MURRIETA CITY COUNCIL
Governing Body Reports
Mayor Pro Tem Warren
December 17, 2024
Received After Agenda Printed
12/17/2024 - Regular Meeting
GOVERNING BODY REPORTS
Presentation
Governing Body Reports
Mayor Pro Tem Warren
[email protected]
December 11, 2024
Attended the Riverside County Transportation Commission:
Consent Calendar
Amendment to 2025 Commission/Committee Meeting Schedule • The Commission approved moving the February 12 Commission meeting to February 20 to coincide with the Annual Workshop.
Discussion Highlights
Agreement for the Preparation of Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) for the SR – 79 Realignment Segment 3 Project (SR79 Seg 3)
• Following the Commission direction two years ago to identify a new approach to deliver some portion of the SR-79 Realignment Project in the near term, earlier this year the Commission approved moving forward with the southerly segment of SR-79 Realignment in the Winchester area.
• This summer, RCTC advertised an RFQ for a consultant to perform the final design (PS&E) for SR-79 Segment 3 between Simpson Road and Newport Road. • On December 11, the Commission approved a contract with Jacobs Engineering to design this segment of SR-79 Realignment for a total not to exceed amount of $14,714,000.
Governing Body Reports
Mayor Pro Tem Warren
[email protected]
December 11, 2024
Agreement for the Preparation of Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) for the SR – 79 Realignment Segment 3 Project (SR79 Seg 3) (Continued) • The Commission also approved a cooperative agreement with County of Riverside Transportation and Land Management Agency and an MOU with Western Riverside County Council of Governments for TUMF Zone funding of $35 million. • The contract will include the SR-79 Seg 3 final design as well as a traffic study for this segment.
The Commission will receive updates on the traffic study before design is completed. PS&E for SR-79 Seg 3 is expected to be completed in 2027.
• The overall SR-79 Realignment Project proposes to build a 12-mile County Expressway with 2 lanes in each direction extending from Ramona Expressway to Newport Road providing a safer and more direct north-south route serving the community of Winchester, the cities of Hemet and San Jacinto and unincorporated Riverside County.
• As detailed in the 2023 Corridor Analysis, a Caltrans facility is no longer viable due to funding constraints and state policy changes related to Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). Following the Commission direction from the January 2024 Workshop, the facility will be designed to meet the County of Riverside Transportation and Land Management Agency (CRTLMA) standards and be maintained by CRTLMA.
Governing Body Reports
Mayor Pro Tem Warren
[email protected]
December 11, 2024
Agreement for the Preparation of Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) for the SR – 79 Realignment Segment 3 Project (SR79 Seg 3) (Continued) • The proposed cross section would include a future transit corridor and multi-use trail. The facility would include at-grade intersections in lieu of freeway interchanges. • Next steps include continued ROW acquisitions, Environmental Revalidation, a Traffic Study to identify any potential modifications required to address and distribute traffic, and identifying funding for construction.
State and Federal Legislative Update
• The Commission adopted its 2025 State and Federal Legislative Platform, which will guide policy and legislative efforts for the next year.
• Friday, December 13 is the deadline to submit public comments for the California State Transportation Agency’s (CalSTA) Draft 2024 Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) Actions.
• If approved as written, the Draft 2024 CAPTI Actions would make needed highway improvements less competitive for SB 1 gas tax funding, resulting in more traffic for Riverside County residents.
• Residents are encouraged to learn more and make their voice heard by visiting RCTC.org/TakeAction.
Governing Body Reports
Mayor Pro Tem Warren
[email protected]
December 11, 2024
State and Federal Legislative Update (Continued)
• In addition to preparing its own comments, RCTC drafted template letters for use by the cities. Comments can be submitted to CalSTA at [email protected].
Election of RCTC Officers
• The Commission held an election of officers for 2025. Supervisor Karen Spiegel was elected Chair; City of Cathedral City Councilmember Raymond Gregory was elected as Vice-Chair; and City of Canyon Lake Councilmember Jeremy Smith was elected Second Vice Chair.
Appointment of Executive Committee Members
• The Commission approved the appointment of the following Executive Committee members: Commissioners Berkson (Jurupa Valley), Speake (Corona), Krupa (Hemet), and Harnik (Palm Desert).
Governing Body Reports
Mayor Pro Tem Warren
[email protected]
December 11, 2024
Executive Director Report
• This past Saturday, December 7th, RCTC in partnership with Metrolink held the 2nd Annual Holiday Express Train. Nearly 2,000 residents boarded the Metrolink’s special holiday train from RCTC’s Downtown Riverside Station. The event was held in partnership and support from the City of Riverside, Riverside Police Department, Riverside Fire Department and various community partners and business who hosted outreach booths and ensure the event was a great success. • Commissioner Lloyd White (Beaumont) concluded his service as Chair of the Commission for 2024 with gratitude expressed by the Commission.