On Friday, October 11, 2024, the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA) celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) at the Hidden Valley Nature Center in Riverside. Twenty years ago, the MSHCP was developed to help balance the growing need for transportation and housing infrastructure while protecting habitats for sensitive, threatened, and endangered plant and animal species unique to our region. The balanced approach has helped western Riverside County conserve thousands of acres of land while streamlining the environmental review process for much-needed projects, saving time and money.

“The success of the MSHCP is built on partnerships and it continues to serve as an example of the amazing things we’ve accomplished in Riverside County by working together.” said Karen Speigel, RCTC Vice Chair and Supervisor of Riverside County 2nd District at the 20th anniversary event.

In 2021, Riverside County Transportation Commission became the managing agency of the RCA after approval from both governing boards. Under Measure A, the twice voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, all 18 western Riverside County cities and the County participate in the MSHCP, and as a result have access to local Measure funding for their streets and roads. RCTC has invested millions of dollars of Measure A funding towards acquiring habitat for the MSHCP in support of regional transportation projects, making it one of the largest contributors. Key transportation examples include: 

• Mayor Berwin Hanna Bridge and Widening Project 
• Perris Valley Line 
• Clinton Keith Extension Project
• 15 Express Lanes Project

The 20-year anniversary event included remarks from U.S. Representative Ken Calvert, RCA Board Vice Chair and County Supervisor for the 2nd District Karen Spiegel, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Paul Souza, California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary Meghan Hertel, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Environmental Program Manager Kim Freeburn and former Riverside County Supervisor Tom Mullen. The celebration culminated with planting a California black walnut tree, an MSHCP-protected species, at the Hidden Valley Nature Center grounds.

For more information on the MSHCP and the RCA, visit wrc-rca.org or follow @westernRCA on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Following up a banner year in 2022, a year in which RCTC delivered a staggering five capital projects, the agency carried that momentum into 2023 – advancing projects and investing in transportation improvements for communities across Riverside County. This progress was highlighted in RCTC’s 2023 Annual Report. 

Investments in Riverside County’s highways and roads continued in 2023. The agency started and ended the year strong – breaking ground on the transformative 71/91 Interchange Project in January, followed by the highly-anticipated opening of the 15/91 Express Lanes Connector in October. Together, these projects will improve connectivity, reduce traffic flow, and expand transportation options for the region. 

Enhancing public transportation continued to be a point of emphasis for RCTC in 2023. The transformational Coachella Valley Rail Project (CV Rail) was added to the federal Identification and Development Program and awarded $500,000 by the Federal Railroad Administration. This designation and grant award recognizes the value CV Rail will bring to Riverside County and throughout southern California. Crews on the Moreno Valley/March Field Station Improvements Project continued working on adding a second platform and extending the existing platform to accommodate the standard six car Metrolink trains, moving the project closer to completion later this year. Additionally, the California State Transportation Agency awarded $15.5 million to the Metrolink Double Track Project on the 91/Perris Valley Line to improve reliability and future capacity for service, capping off a strong year of state and federal investment in the county’s rail network.

RCTC celebrated a special birthday – the Freeway Service Patrol’s (FSP) 30 years of service. FSP drivers assisted over 56,000 motorists during the past year and more than one million motorists total since the program’s inception in 1993. FSP drivers aid stranded motorists by jump-starting batteries, fixing flat tires, conducting other minor roadside repairs, or towing vehicles to CHP-approved locations.  

Sharing is caring – motorists were encouraged to share rides and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the popular IE Commuter program. The program supported more than 1,100 employers with ridesharing programs and reduced 10.7 million pounds of vehicle emissions in 2023. 

RCTC’s environmental stewardship extends beyond just transportation. As the managing agency of the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA), RCTC continues to help the RCA drive conservation efforts in western Riverside County. The RCA is tasked with establishing a 500,000-acre habitat reserve under the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) – one of the largest conservation plans in the nation. 2023 was a year marked by significant funding and agency-led advocacy effort successes. The RCA secured nearly $27 million in various state and federal grants and acquired more 1,120 acres of sensitive habitat for protection. As of this writing, over 415,000 acres of habitat have been assembled as part of the MSHCP. 

The twice voter-approved Measure A continued to be a critical funding source for transit services, local roads, and highway projects. In 2023, RCTC approved over $310 million in Measure A funding for countywide projects: $135 million in funding for 18 significant regional transportation projects as part of the Regional Arterial Program, an additional $143.9 million for 285 local road projects, and allocated over $32 million in Measure A funds for local bus systems, passenger rail, and specialized transit services. 

As we move forward into 2024, RCTC is looking ahead at the future of transportation in our communities. To address the growing needs of Riverside County, RCTC has drafted a 2024 Traffic Relief Plan outlining future transportation infrastructure enhancements, increased transit services, and repairing our local streets and roads. Residents are urged to provide their input at trafficreliefplan.org to make sure future transportation needs continue to be met. 

Learn more about RCTC’s 2023 work and accomplishments in the official Annual Report. 

Growth is happening

While some portions of California have lost residents, Riverside County – a safe, dynamic, affordable part of the state – continues to grow. Since 2002, Riverside County’s population has increased by 67%, and over the next 25 years, our 2.5 million-person county will increase by another 500,000 residents, the equivalent of adding two new cities the size of Moreno Valley.

“There’s no question that we need to make calculated investments in our county transportation infrastructure, not only to maintain and improve mobility, but also to keep growth from overwhelming our ability to live, work, learn, explore, go places, and enjoy life,” said Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) Chair and City of Beaumont councilmember Lloyd White.

On a daily basis, residents across Riverside County contend with traffic jams, aging roads and bridges, and limited bus and train schedules. Without action, growth will only aggravate these challenges and leave residents in a never-ending congestion loop.

RCTC is listening

RCTC has developed the draft 2024 Traffic Relief Plan, or TRP, to improve mobility, enhance safety, and prevent growth from overwhelming the county transportation system. The TRP is a county-wide strategic blueprint to reduce traffic congestion by constructing highway improvements, repairing potholes on local roads and streets, increasing the frequency of public transportation, and fortifying our transportation infrastructure against natural disasters in Riverside County.

To shape the plan, RCTC has gathered input from residents on transportation priorities for local and regional corridors over the last several years.

The response has been clear and consistent: Residents want safer, smoother roads, faster-moving freeways, and more opportunities to ride convenient trains and buses. They want improvements to corridors such as State Route 79, Cajalco Road, the Ramona Expressway, and Highway 111. Residents seek help for the 91, 10, 215, and 60 freeways – from bridges and interchanges to more efficient traffic flow. Residents want to protect critical roadways and bridges from flooding, blowsand, and earthquakes.

Keep choices and outcomes local

Those who live, drive, walk, bike, and take transit here know the region best. The TRP draws strength from residents’ perspectives, creates consensus through an inclusive process, and proactively moves real transportation solutions forward – faster.

Waiting for transportation help from Sacramento or Washington, D.C. would leave Riverside County stalled indefinitely. Not only do state and federal officials have other priorities, but history suggests their involvement in local transportation issues leads to a one-size-fits-all approach with top-down mandates, politicized projects, and bridges to nowhere. The TRP is shaped by local voices and local concerns for the benefit of Riverside County residents.

The plan

In Riverside County, local action can drive better outcomes. Looking ahead, the TRP outlines a series of transportation improvements across all of Riverside County, including in western Riverside County, Coachella Valley, and the Palo Verde Valley.

The plan considers every community, and comprises eight investment areas:

Combined, these investments would repair, modernize, and add missing links in the transportation system across Riverside County; promote cost-effective upgrades; and provide residents with an interconnected transportation network ready for the future.

Next steps

At this time, the plan is not funded. The TRP is an aspirational guide that prioritizes and facilitates those transportation projects that residents say they value most.

The plan remains open for public input through March 31. To provide your input, please visit trafficreliefeplan.org.

RCTC’s commissioners, who represent every city in Riverside County and all county residents via their Board of Supervisors, plan to finalize the TRP this spring. In early summer the commission might then consider whether or not to ask voters for funding to implement the plan and deliver results.

More input, please

As the process proceeds, residents are encouraged to weigh in on the TRP.

“We need public input to make the best decisions we can on prioritizing transportation projects and ensuring the strongest possible Traffic Relief Plan,” White said.

Public input is essential to RCTC’s mission to implement transportation solutions that connect communities for a better quality of life. Please visit TrafficReliefPlan.org to read the draft, review the priorities, and offer ideas. All voices are welcome.

The 71/91 Interchange serves as a gateway between Riverside, Orange, and San Bernardino counties and is a vital link for commuters and freight vehicles that travel along the 91 and the 71.

Once completed, the new interchange will improve safety by reducing weaving among lanes, expand access to other modes of travel – such as Metrolink passenger rail, reduce greenhouse gas emissions with fewer idling vehicles, and enhance traffic flow by replacing the existing single-lane loop connector with the two-lane direct connector along one of the region’s heaviest traveled corridors. The project will support continued movement through this area by native wildlife such as mountain lions, bobcats, and coyotes.

Project funding is comprised of a combination of federal, state, and local funds, with $58.1 million of the $137 million construction costs provided by California’s Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, more commonly known as Senate Bill 1. A portion of the costs is funded by Measure A, the voter approved, half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in Riverside County. The project is expected to create approximately 1,700 construction-related jobs, including contracts awarded to Riverside-based Skanska USA Civil West and Corona-based Falcon Engineering.

Motorists should watch for nighttime and weekend closures of lanes, ramps, and connectors. To register for construction updates, visit rctc.org/71-91interchange or text 7191INTERCHANGE to 77222.

The Point: Members will help shape growing region and achieve habitat conservation goals

Want to make a difference in conserving habitat, streamlining transportation projects, and fostering economic development in western Riverside County? The Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority, also known as the RCA, is seeking volunteers to apply for membership of its Stakeholders Committee. Applications are available now.

RCTC began serving as the managing agency for the RCA on January 1 and supports the RCA Board of Directors’ commitment to engage the public in achieving the goals of the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan.  Through the MSHCP, the RCA is working to preserve 500,000 acres of habitat in western Riverside County to protect 146 animal and plant species. This effort helps communities and species thrive, accelerates construction of needed infrastructure like transportation projects and housing, and bolsters the economy.

RCA Chair Natasha Johnson is reinstituting the Stakeholders Committee this year. Membership applications are due October 25.

Johnson will appoint members to the committee for ratification by the RCA Board of Directors. The Committee will meet as requested by the Chair or Board — at least twice per year. Johnson encouraged qualified potential members to apply.

Committee members will give input to the RCA Board by reviewing implementation plans for the MSHCP. It is intended to bring together people with varying perspectives who share a common interest in the MSHCP’s success and who can help the RCA make continuous improvement. Members also will help increase awareness of the conservation plan and its benefits to western Riverside County.

The Stakeholders Committee, which will be appointed annually, will include up to 16 members, with membership from the following:

• Groups representing property owners affected by the MSHCP
• Groups representing environmental interests implicated by the MSHCP
• Groups representing the building industry within the area affected by the MSHCP

To apply, go to www.wrc-rca.org/stakeholders. Prospective members can submit the completed form online or can print a copy and submit by email to dknudsen@rctc.org or by U.S. mail to:

Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority
Attn: David Knudsen
4080 Lemon Street, 3rd Floor
Riverside, CA 92501

For questions, please contact David Knudsen via email or by calling (951) 787-7141.