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Re: David missed a late one from the doped up sexually obsessed troll....County-the 91 widening...
Author: FUD
Date: 09-10-2023 - 14:37
Riverside still runs buses...including from Moreno Valley and UCR to downtown Riverside, near the Amtrak/Metrolink station. Not sure about buses to Perris, but they probably exist, and run more often than a diesel train on single track can.
As for the sales tax, did it not carve out a hold for operational funds of various transit services? Like the Arrow thing in San Berdoo? Running commuter trains for local transit service (i.e. downtown Riverside to Perris) is a local transit service, and not properly the business of Metrolink itself. If the sales tax did not carve out a transit project (and operating) portion, then they did it wrong.
FWIW, we're seeing the same kind of thing happening in Sac. Huge projects like the Hwy 50 reconstruction (which was definitely needed) adding toll (HOV discount) lanes are eating basically all of the Measure funds that aren't explicitly reserved to transit. Even some local arterial projects that are needed are now getting stiffed to keep the freeway money flowing. Luckily, a portion of the Measure did get reserved, so a couple of transit projects are happening - relatively modest, but useful, like replacing nearly-40 yr old light rail cars, and adding passing sidings so rail service to a few stations can be expanded from 1/2 hour to 15 minute headways. Ridership still hasn't recovered a lot, but it's there, and once the state joins the crowd mandating actual office time it should recover more.
I wonder where the money for all the work on 99 is coming from? Lots of reconstruction and widening, and in one place conversion to freeway (the last gap) has been done. Those counties don't have the kind of funding capacity (in the STIP) to do all of that, and only a couple have Measures. Yes, some has been done by HSR (a magnificent superslab in Fresno to make space for the tracks; that's one of the reasons HSR is costing so much). But I don't think the seemingly permanent reconstruction and widening projects between Modesto and Chowchilla are funded by HSR. Then there's the huge interchange and brand-new freeway in Bakersfield, also under construction nearly forever (though now making visible progress, and yes, Kern Co. does have a Measure that's covering part of the cost). Frankly, even with the construction zones, 99 is an easier drive (mostly better pavement, and more places to pass the trucks) than I-5 these days.
As for the sales tax, did it not carve out a hold for operational funds of various transit services? Like the Arrow thing in San Berdoo? Running commuter trains for local transit service (i.e. downtown Riverside to Perris) is a local transit service, and not properly the business of Metrolink itself. If the sales tax did not carve out a transit project (and operating) portion, then they did it wrong.
FWIW, we're seeing the same kind of thing happening in Sac. Huge projects like the Hwy 50 reconstruction (which was definitely needed) adding toll (HOV discount) lanes are eating basically all of the Measure funds that aren't explicitly reserved to transit. Even some local arterial projects that are needed are now getting stiffed to keep the freeway money flowing. Luckily, a portion of the Measure did get reserved, so a couple of transit projects are happening - relatively modest, but useful, like replacing nearly-40 yr old light rail cars, and adding passing sidings so rail service to a few stations can be expanded from 1/2 hour to 15 minute headways. Ridership still hasn't recovered a lot, but it's there, and once the state joins the crowd mandating actual office time it should recover more.
I wonder where the money for all the work on 99 is coming from? Lots of reconstruction and widening, and in one place conversion to freeway (the last gap) has been done. Those counties don't have the kind of funding capacity (in the STIP) to do all of that, and only a couple have Measures. Yes, some has been done by HSR (a magnificent superslab in Fresno to make space for the tracks; that's one of the reasons HSR is costing so much). But I don't think the seemingly permanent reconstruction and widening projects between Modesto and Chowchilla are funded by HSR. Then there's the huge interchange and brand-new freeway in Bakersfield, also under construction nearly forever (though now making visible progress, and yes, Kern Co. does have a Measure that's covering part of the cost). Frankly, even with the construction zones, 99 is an easier drive (mostly better pavement, and more places to pass the trucks) than I-5 these days.
