The City of Beaumont and RCTC recently announced that RCTC will be taking the lead on two major infrastructure projects designed to improve connectivity in the region: Phase II of the SR-60 / Potrero Boulevard Interchange Project and initial planning and feasibility phase of the I-10 / SR-79 (Beaumont Avenue) Interchange Project. These important infrastructure projects aim to expand regional mobility, improve traffic flow, and enhance safety for thousands of daily commuters who travel through these busy corridors.

The SR-60 / Potrero Boulevard Interchange Project, located between Jack Rabbit Trail and the SR-60 / I-10 junction, will continue with major improvements as part of Phase II that include:

• Widening Potrero Boulevard to six lanes on both sides of SR-60
• Adding two direct on-ramps, two loop on-ramps, and two direct off-ramps
• Realigning Western Knolls Avenue with Potrero Boulevard north of the new interchange

In addition, RCTC, the City of Beaumont, and Caltrans are also collaborating to improve the I-10 / SR-79 (Beaumont Avenue) interchange and nearby roads in Beaumont. This heavily traveled area is a major hub used by local commuters and regional travelers from Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles counties. The project aims to alleviate traffic congestion, improve traffic flow, and provide a smoother, safer commute for motorists passing through this busy corridor.

“RCTC is proud to take the lead on these projects that will help improve the lives of residents in Beaumont and the surrounding communities, and for commuters traveling through this busy corridor,” said Supervisor Karen Spiegel, Chair of RCTC and Vice-Chair of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. “The collaboration between RCTC, the City of Beaumont, and Caltrans will help deliver these vital transportation projects to shape the future of travel in Riverside County.”

Construction for the SR-60 / Potrero Interchange Project is anticipated to begin in 2026, pending approval by Caltrans and construction bid advertisement and award by RCTC.

For more information on the Potrero project, visit: www.beaumontca.gov

Residents, business operators, motorists, and surrounding community members who travel near the Interstate 10 Highland Springs Interchange in Beaumont and Banning are invited to attend a public information meeting on Monday, February 27 to learn about proposed improvements to this heavily traveled area.

RCTC, in partnership with Caltrans and the cities of Banning and Beaumont, have started preliminary engineering and environmental studies to look at ways to enhance traffic flow and safety. The interchange has some of the highest traffic volumes in Riverside County during peak morning and afternoon hours. It also serves as the main connection to large housing developments as well as retail, commercial, medical, and employment centers.

The meeting will be held in an open house style format with no formal presentation, although attendees are encouraged to talk to team members and ask questions about the project. Participants can learn about and give feedback on the proposed designs, which will modify the lanes at the Highland Springs underpass and add merging lanes to make it easier to reach homes and other destinations.

Two main design options will be studied – one that would change the existing on-ramps to hook-style ramps and the other that would convert the ramps to a diverging diamond interchange. This second option would allow drivers to travel on Highland Springs Avenue under I-10 by crossing to the opposite side of the street, and then returning to the right side of the street once through the interchange. This option would enable drivers to enter or exit I-10 or continue on Highland Springs Avenue without crossing opposing traffic. Watch the video below to learn more.

Meeting attendees are encouraged to talk to members of the project team about the designs and provide feedback with a comment card, by email at highlandsprings@rctc.org, or by U.S. mail at Riverside County Transportation Commission, P.O. Box 12008, Riverside, CA 92502-2208. Public comments are an important part of the project development process. Comments will be accepted through March 27.

The engineering and environmental studies are expected to be completed in 2025. Once funding and environmental approvals are secured, final design of the interchange could begin as early as 2026, and construction could follow in 2027.

To register for project updates, please visit the project webpage and register through the Contact Us section.

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) returned to Riverside on December 7 and 8, its first visit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting offered an opportunity for CTC members to see the growing Inland Empire in-person and for host agencies RCTC and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) to present highway and passenger rail milestones and reiterate the challenges we face as a region.

“RCTC and SBCTA are leading the way by delivering capital projects, passenger rail, and transit services to a diverse and highly mobile population,” said RCTC First Vice Chair and Lake Elsinore City Council member Bob Magee, who opened the meeting and introduced the executive directors of both agencies before airing a jointly produced video.

RCTC had the opportunity to spotlight 5 capital projects delivered in 2022 – the Route 60 Truck Lanes, the 91 Corridor Operations Project, the I-15 Interim Corridor Operations Project, the I-15 Railroad Canyon Road Interchange, and the I-215 Placentia Avenue Interchange. Additionally, RCTC certified its Tier 1 environmental studies for Coachella Valley Rail, a planned 144-mile passenger rail service between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley. This certification clears a path for in-depth environmental studies to advance this daily intercity rail service to final design and construction.

In San Bernardino County, SBCTA is finishing its I-10 Express Lanes Project and widening of Route 210, constructing new bridges in San Bernardino and Barstow, as well as 15 interchanges throughout the San Bernardino Valley. In October, the agency opened its Arrow service, providing a new passenger rail connection for southern California residents.

RCTC and SBCTA also work together to promote ridesharing through the IE Commuter program, which encourages carpooling, vanpooling, public transit use, bicycling and walking to work.

Even with the progress made in 2022, Inland Empire residents continue to face heavy traffic congestion, the impacts of goods movement, and limited multimodal options, all of which impede access to jobs and detract from our quality of living.

As the 12^th most populous metro area in the United States, the Inland Empire ranks in the top five in growth nationwide. This growth is a result of the region’s affordable living combined with the 300,000 new housing units required to meet the state’s housing plan, further underscoring the need for and importance of expanded transportation solutions.

RCTC and SBCTA are working together at local, regional, state, and federal levels to bring new transportation investments to inland southern California and continue to move the needle to deliver more mobility options than ever before.

Improvements may be on the horizon for the Interstate 10 Highland Springs Avenue Interchange at the border of Banning and Beaumont, thanks to RCTC’s award of a contract this month for preliminary engineering and environmental studies.

Highland Springs Avenue is the main connection to multiple housing developments, employment centers, the Sun Lakes Country Club, retail and commercial businesses, and medical centers, such as San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital. This interchange has one of the highest peak traffic volumes per hour and per month on I-10 in Riverside County.

RCTC, in partnership with Caltrans and both cities, will evaluate several design options, including hook ramp alternatives, “diverging diamond interchange” alternatives, and auxiliary lanes to make it easier for drivers to merge on and off I-10 and to improve access for emergency responders.

The diverging diamond interchange concept, which debuted in Manteca, California in 2020 and has been implemented in Colorado, New Mexico, and Washington, has drivers enter from the right side of the road, cross to the left side as they pass through the interchange, and then cross back again to the right side. The “crisscross” pattern helps drivers move steadily through the intersections and creates free left-hand turns for drivers entering and exiting I-10.

The study will look at ways to improve the interchange, on-ramps, off-ramps, and existing local roads, including the closely spaced intersections with Joshua Palmer Way north of I-10, to enhance traffic flow through this heavily congested area. The project also is intended to improve air quality with fewer idling vehicles waiting to enter and exit I-10 and to support access to public transit and a Class II bike lane.

The engineering and environmental phase of work will start this summer and could be completed by summer or fall of 2024. Design would follow, and construction may begin as early as 2026 if RCTC secures project approvals and funding.

A public scoping meeting will be scheduled for later this year to review the studies to be completed and to gather initial feedback from residents, business operators, and other stakeholders in the area.

Funding for the $2.2 million study is provided through Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fees administered by the Western Riverside Council of Governments.

The Riverside County projects include:

Coachella Valley-San Gorgonio Rail Corridor Service Project – Caltrans and RCTC propose daily passenger rail service between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley. The project would be transformational for the region, creating economic opportunity in disadvantaged communities, improving access to job centers and attractions, providing alternatives to traveling on I-10, and reducing emissions to improve air quality. The $50 million request would help fund preliminary engineering along the 76-mile eastern section of track as well as project-level environmental clearance for up to six stations, a new third main track, and associated grade crossings and signal improvements on the eastern end of the corridor.

Interstate 10 Bypass Project – The County of Riverside Transportation Department proposes constructing an Interstate 10 bypass route in Banning and Cabazon. There is a stretch between the City of Banning and the unincorporated community of Cabazon and the Morongo Reservation, in which I-10 is the only road available to motorists. Should this stretch of I-10 ever close, the critical link between western Riverside and San Bernardino counties and the inland desert communities would be severed. The proposed I-10 Bypass Project would mitigate this nightmarish scenario with construction of a new road south of I-10, linking Banning to Cabazon. The $95 million request would fund final design, right of way acquisition, and construction of a two-lane roadway with bridges and grading for a future four-lane facility.

Third Street Grade Separation Project – The City of Riverside proposes reducing public safety risks by redirecting vehicle/pedestrian/bicycle traffic above or below the busy railroad tracks at Third Street. Riverside is trisected by two freight rail lines, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. These rail lines carry more than 75% of the freight handled by the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach through Riverside. Every day, approximately 128 trains pass through the city. At-grade crossings pose safety risks, create traffic delays, increase emissions from idling vehicles, and delay emergency response. The $30 million request would allow construction of the project to separate Third Street from the railroad tracks.

15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension – RCTC proposes extending the 15 Express Lanes by an additional 14.5 miles, from Cajalco Road in Corona, through the Temescal Valley, to Route 74/Central Avenue in Lake Elsinore. Once built, the project would improve traffic operations and travel times, expand travel choice through carpooling and mass transit, increase travel time reliability, and manage long-term traffic congestion spurred by increased goods movement and population growth. The $500 million request would fund final design, right of way acquisition, and construction of the new lanes.

Fullerton Junction to Riverside Triple Track Completion – Metrolink proposes triple tracking the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line from Fullerton through Riverside, as part of a suite of upgrades to Metrolink’s system in time for the 2028 Olympics. Not only is this project critical to improved passenger rail service in Riverside County, it also will enhance the movement of freight and goods from the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach to reduce road congestion and associated emissions. The $200 million request would fund project development, include environmental approvals, final design, and construction of segments from the Prado Dam to Riverside.

Click here to read the full IE Caucus letter, which also includes details about requested funding for San Bernardino County projects.

To register your support for securing more funding for Inland Empire projects, please visit our support page.

The Point: RCTC Executive Director joined southern California transportation advocates to advance transportation policies to benefit Riverside County and the region.

Regular meetings with legislators and transportation policy decision-makers in Sacramento are critically important as the Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom start discussions on formulating the 2022-23 state budget. With another budget surplus expected, RCTC and transportation advocacy groups like Mobility 21 are helping to bring awareness to the transportation needs in Riverside County and the region.

Mobility 21, a coalition that brings together public, business, and community stakeholders to pursue regional solutions to transportation challenges in southern California, hosted a day-long virtual meeting with state legislators to allow coalition members like RCTC to discuss crucial transportation issues, including:

• Funding for southern California to deliver much-needed transportation infrastructure projects,
• Resolving the supply chain crisis to allow greater efficiency of goods movements, and
• Supporting state and local collaboration so that policies consider the diversity of each region.

Representing RCTC, Executive Director Anne Mayer joined other public and private transportation leaders in a series of meetings, including with Senator Pat Bates (Orange County), Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (Los Angeles), Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber (San Diego), Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes (San Bernardino), Assemblymember Richard Bloom (Los Angeles), and staff from Assemblymember Vince Fong (Kern County) office.

In a meeting with Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Mayer led a discussion on the pending budget surplus and the significant benefits our communities and goods movement would receive if the state increased one-time investments in southern California’s transportation infrastructure. Mayer also facilitated a meeting with James Barba from Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins’s office to reinforce the importance of maintaining stable funding for local transportation programs.

Mayer and transportation advocates also met with California State Transportation Agency Acting Secretary Elissa Konove, Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin, and California Transportation Commission Chair Hilary Norton and Executive Director Mitch Weiss.

RCTC takes a comprehensive approach to state legislative advocacy by joining coalitions like Mobility 21 or independently working with the region’s state legislative delegation. Earlier this year, RCTC worked with Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Chair of the Inland Empire Caucus (IEC), to seek support on a suite of projects that, if funded, would provide critical relief to the region’s transportation network. Recently, the IEC called on Governor Newsom, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, and Assembly Speaker Rendon in a January 6 letter to seek funding for projects totaling $2.2 billion, including $875 million for five projects in Riverside County. The Riverside County projects include:

• Coachella Valley-San Gorgonio Rail Corridor Service Project
• Interstate 10 Bypass
• Third Street Grade Separation Project
• 15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension
• Riverside to Fullerton Junction Triple Track Completion

RCTC continues to seek funding and policy solutions for Riverside County to reduce traffic congestion while planning for next-generation projects that give residents meaningful alternatives to driving. On December 14, 2021, former RCTC Chair Jan Harnik, Mayor of Palm Desert, sent a letter to Governor Newsom seeking urgent transportation solutions for Riverside County.

To register your support for securing more funding for Inland Empire projects, please visit our support page.

RCTC implements Measure A, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in Riverside County, and has identified next-generation transportation improvements in RCTC’s 2020 Commission-adopted Traffic Relief Plan. Securing additional state funding frees up local funds for use on other projects, advancing mobility in the county.

The Point: RCTC is seeking federal funds to match Riverside County taxpayer investments

You spoke, we listened! Thanks to community support received last month, Congressional Representatives Ken Calvert and Mark Takano each submitted two RCTC projects for federal funding.

The requests were made for Community Project Funding through the House appropriations bill and the surface transportation reauthorization bill. Rep. Calvert’s requests included:

– $3 million in appropriations funds for the Smart Freeway Pilot Project in Murrieta and Temecula: Drivers face daily heavy afternoon traffic congestion on northbound I-15 from the San Diego/Riverside County Line to the 15/215 Interchange in Murrieta. The Smart Freeway Pilot Project would use technology to track roadway conditions, adjust ramp metering, and provide real-time travel information to motorists, helping to improve safety, maintain traffic flow, promote economic efficiencies, and reduce pollution

– $3 million in surface transportation funds for the I-15 Corridor Operations Project in Corona and the Temescal Valley: Southbound I-15 is an area of heavy traffic congestion, especially during busy afternoon commute hours. Also known as the 15 COP, this project would add a non-tolled lane to southbound I-15 between Cajalco Road in Corona and Weirick Road in the Temescal Valley to improve traffic flow and address current and future needs.

Rep. Takano’s requests included:

– $20 million in surface transportation funds for the I-15 Express Lanes Northern Extension in Eastvale and Jurupa Valley: RCTC’s 15 Express Lanes opened April 10, providing motorists with a convenient, reliable travel option between Route 60 and south Corona. To the north, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority is designing express lanes that will extend to Foothill Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga. Also known as I-15 NEXT, this project will ensure a seamless connection between the two toll facilities to maximize convenience and safety.

– $3 million in surface transportation funds for the Moreno Valley/March Field Metrolink Station Improvements: This Metrolink station is located between Riverside and Perris on the 91/Perris Valley Line. Station improvements would encourage use of passenger rail by adding a train platform and upgrading nearby tracks to create more efficient Metrolink service, a better public transit option for commuters, economic development near stations, and improved air quality.

RCTC expects to learn the results of these funding requests later this year. The requests are part of the Commission’s legislative strategy to identify and secure more state and federal funds for transportation projects in Riverside County. In 2002, voters renewed Measure A, the half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in Riverside County, and RCTC is committed to matching this revenue with outside funding whenever possible.

We value the community support for these funding requests and appreciate Representatives Calvert and Takano for submitting them for federal funding.

The Point: Public support will strengthen applications for federal funding

We want to hear from you! The Riverside County Transportation Commission is seeking federal funding for four roadway and transit projects and wants residents and drivers to show their support.

Projects that generate significant backing from the public are more likely to receive Congressionally directed Community Project Funding. Funding applications are being reviewed by congressional offices now, so click here to show your support for any or all of these projects today. Eligible projects include:

– I-10 Highland Springs Avenue Interchange, Banning/Beaumont:
This interchange is the main connection between Interstate 10 and residential, retail, commercial, medical, and employment centers. The project would relieve traffic bottlenecks for motorists and emergency vehicles by reconfiguring lanes to the underpass and adding lanes to the ramps for better access.

– I-15 Corridor Operations Project, Corona/Temescal Valley:
Southbound Interstate 15 is an area of heavy traffic congestion, especially during the busiest afternoon commute hours. Also known as the 15 COP, this project would add a non-tolled lane to southbound I-15 between Cajalco Road in Corona and Weirick Road in Temescal Valley to improve traffic flow and address current and future needs.

– Moreno Valley/March Field Metrolink Station Improvements:
This Metrolink station is located between Riverside and Perris on the 91/Perris Valley Line. Station improvements would encourage use of passenger rail by adding a train platform and upgrading nearby tracks to create more efficient Metrolink service, a better public transit option for commuters, economic development near stations, and improved air quality.

– Smart Freeway Pilot Project, Temecula/Murrieta:
Drivers face daily heavy afternoon traffic congestion on northbound I-15 from the San Diego/Riverside County Line to the 15/215 Interchange in Murrieta. The Smart Freeway Pilot Project would use technology to track roadway conditions, adjust ramp metering, and provide real-time travel information to motorists, helping to improve safety, maintain traffic flow, promote economic efficiencies, and reduce pollution.

Visit rctc.org/support to learn more about each project and show your support.

RCTC and Caltrans will begin studies for possible upgrades to the Highland Springs Avenue Interchange with Interstate 10, which straddles the cities of Banning and Beaumont.

The study will look at potential ways to modify existing local roads, the interchange, on-ramps, and off-ramps to improve how people travel through this heavily-congested area.

The interchange is the main connection to large housing developments, the Sun Lakes Country Club, and multiple shopping, retail, and medical centers. This interchange has one of the highest peak traffic volumes per hour and per month on Interstate 10 in Riverside County.

RCTC approved agreements with Caltrans and the cities of Banning and Beaumont this month to begin the study process. RCTC will be the lead for the project study, which should take about a year.

Following this initial study, the project could move forward for environmental reviews, design and possible future construction. Funding for the estimated $40 million construction project has not yet been identified.

The Point: New Interchange Provides Congestion Relief for Indio and eastern Coachella Valley

The $80.9 million I-10 and Jefferson Interchange modernization project provides congestion relief for thousands of motorists.

Following tremendous growth in and around Indio, the project delivers on a promise to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion. The project also caps a decades-long infrastructure improvement initiative known as the I-10 Coachella Valley Corridor Improvement Project.

“The grand opening of the Jefferson Street interchange is an important milestone, and a reflection of the promises kept in the I-10 Coachella Valley Corridor Improvement Project,” said Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley, who is a member of RCTC and chairman of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) Executive Committee.

“We’ve worked for years to improve the way traffic moves along Interstate 10, and we are now better poised to handle the residential and commercial growth that is coming to the eastern Coachella Valley. This couldn’t have happened without the tireless work from all of the project’s stakeholders.”

RCTC worked with Riverside County, the City of Indio, Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG), and the California Department of Transportation to help deliver this valuable project to county residents.

“The City of Indio is excited to be celebrating the completion of the Jefferson Street interchange,” Indio Mayor Elaine Holmes said. “This project creates a new gateway to Indio, opening up economic opportunities in the northern part of the City and ensuring that our residents and visitors can access the city safely and efficiently.”

The new Jefferson project replaces an interchange that was originally constructed in 1960 and updated in 1972. Reconstructing the interchange was one of the top regional needs for many years, due to a configuration that was confusing and constricting to traffic flow as well as significant growth that has occurred since the interchange’s original design.

The project demolished the existing bridge and replaced it with a larger, six-lane bridge while also modifying on and off-ramps to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow. The project helped create nearly 1,500 jobs and was underway between Spring 2015 and this August.

According to the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ 2017 traffic count, about 16,500 vehicles use the overpass daily.

Funding for the project came from a variety of federal, state, and local funding sources. As responsible stewards of Riverside County transportation dollars, RCTC and funding partners have been at work since 2000 to fund, plan, and deliver this project to county residents.