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Perris Valley Line —
Draft Environmental Impact Report
 At the April 14 Commission meeting, a public hearing was held on the release of the environmental document for the Perris Valley Line (PVL). The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) examines the environmental impacts as a result of the proposed 24-mile extension of commuter rail service into eastern Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. This robust document studied the impacts of aesthetics, cultural resources, water quality, agricultural resources, soils, land use, transportation, biological resources, hazardous materials, noise, and utility systems. In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the results of various engineering and environmental studies for the PVL project are documented in the DEIR that is circulated for review and comment. The review period, 45-day minimum required under CEQA, will close on May 24, 2010. Comments received will become part of the final document. The DEIR is available for review at RCTC’s offices and five public libraries — Highgrove, Moreno Valley, Perris, Riverside, and Woodcrest. The document can also be viewed online at the project website www.perrisvalleyline.info. An additional public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at the city of Perris council chambers, located at 101 North “D” Street, Perris.
The proposed service will extend commuter rail service on the existing Metrolink 91 line, which currently runs to Fullerton and Los Angeles, bringing commuter rail service to major employment centers as well as communities in southern Riverside. The PVL is tentatively scheduled to open in late 2012 with four new stations: Hunter Park area, Moreno Valley/March Field, Downtown Perris, and South Perris.
SR-91 Corridor Improvement Project
 The California Transportation Commission unanimously approved RCTC’s design-build application for the State Route 91 Corridor Improvement Project (SR-91 CIP) that will extend the SR-91 express lanes into Riverside County by more than 10 miles while adding new non-tolled capacity. Using the design-build method, where the engineering and building of the project is completed under a single contract by a team of engineers and contractors, will expedite project delivery.
Highlights of the SR-91 CIP include:
- Construct two tolled express lanes and a mixed flow lane from Orange County line to Interstate 15 and a general purpose lane to Pierce Street.
- Improve access to and from the freeway on SR-91 through expanded and improved interchanges at multiple locations in Corona.
- Build new direct connectors linking SR-91 and I-15 tolled express lanes.
- Construction start date: 2011; Construction end date: 2016.
- Estimated cost: $1.87 billion.
Complete details of the project can be found at www.sr91project.info
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