Construction Contract Awarded for the I-215 South Widening Project

At the December 8, 2010 Commission meeting, a $14.5 construction contract was awarded to All American Asphalt for the I-215 South widening project between Murrieta Hot Springs Road and Scott Road in the city of Murrieta. The project design includes the addition of a third general purpose lane in the center median in the northbound and southbound directions, minor drainage improvements, and ramp metering. Complete details of the project can be found at www.i215project.info.

2011 Election of Officers —
Cathedral City’s Greg Pettis Elected Chair of RCTC

Cathedral City’s Greg Pettis was elected to serve as the Commission’s Chair for 2011. Supervisor John Benoit will serve as First Vice Chair and Corona’s Councilmember Karen Spiegel will serve as Second Vice Chair.

Pettis has served on the Commission since 1999, and has been on Cathedral City’s council since 1994. He has served on a number of regional boards including the Southern California Association of Governments and the League of Cities.

Riverside County Supervisor Benoit will serve as the Commission’s First Vice Chair. He has extensive political experience including several years in the State legislature and Senate. He was appointed to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 2009 and was elected to a four-year term in June 2010.

Spiegel will serve as RCTC’s Second Vice Chair. She was elected to the Corona City Council in 2002 and served as Mayor in 2006 and again in 2010. She serves on a number of regional boards including the League of California Cities, Riverside Division.

Metrolink’s New Safety-Enhanced Rail Cars

Metrolink, Southern California’s passenger rail provider, unveiled its new state-of-the-art cab and passenger rail cars equipped with collision-absorption technology at a series of stops throughout Metrolink’s five-county service area. The new cars dubbed the Guardian Fleet by Metrolink and manufactured by Hyundai Rotem include energy-absorbing retractable couplers, a crumple zone, and tables designed to minimize passenger injuries. In addition, the cab cars have an elevated train engineer compartment providing enhanced visibility and safety for the engineer. Ten of the stainless steel cars were placed into service on December 13, 2010. An additional 127 rail cars are ordered and should be placed into service by 2012.

2011 Commission Meeting Schedule

The Commission will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on January 12, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. at the Riverside County Administrative Center, Board of Supervisors Meeting Room, 4080 Lemon Street, Riverside. A copy of the 2011 Commission/Committee Meeting and Transit Needs Public Hearing Schedule can be accessed by clicking here.

Speaker’s Bureau

The Commission also maintains a speaker’s bureau that actively makes presentations throughout the county on transportation issues. If you are interested in scheduling a presentation for your service club or community organization, please contact Eliza Echevarria at (951) 787‑7141 or eechevarria@rctc.org.

Follow RCTC on Twitter

In an effort to enhance public outreach, the Commission created a twitter account — an internet messaging site that allows anyone to post information on a real time basis. If you use Twitter, you can follow the Commission at twitter.com/RCTC.

Interested in what’s happening with traffic in the Inland Empire? IE511 is your best source for getting around Southern California. Real-time traffic for Southern California, including travel times, freeway cameras, and incident information. IE511 also offers bus and rail transit information as well as rideshare for those seeking an alternative to automobile travel. Connect on the go. Call 511 within the Inland Empire or rely on IE511 wherever you go by calling 1‑877‑MYIE511.

Transportation in the News