Trains operated on the Riverside Line, Inland Empire-Orange County Line and 91/Perris Valley Line on Fridays and Saturdays, including the opening night on November 23. The 91/Perris Valley Line typically does not operate on weekends, so this gave riders from the Perris area a special chance to ride Metrolink.

Total ridership along the Riverside Line, Inland Empire-Orange County Line and 91/Perris Valley Line was 3,150 on December 14 and 15, a 24 percent increase over the previous weekends. However, total ridership for the 2018 special train service was 10,222, a slight decrease from 2017.

Throughout the four weekends, Metrolink trains and Riverside Transit Agency shuttles operated smoothly, and passengers appreciated the new schedule, which included the option of an earlier return train this year.  Adults paid just $7 roundtrip and could bring up to three children at no charge, making this a fun, economical way to travel to the festivities.

On December 7, visitors to the Riverside-Downtown Station also had the opportunity to take part in Illuminate Riverside, a festive, lighted, 10-minute guided walk from the station to the Festival of Lights. Participants experienced temporary street improvements along Vine Street and Mission Inn Avenue, including a lighted tunnel, artistic crosswalks, murals, shared electric scooter lanes and light features at the 91 underpass.

Planned alongside the Festival of Lights, attendees accessing the festival via Vine Street and Mission Inn Avenue will have the opportunity to bypass the shuttle lines to the Festival of Lights and enjoy a festive, lighted, 10-minute guided walk instead. Participants will experience temporary street improvements along Vine Street and Mission Inn Avenue including a lighted tunnel, artistic crosswalks, murals, shared e-scooter lanes and light features that illuminate the 91 freeway underpass.

The goal of Illuminate Riverside is to gather public input on these potential street improvements under consideration for the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Riverside Marketplace area near the Downtown Riverside Metrolink Station. Future street improvements for the Riverside Marketplace area will seek to improve walkability and bikeability and increase access to transit.

“The Festival of Lights is our signature event in Riverside, and is very well attended, especially on weekend evenings,” said Riverside Mayor and SCAG Regional Council Member Rusty Bailey. “This partnership with SCAG will demonstrate that there are many ways of getting to the Festival that are faster and provide additional health benefits compared to driving a vehicle.”

SCAG’s Go Human campaign works with cities and counties across Southern California to develop open streets events, safety demonstration projects and encouragement programming, such as Illuminate Riverside which promote safety while encouraging people to walk and bike more.

“The emergence of new technology and mobility options, such as electric scooters and bike share systems, is making it increasingly easier to get around without driving while providing excellent first and last mile solutions to connect to transit,” said SCAG President Alan Wapner and Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Ontario. “And cities like Riverside are working to redesign their streets to make it easier and safer for people to use these transportation alternatives.”

Illuminate Riverside is a partnership between the City of Riverside and SCAG’s Go Human campaign, supported by funding from Clean Transportation Funding – Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee. For more information, visit GoHumanSoCal.org/IlluminateRiverside.

The special trains will operate November 23, 24 and 30, and December 1, 7, 8, 14 and 15. There will be a free shuttle from the Riverside – Downtown Station to the Mission Inn. The roundtrip adult fare is $7 with riders18 years and under free with a maximum of three free children per paying adult. Passengers can see train schedules and more information here.

This is the third year Metrolink has offered service to the Festival of Lights. Funding is provided by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC), the Riverside County Transportation Commission, Metro and the Orange County Transportation Authority.

For more information, visit metrolinktrains.com