, improving conditions on the I-215, SR-60 and SR-91. By 2010, the PVL will attract an estimated 9,400 riders daily. By 2030, the daily ridership is projected to be over 17,000 providing passengers a 40-minute commute from South Perris to downtown Riverside compared to the projected 80-minute commute for rush hour traffic in 2025.

What is Planned?

The PVL is located within the right-of-way of the existing 120-year old San Jacinto Branch Line.  The project includes track rehabilitation with welded rails, new track for a 9-mile segment parallel to I-215 between Eucalyptus Avenue and north of Nuevo Road, a new connection with BNSF north of the city of Riverside called the Citrus Connection, track relocated to a new platform at the downtown Perris Station, up to five new stations with provisions for two additional stations to meet future demand as well as a layover facility.