One of the slowest commutes in Southern California is through the I-215 and SR 60 corridors east and south of downtown Riverside. To improve transit opportunities, the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority are extending the existing Route 91 Metrolink commuter rail line from downtown Riverside to south of the City of Perris.
Kleinfelder provided geotechnical, hazardous materials, and environmental planning for this $232 million, 24-mile long commuter rail extension project. Four new stations are part of the Perris Valley Line, as well as an overnight parking/maintenance facility at the southern-most end of the rail line. The environmental planning work consisted of preparing a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Supplemental Environmental Assessment. The documents provided analysis for the rail corridor improvements, station locations, and maintenance facility.
In addition to completion of the environmental documents, Kleinfelder was responsible for numerous environmental permits and approvals. The environmental permits included: the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Program from the County; Section 7 permit for potential endangered species impacts; approval from the Airport Land Use Commission; Air Quality Conformance determination, Section 106 concurrence from the State Historic Preservation Office; and jurisdictional area impact permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The jurisdictional impacts were mitigated by purchasing mitigation credits from a local mitigation bank, resulting in the client saving tens of thousands of dollars in long-term monitoring.
Kleinfelder successfully obtained CEQA and NEPA regulatory approvals for the much-needed Perris Valley Line by assisting the client in selecting a new preferred alignment that improved community support and environmental benefits, while reducing costs. When completed, this Metrolink extension will decrease commute times along the Los Angeles-Riverside corridor.
Location:
Riverside County, California
Owner:
Riverside County Transportation Commission
