At its June 12 meeting, the Commission awarded $9.9 million in Measure A funding for 20 projects to 15 non-profit and public agencies that provide specialized transit services across Riverside County for Fiscal Years 2024 through 2027.

For Riverside County’s most vulnerable residents – seniors, persons with disabilities, and low-income individuals – accessing transportation options to medical appointments, social services, and everyday activities can be challenging. RCTC’s Specialized Transit Program makes a significant difference in filling in the gaps not met by other forms of transportation. Specialized Transit Programs support operating and capital projects such as senior transportation shuttles, non-emergency medical transportation services, bus pass/voucher programs, mileage reimbursement programs, travel training, vehicle and maintenance equipment, and communications and dispatch equipment.

At its meeting, Commissioners heard first-hand how valuable this funding is for organizations providing the services and those who use it. “We are thrilled and very grateful to have been recommended for RCTC funding through the Measure A program,” said Jessica Muñoz, President and CEO of Voices for Children – one of the 15 grant recipients. The non-profit recruits, trains, and supports Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers who speak up for the needs and well-being of children in foster care.

Muñoz added, “the funding is important to us for many reasons. One of the ways that our volunteer advocates support youth in care is by providing transportation for them when they need to attend court hearings, meetings in the community, school events, and sometimes even enrichment activities that they have no other way to participate in.”

RCTC has heard from additional organizations about the value of funding for these services.

The 15 Measure A Specialized Transit Program grant recipients include:

• Boys & Girls Club of Menifee Valley
• Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County
• Care-A-Van Transit Inc
• City of Norco Parks – Recreation and Community Services Department
• Forest Folk, Inc.
• Friends of Moreno Valley Senior Center, Inc,
• Operation Safehouse
• Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health (RUHS-BH)
• Riverside University Health System – Medical Center (RUHS-MC)
• EXCEED
• Angel View
• Independent Living Partnership
• Voices for Children
• Blindness Support Service
• Michelle’s Place

With these latest grants, RCTC continues to uphold its commitment of providing funding to non-profit providers of transit services for vulnerable Riverside County residents.

More than half of the planned length of the Mid County Parkway transportation corridor moved a step closer to construction following the Commission’s approval of the final design contract and other agreements last month.

The project team will develop construction plans, specifications, and cost estimates to improve 8.6 miles of Ramona Expressway from Warren Road to about one mile east of Rider Street in the County of Riverside. The Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway segment is within the full 16-mile Mid County Parkway project planned between Route 79 in the San Jacinto Valley and Interstate 215 in Perris.

Also known as the MCP, the new east-west corridor will open economic opportunities, reduce travel times, and expand access to employment and education for residents and businesses of Riverside County. The improvements will promote transportation equity for this long-underserved area and connect to Route 79, Interstate 215, and transit facilities that support Metrolink’s 91/Perris Valley Line and Riverside Transit Agency routes. With this connection, the Perris and San Jacinto Valley communities will have access to multiple modes of travel.

The MCP Ramona Expressway segment consists of one lane in each direction with a passing lane between 5^th Street and Bridge Street. Proposed improvements will add two new lanes to provide two lanes in each direction, build a raised median with delineators to separate the eastbound and westbound lanes, construct a new bridge over the San Jacinto River, modify three intersections with traffic signals, add a signalized intersection, and build a wildlife crossing.

This area of Ramona Expressway has a history of vehicle collisions. Between 2017 and 2022, the County of Riverside reported 31 collisions, of which 14 were fatalities and 17 resulted in severe injuries.

RCTC has partnered on the MCP Ramona Expressway segment with the County of Riverside, which contributed $1 million toward future construction. Final design is anticipated to be completed within two years. If funding is secured, construction could begin in 2025 and take an additional two years.

Construction of the Interstate 215 Placentia Avenue Interchange in Perris, the first MCP segment, began in August 2020 and is scheduled to open this fall.

RCTC is seeking grant funds from Solutions for Congested Corridors and Local Partnership Grant programs funded by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. If awarded, RCTC will use the funds for two critical projects in Riverside County: Metrolink Double Track Project: Moreno Valley-Perris and the Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway.

The projects are vital components of RCTC’s vision to implement safe multimodal solutions in the rapidly growing communities of southwestern Riverside County and the San Jacinto Valley. Riverside County is the fastest-growing county in California and the fifth fastest-growing in the country. These communities are ground zero for that growth.

The Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway and Metrolink Double Track Project: Moreno Valley-Perris projects will allow better access to multimodal transportation services such as bus and rail, provide safety improvements, and help improve air quality in our region. Project improvements include:

• Increased Commuter Rail Service – enabling increased Metrolink service frequency by double tracking stretches of the 91/Perris Valley Line along the 215 corridor in Perris and Moreno Valley.
• Improved Safety – reducing the high rate of collisions along dangerous stretches of Ramona Expressway by implementing safety improvements.
• Bolstered Access to Transit Service – strengthening arterial connections so San Jacinto and Hemet Valley residents may better access the Metrolink 91/Perris Valley Line and other transit services.

Your voice matters! Please join Riverside County residents and businesses to show your support for one or both projects by adding your name in RCTC’s applications for state funding grant applications. Register today at https://www.rctc.org/support-metrolink-double-track-mcp-ramona.

The Point: City and County Agencies can apply to fund active transportation projects that improve access to bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

By this time of year, many people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions to get more exercise and are instead sitting on the couch, eating doughnuts and potato chips. RCTC is working to battle that trend by inviting cities and the County of Riverside to apply for funds to boost access to biking and walking infrastructure.

RCTC issued a call for projects this month for applications that are due April 29. Through Senate Bill 821, funding is made available every two years and is derived from a ¼-cent general sales tax collected statewide through the Local Transportation Fund. Two percent of the proceeds are made available for these types of projects. For the new call for projects, RCTC estimates there will be $4.3 million available across Riverside County.

Eligible projects include but are not limited to:

• Engineering and/or construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• Maintaining bicycle trails
• Restriping Class III bicycle lanes
• Providing facilities for the needs of commuting bicyclists
• Developing bicycle and pedestrian plans
• Bicycle safety education programs

RCTC will evaluate the applications for projects that can begin on July 1, 2021 and be completed by July 1, 2024.

Applications will be rated and awarded based on how the project serves as a destination for the user. This can include employment centers, schools, retail centers, downtown areas, libraries, government offices, and other more. A second important metric is if the project can increase safety for the non-motorized public. Multimodal access to existing Metrolink stations, park and ride facilities, and existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities will also be considered. Applicants will need to demonstrate that project has a matching fund requirement.

RCTC staff is available for one-on-one sessions with prospective applicants through April 22. Please contact staff at info@rctc.org or through the RCTC “Contact Us” page for questions about the call for projects or to schedule an informational session.

The Point: Applications due February 17 to help seniors, others with local transportation needs   

Riding a shuttle to attend Boys & Girls Club programs before and after school. Getting a ride to cancer treatment appointments. Travel training for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Specialized transit services like these are lifelines for many western Riverside County residents, helping them to be more mobile and independent.

The Riverside County Transportation Commission is seeking grant applications from agencies and organizations that offer transportation programs for older adults, persons with disabilities, and low-income individuals in western Riverside County where public transportation services are unavailable or insufficient.

Eligible applicants include public agencies, human and social service agencies, tribal governments, and private non-profits.

Funding is largely provided by Measure A, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in Riverside County.

Applications are due February 17 at 4 p.m. More information and application forms are available on the RCTC website. During the last grant award process in 2018, RCTC allocated $8.2 million to 18 organizations and agencies.

The Commission will rate the applications and award up to $8.76 million to groups that are able to provide transportation programs from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024.

Programs can include bus or shuttle operations, distribution of transit passes, vehicle purchases or capital leases, or training to help riders navigate the transit system.

“These specialized transportation services are truly a lifeline for our residents in western Riverside County. Without transportation options like Operation Safehouse, which helps homeless and at-risk youth, or Friends of Moreno Valley Senior Center, many people would be unable to go to school, to work, to the grocery store, or to doctor’s appointments,” said RCTC Chair and Palm Desert Mayor Pro Tem Jan Harnik. “We strongly encourage groups to apply for these funds, which are available only every three years.”

For questions, please contact RCTC staff at specializedtransit@rctc.org or at (951) 787-7141.