Did you miss one of the three I-15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension public meetings in October? No need to worry. Riverside County residents still have time to view and comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Assessment (DEIR/EA). The public comment period runs through November 26, 2024. The release of the Draft EIR/EA is a significant milestone for the project, moving the region closer to relieving traffic on this part of the heavily traveled I-15.

The proposed project would extend the I-15 Express Lanes an additional 15.8 miles from El Cerrito Road in Corona through Temescal Valley to State Route 74 (Central Avenue) in Lake Elsinore. The new Express Lanes would not replace any existing lanes. The project includes adding two tolled lanes in each direction within the I-15 median by widening the pavement and bridges. The project would also add southbound I-15 auxiliary lanes between the Nichols Road on-ramp and the SR-74 (Central Avenue) off-ramp and between the SR-74 (Central Avenue) on-ramp and Main Street off-ramp. Construction on the I-15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension may begin in 2027, depending on funding availability.

To review and comment on the Draft EIR/EA or to view material from the open house public meetings, please visit: rctc.org/15ProjectSouth

In what marks a significant milestone for the Interstate 15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension, RCTC and Caltrans have released the Draft Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Assessment (EIR/EA) for the public to review and submit comments. The release of the Draft EIR/EA moves the region closer to relieving traffic on this part of the highway subject to project approval upon completion of the environmental process. Due to rapid population growth along the corridor and increased freight movement, traffic congestion continues to make the commute to and from southwest Riverside County difficult. The project aims to provide alternative travel choices and traffic relief to this region.

The 45-day public comment period runs from October 9 to November 26, 2024. RCTC will also be hosting three open house public meetings to provide the public information and to gather feedback from residents on the project.

The proposed project would extend the I-15 Express Lanes an additional 15.8 miles from El Cerrito Road in Corona through Temescal Valley to State Route 74 (Central Avenue) in Lake Elsinore. The project would add two tolled lanes in each direction within the I-15 median by widening the pavement and bridges and would not replace any existing lanes. The project would also add southbound I-15 auxiliary lanes between both the Nichols Road on-ramp and the SR-74 (Central Avenue) off-ramp, and between the SR-74 (Central Avenue) on-ramp and Main Street off-ramp.

Once the entire 15.8-mile length is constructed, the project would provide a reliable tolled travel time option to move motorists through this congested corridor and maintain compatibility with the regional Express Lanes network. The project would also increase opportunities for mass transit, such as RTA Express Buses and carpooling.

Residents are encouraged to review the draft environmental document at rctc.org/15ProjectSouth or at libraries in Corona and Lake Elsinore. Comments may be submitted through the following methods:

• Email: 15ProjectSouth@rctc.org
• By U.S. Mail at:
  Jeff Dietzler, Capital Projects Manager (Tolling)
  Riverside County Transportation Commission
  4080 Lemon Street, Third Floor
  P.O. Box 12008
  Riverside, CA 92501
• Three Open House Public Meetings scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the dates below; the content will be the same at the three meetings. Spanish interpretation will be provided.

For more information on the 15 Express Project Southern Extension and to sign up for project updates, visit: rctc.org/15ProjectSouth

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.

Extending the I-15 Express Lanes south beyond Cajalco Road in Corona is part of RCTC’s 10-Year Western Riverside County Delivery Plan to deliver traffic relief to the growing communities along the I-15 corridor. With the approval of the Project and Construction Management (PCM) contract to Parsons, the Commission is getting ready to line up contractors and agency agreements to begin construction on the 15 Express Lanes Project Southern Extension (ELPSE) by 2026. 

The 15 ELPSE will construct two express lanes in each direction from Cajalco Road to State Route 74 (Central Ave.) in Lake Elsinore. This 14.5-mile extension of the Riverside County express lanes system is designed to bring much-needed mobility options to the area. Over the past 20 years, the community of Temescal Valley and the cities of Lake Elsinore and Corona have grown tremendously, bringing with it new housing, residents, and increased travel throughout the region.

Once complete, the new express lanes will give motorists an option for a reliable commute between Lake Elsinore, the 60, and Orange County. With additional lanes, congestion relief of the general-purpose lanes is possible, improving traffic operations. The 15 ELPSE will also help improve transit and rideshare options by providing free-flowing lanes to buses and commuters that carpool or vanpool. This cost-effective commute opens possibilities for new routes and employers to incentivize employees to avoid solo car trips. 

The Commission will use an innovative progressive design-build project delivery method to speed up construction. Unlike traditional construction-bid delivery methods, the progressive design-build method will allow RCTC to engage with the design-build contractor earlier, enabling solutions that save funding and help maintain the construction schedule. This progressive design-build approach is vital as the Commission continues to assemble funding for this project. With this process, RCTC will have the option to build and deliver the project in phases. This innovative project method is made possible by the passage of recently approved Senate Bill 617. 

The project is a partnership between RCTC and Caltrans and will be funded with a combination of federal and local sources. Sign up to receive project updates at rctc.org/15expsouth. 

The Coachella Valley Rail Project (CV Rail) continues moving forward. Over the past year, the CV Rail project has made progress in getting funding for the next phase and coordinating closely with city and agency partners. Recently, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) made a big announcement to help keep project momentum going. The FRA added the CV Rail Project to the federal Identification and Development Program (Corridor ID) and awarded the project $500,000.

Why is this important? By being included in the Corridor ID program, the CV Rail project is now considered vital to developing intercity passenger rail across the Country. That’s a big deal. The designation will allow RCTC, Caltrans, and other project partners to better compete for engineering and construction grants as projects continue to move forward.

“I am pleased to see the Federal Rail Administration recognize the value CV Rail will bring to Riverside County. By including CV Rail in the Corridor ID program, the federal government has signaled that the project is viable and warrants attention,” said RCTC Chair and Lake Elsinore City Council Member Robert “Bob” Magee. “This designation will help CV Rail compete for more federal grants that will help get this service up and running for our residents,” he said.

In addition to being added to the Corridor ID program, the FRA will provide $500,000 to allow our project partners to create a Service Development Plan that will outline the future needs of passenger rail. The first round of route selections is intended to identify existing and potential new routes to create an intercity passenger rail system across the Country.

Daily intercity passenger rail to and from the Coachella Valley has long been a local and statewide priority. The new service will offer mobility choices, reduce traffic congestion, and expand economic opportunities by connecting the growing Riverside County desert communities to various resorts, commercial, retail, and quality jobs.

Learn more about the Coachella Valley Rail project at www.rctc.org/cvr

Pump the brakes on commuter headaches! The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s (SBCTA) rideshare program, IE Commuter, has teamed up with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Orange County Transportation Authority, and Ventura County Transportation Commission to present a regional database expected to enhance commute options for registered users.

This multi-agency partnership provides employers with carpool/vanpool matches stretching across almost all of southern California, with a uniform set of core ride-matching services across five counties. The new database will allow vanpools and carpools to fill empty seats with greater ease, while unlocking a more convenient and efficient method of planning additional commute solutions for riders.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) estimates that there are more than 12 million licensed drivers in Southern California, and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) reports that Southern California drivers average more than 21 miles driven each day, often alone. Opting for transit via buses, trains, vanpooling, and carpooling can contribute to beneficial solutions to help mitigate the stress of commuting, reducing vehicle wear and tear, and generating significant savings from reduced fuel consumption. The five partner agencies are working together to help reduce vehicle miles traveled and traffic congestion, with a goal of improving air quality in Southern California.

These enhancements will improve convenience and efficiency of travel throughout Southern California, and is expected to generate an increase in ridership, reductions in single-occupancy vehicles on the road, and a decrease in CO2 emissions.

Discover a new, enhanced commute after the regional database merge completion. Access more ridesharing, transit, and incentives options by visiting IECommuter.org for Riverside and San Bernardino counties, or ridematch.info for Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties.

Heading out of the Inland Empire on weeknights? Motorists are advised to stay alert for full westbound 91 closures between State Route 71 and Green River Road in Corona. Following the successful weeknight closures of eastbound 91 during October and November, full closure of westbound 91 will take place Monday through Wednesday nights starting on December 11 through January 24, 2024.

Due to the holidays, no closures will be scheduled from December 22 through January 1, 2024. Nighttime closures will resume on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

The westbound 91 closures are needed to allow crews to safely construct support structures extending across the entire width of the 91 as part of RCTC’s 71/91 Interchange Project. The support formwork on top of the tunnel for the new connector will be approximately 30 feet in height with over 200 beams being positioned during these weeknight closures.

The weeknight closures include:

• Full closure of westbound 91 lanes from the 71 to Green River Road
  • Monday – Wednesday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
• Full southbound 71 to westbound 91 closure
  • Monday – Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Full westbound 91 Express Lanes closures from the 15/91 Interchange to the Orange County/Riverside County Line
  • Monday – Wednesday 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
• Full southbound 15 to westbound 91 Express Lanes closures
  • Monday – Wednesday 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
• Full northbound 15 to westbound 91 Express Lanes closures
  • Monday – Wednesday 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
• Westbound 91 Green River Road off-ramp closure
  • Monday – Wednesday 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Motorists are advised to use the northbound 71 to westbound 60 to southbound 57 to navigate around the closure. Please use caution traveling through this area and plan extra time to arrive to your destination. The suggested detour route is shown below.

Access will remain available for fire, police, and ambulance units in case of emergency response. Construction activity is subject to change due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.

The 71/91 Interchange began construction in February and the anticipated opening of the connector is slated for 2025. This project will create a two-lane direct connector between eastbound 91 and northbound 71 to replace the existing single-lane loop connector. This enhancement is intended to improve safety, develop alternative modes of transportation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and optimize traffic flow. The $137 million investment is providing 1,677 jobs during construction.

To register for construction updates, text 7191INTERCHANGE to 77222 or sign up through the project webpage, rctc.org/7191closures.

The opening of the Clinton Keith Extension Project makes it easier for motorists throughout the region to access I-215. This project widened the section from I-215 to Whitewood Road and Whitewood Road to Leon Road, providing six full lanes that offer access from I-215 to SR-79.

Before the project opened, motorists had to travel across a two-lane, rural road roughly two miles away to connect to SR-79. Through a partnership between Riverside County, the City of Murrieta, the City of Menifee, the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), and the Riverside County Transportation Commission, the Clinton Keith Extension Project became a reality. This connection was necessary to accommodate the increased growth in the area.

The Clinton Keith Extension Project improves quality of living for the community by reducing travel time and improving safety, while also keeping environmental considerations in mind. Live goats from a local farmer were used as an environmentally friendly way to clear vegetation, which encouraged birds to nest in other locations. In addition to the hungry goats, a wildlife overcrossing was constructed to allow free movement of species, including the MSHCP-protected quino checkerspot butterfly.

Recently, the County of Riverside celebrated the completion of the project’s final phase which includes the extension of Clinton Keith Road from Leon Road to SR-79 connecting at the existing intersection at Benton Road.

This project was made possible by Measure A funding that was approved by the Commission. The new roadway was put in place to provide a more convenient and direct route for travelers throughout the region. The addition of this road creates a positive impact on the community by reducing congestion, enhancing economic development opportunities, and expanding accessibility to employment and education for disadvantaged communities.

Riding a bike can be a great source of exercise and fun. Bicycling with the warm sun and breeze is a great way to spend a quiet afternoon or have an adventure with friends and family.  But using a bike to get to work, school, and other appointments can be a great way to enjoy the open air while participating in multimodal, active transportation. Over the years, transit providers have made it easier to take a bicycle on board allowing riders to cover longer distances.

Riverside County transit providers, including local bus operators and Metrolink, have incorporated bike use into their transit structure by offering bike racks on buses and bike cars on Metrolink – making it possible to travel with your bike locally and regionally.

Want to take your bike on a new trek in Los Angeles or to Orange County. It’s easy to do while the weather is perfect across the Inland Empire to discover new regional destinations. Check out some of the bike-friendly travel options from Riverside County and regional transit providers.

The Riverside County Transportation Commission is proud to support active transportation programs that help reduce dependency on driving and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Riding a bike to work also qualifies as a rideshare mode in which you can receive incentives through the IE Commuter program.