The Point: Funding will support rail and highway improvements to reduce congestion and enhance mobility for residents
RCTC is paving the way for transportation improvements in Riverside County! The Commission secured $9.5 million in federal community project funding through legislation signed into law on March 9. This funding will help fund the Coachella Valley Rail Project, State Route 91 Eastbound Corridor Operations Project, and the Metrolink Double Track Project: Moreno Valley to Perris. These projects will help enhance mobility, transportation choice, and travel time reliability across Riverside County.
Representative Calvert secured RCTC’s request for $5 million to advance the Tier II environmental phase of the Coachella Valley (CV) Rail Project. This game-changing project aims to deliver daily intercity passenger rail service between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley.
CV Rail service would extend 144 miles from Los Angeles Union Station to Indio, and offer stops at nine stations across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties. As the Coachella Valley continues its rapid population and economic growth, new modes of transportation are needed to connect residents with the broader southern California region and beyond.
More than 160,000 people travel through the San Gorgonio Pass daily, adding to congestion on local highways. CV Rail will offer an alternative to driving that will enhance mobility while improving air quality for surrounding communities. CV Rail fills the unmet need of connecting travelers from across the region with restaurants, resorts, music festivals, sports facilities, and other tourism and economic centers.
Thanks to Representative Young Kim, $4 million was awarded to the State Route 91 Eastbound Corridor Operations Project (91 ECOP). Eastbound traffic on State Route 91 near the Riverside/Orange County border experiences frequent congestion, particularly in the late afternoons and evenings as residents return from work and school. Additionally, more than 40% of the nation’s goods travel through inland southern California on trucks traveling east along State Route 91.
The 91 ECOP addresses these congestion challenges by adding a non-tolled lane on eastbound State Route 91 between the State Route 241 Toll Road and State Route 71 in Corona. This project will reduce traffic delays and improve safety for travelers by reducing merging and weaving between lanes.
Rounding out the award of federal funds, RCTC received $500,000 for the Metrolink Double Track Project: Moreno Valley to Perris, which was made possible by Representative Mark Takano. The Metrolink 91/Perris Valley Line currently only has one set of tracks, limiting opportunities to provide additional, bidirectional service to meet the growing transportation needs of residents in Riverside County. The project will add a second track between the Moreno Valley/March Field Station and north of the Perris-Downtown Station.
The project is adjacent to historically underinvested communities that need reliable and efficient transit options that serve as alternatives to driving along the congested Interstate 215. Residents will enjoy enhanced access to jobs and education, reduced air pollution, and increased service as Metrolink seeks to achieve its goal of providing bidirectional service every 30 minutes ahead of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.
RCTC thanks Representatives Calvert, Kim, and Takano for their leadership in delivering transportation funding to Riverside County – improving mobility and quality of life for residents.