PROJECT SCHEDULE

How was the Perris Valley Line developed?

After the successful launch of Metrolink in 1992, RCTC took steps to leverage the potential for commuter rail as a solution to growing traffic congestion by purchasing the San Jacinto Branch Line from Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) in 1993.

In 2002, RCTC created the Perris Valley Line project, holding a series of six public meetings. In early 2004, RCTC, with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), conducted an Alternatives Analysis to evaluate transit options for alleviating current and forecasted transportation deficiencies. This included a no-project option that studied projected roadway planning efforts, an express bus service, and new commuter rail service. Commuter rail was found to offer the best alternative to congested roadways, improving mobility for residents and commuters and also contributing to reduced congestion.

Approval of the draft EA was delayed a number of times as a result of the need to refine ridership modeling data. RCTC’s engineering team helped to resolve the concerns and approval was expected at the beginning of 2009.

In order to qualify the Perris Valley Line project for federal funding, a federal Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared. Four public outreach meetings were held and the EA was circulated for review and comment.

In 2007, FTA qualified the project for funding with a medium-high rating under the “Small Starts” portion of the “New Starts” program. RCTC has selected the Perris Valley Line project as its locally preferred alternative for providing public transit service to the area.

In 2008, engineering was conducted in order to complete studies under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and discover what, if any, environmental impacts might result from the project. These studies were conducted in 2008. During the process, engineering was modified to minimize environmental impacts and two public outreach meetings were held to update the community.

In 2009, both the FTA and RCTC decided to conduct further studies. FTA decided to require a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) to refresh the 2004 information and to obtain new public comment. RCTC had decided to prepare a full Draft EIR under CEQA in order to clarify concerns and address new station site options. The Draft EIR was released for public comment on April 5, 2010, with the public comment peroid closing on May 24, 2010. The comments received are currently under review. Both sets of studies are expected to be completed in late 2010.