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Commission Selects Five Interchanges as Top Priority Economic Stimulus Projects
 The State of California is projected to receive $2.6 billion for highway projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Commission, as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency for Riverside County, is estimating its proportionate share of the ARRA funding to be $71 million. In partnership with staff from the cities, the county and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, the Commission approved ARRA funding for the following interchanges:
- I-215/Clinton Keith Road
- I-10/Palm Drive
- SR-60/Valley Way
- SR-91/Van Buren Boulevard
- I-10/Bob Hope Drive
Not only will the interchange projects create jobs, they will provide a foundation for economic growth and will further the Commission’s investment in the county’s transportation system.
In addition to the $71 million, the Commission will distribute $18 million of Measure A funds to the cities and the county for projects within each of the jurisdictions. The addition of Measure A funds will further stimulate the economy by providing agencies a local stimulus program that will enable agencies to deliver projects quickly and easily. A condition of the local funding is that it must be spent (or construction contracts awarded) within one year. |
The cities of Corona, Moreno Valley and Riverside have a population of approximately 628,000 and projections indicate that the population will increase to 812,000 by 2035. While residents have the option of traveling on the freeway system, many elect to commute on alternative corridors providing the quickest travel route. The resulting traffic impact on local streets requires innovative technologies to reduce traffic delays and improve mobility for commuters traveling through the three city area. To date, the cities have collectively self-financed approximately $22 million of arterial street signal synchronization projects but desire to leverage the investment by installing a more complex interconnected traffic signal synchronization system. In partnership, the cities are developing an application to compete for grant funding available through the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee’s 2009 call for projects to synchronize traffic signals on Alessandro Blvd., Magnolia Avenue and Sixth Street, and Van Buren Blvd. In support of the application, the Commission approved $50,000 to serve as a portion of the local funding match requirement.