In September, the Riverside County Transportation Commission approved renaming the SR-79 Realignment Project to the San Jacinto Valley Expressway Project. The project was renamed following two rounds of public input and thousands of responses from residents along the SR-79 corridor and adjacent communities. Originally envisioned as a state route, the proposed expressway is now being designed and planned as a County of Riverside facility – requiring the new project name.

To help select a new project name, the Commission launched community-driven efforts to solicit public input, raise awareness, and celebrate community identity. Over the past year, thousands of residents in Hemet, San Jacinto, Winchester, and across the surrounding unincorporated areas in Riverside County provided a meaningful voice in shaping the project’s legacy by providing name suggestions and then voting on the top seven names.

Following the multiple public input phases, a special renaming panel comprised of elected officials and community leaders along the project area unanimously voted to recommend the “San Jacinto Valley Expressway” name to the Commission based on community feedback.

The proposed new 12-mile county expressway from south of Domenigoni Parkway north to Gilman Springs Road will include two lanes in each direction. The project also includes space for a future 35-foot-wide transportation corridor, a multipurpose trail, and wildlife crossings.

The project is a partnership between RCTC, the County of Riverside, and the cities of San Jacinto and Hemet. For more information about the project, please visit: rctc.org/sjv-expressway

Following an earlier round of community feedback, RCTC is seeking input on the name of the new expressway between unincorporated community of Winchester, city of Hemet, and the city of San Jacinto as part of the SR-79 Realignment Project.

The new 12-mile county expressway is designed to improve safety and connectivity for the growing communities of Winchester, Hemet, San Jacinto, and surrounding areas. Once complete, the new expressway will include two lanes of travel in each direction separated by a 14-foot median, multipurpose trail, outside shoulders, and space for a future transportation corridor. Key improvements also include wildlife crossings, a bridge over Salt Creek Channel, and other design elements to enhance traffic flow and safety in the region.

Because the new roadway will be a county expressway rather than part of the state highway system, RCTC is asking residents to help choose a name that reflects the local character, culture, and identity of the region.

Make your preferred choice by Sunday, August 9, 2026, by visiting: rctc.org/expressway-renaming. The new project name will be revealed in fall 2026.

During its December 10 meeting, the Commission approved more than $156 million in construction contracts for two regionally significant projects: Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway and SR-60/Potrero Boulevard Interchange – Phase II. These projects aim to enhance roadway safety, improve travel reliability, and support economic growth in two of Riverside County’s fastest growing regions.

“Safe and reliable transportation is the foundation of our daily lives – connecting us to school, work, and the people who matter to us the most,” said Supervisor Karen Spiegel, RCTC Chair and Vice Chair of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. “The Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway will address critical safety improvements in one of the most traveled corridors in our region. Phase II of the Potrero Interchange will enhance regional mobility throughout the San Gorgonio Pass. Together, these two projects will a create a safer and more connected Riverside County for us all.”

The Mid County Parkway Ramona Expressway Project will upgrade 8.6 miles of roadway between Rider Street and Warren Road in San Jacinto. Between 2017 and 2022, this heavily traveled corridor experienced numerous collisions resulting in 14 fatalities and 17 severe injuries. The project will address critical safety needs by widening the roadway to two lanes in each direction, adding a raised median, building a wildlife crossing, and constructing a new bridge over the San Jacinto River.

In the San Gorgonio Pass, the City of Beaumont has partnered with RCTC and Caltrans to deliver Phase II of the SR-60/Potrero Boulevard Interchange. The project will build a new interchange at State Route 60, realign Western Knolls Avenue, and widen Potrero Boulevard to six lanes. These enhancements will make it easier to access SR‑60 and support ongoing residential and economic growth in Beaumont and across Riverside County.

Construction for both projects will begin in early 2026. Once completed, these two projects will deliver on RCTC’s commitment to providing vital transportation infrastructure that meets the needs of our region’s rapidly growing communities.

RCTC is asking the public to participate in the renaming of the 79 Realignment Project! RCTC, in partnership with the County of Riverside, is working on Segment 3 of the SR-79 Realignment Project. The project is a proposed new 12-mile county expressway from south of Domenigoni Parkway north to Gilman Springs Road with two lanes in each direction. Since the new corridor will not be part of the state highway system, RCTC is asking residents to help choose a new name that reflects the local character, culture, and identity of the region.

The new expressway is designed to improve safety and connectivity for the growing communities of Winchester, Hemet, San Jacinto, and surrounding areas in Riverside County. Once complete, the new expressway will include two lanes in each direction separated by a 14-foot median, outside shoulders, and space reserved for a future 35-foot-wide transportation corridor and multipurpose trail. Key improvements include wildlife passageways, bridges over Salt Creek Channel, Patterson Avenue, and Patton Avenue, and design elements to enhance traffic flow and safety.

The project was first envisioned as a state route facility and later converted to a county expressway due to funding and state policy changes. RCTC invites the public to participate in the naming process through a short online survey. Residents are encouraged to submit a name that honors the region’s history, culture, and identity. The input gathered will help shape the future of this vital corridor.

Submit your suggestion for the name of the new expressway, along with a brief explanation, by Friday, October 24, 2025. The new name will be selected in early 2026 Each participant will have the opportunity to enter a raffle for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Fill out the survey at: rctc.org/79-survey

The Riverside County Transportation Commission recently approved funding for 12 bicycle and pedestrian projects in nine cities under the SB 821 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program. The program is administered by RCTC and funding is derived from the state’s Local Transportation Fund (LTF). Every two years, RCTC releases a call for projects in which all local agencies within the county can apply. During this year’s funding cycle, the Commission received 29 project proposals from 18 agencies competing for the $6.9 million in available funding.

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, the engineering or construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, maintenance of bicycle trails, restriping of bicycle lanes, development of bicycle and pedestrian master plans, and bicycle safety education programs.

After careful review, the Commission approved several projects that include street improvements, new bikeways, and a planning study to help shape future development. Nine cities from across the County, including the Coachella Valley, the Temecula Valley, and western Riverside County will be receiving funding.

The 12 projects that were awarded SB 821 funds include:

• City of Jurupa Valley – Pacific Avenue Active Transportation Project ($690,120)
• City of San Jacinto – Lyon Ave. Pedestrian Safety Improvements ($374,948)
• City of Corona – Bicycle Master Plan Update ($400,000)
• City of Indian Wells – Fairway Dr. Complete Street Bicycle and Safety Improvements ($690,120)
• City of Indian Wells – Eldorado Dr. Complete Street Bicycle and Safety Improvements ($690,120)
• City of Menifee – Paloma Wash Pedestrian Bridge ($690,120)
• Cathedral City – Whispering Palms Trail Class III Bike Routes ($690,000)
• Cathedral City – Perez Rd Class IV Separated Bikeways ($510,000)
• City of Riverside – Citywide Pedestrian & Bicycle Improvements Project ($671,887)
• City of Riverside – Stover Avenue Sidewalk Improvements ($594,500)
• City of Temecula – Pauba Road Sidewalk Improvements ($362,600)
• City of Hemet – FY 23/24 Various Street Pedestrian Improvements ($536,786)

Projects that were awarded funds will contribute to public safety, multimodal access, and expansion of commuter options in Riverside County.

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: Three new lots open in Beaumont, San Jacinto, and Temecula

Busy morning? After taking the kiddos to school, dropping off Fido at doggy daycare, and grabbing a cup of coffee, you could use a convenient spot to park your car and continue your commute to work. With more and more employees returning to the office as COVID-19 restrictions ease, and with rising prices at the gas pump, it’s a great time to check out ridesharing options.

Park & Ride Lots are the perfect spot to meet your carpool and vanpool partners or to connect to train and bus routes. The lots offer safe, well-lit places to park and help reduce highway congestion by promoting carpooling and transit use. Ridesharing also decreases pollution and helps you save money by driving less.

The Riverside County Transportation Commission, working with public and private entities, manages 32 Park & Ride Lots in western Riverside County, as part of its overall goal of providing alternative transportation solutions. Measure A, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax in Riverside County, provides funding for commuter assistance programs, like ridesharing, teleworking, and Park & Ride Lots, helping to reduce traffic congestion and offer incentives to those who drive less.

In the last few months, three new lots opened in Beaumont, San Jacinto and Temecula. Drivers will need to park in marked stalls and follow posted signs:

1. City of Beaumont – 600 E. 6^th, Beaumont

Next to the Beaumont Civic Center, this lot features three electric vehicle charging stations. Bus stops that serve RTA CommuterLink Routes 120 and 125 as well as Beaumont Transit Routes 3 and 4 are just across the street

2. City of San Jacinto – 501 S. San Jacinto Ave., San Jacinto

This lot is adjacent to San Jacinto City Hall and is just one block (Route 79 & 6^th Street) from RTA bus stops that serve Routes 42, 74 and 79 and one block (Route 79 & Main Street) from the RTA Route 32 stop.

3. Grace Presbyterian Church – 31143 Nicolas Rd., Temecula

This lot is open Monday to Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. (no parking on the weekends) and provides easy access to I-15 from Winchester Road

For a listing of all of the Park and Ride Lots in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, click here. And to learn more about ridesharing, including commute options, teleworking, incentives, vanpool subsidies, and support for employers, go to iecommuter.org.