Traffic Trouble in Temecula and the state

Huge development plans are in store in Temecula and The Transit Coalition is keeping a close watch on such smart growth proposals in order to combat exacerbated traffic trouble in Temecula where forced traffic flow and congestion are already present. One major development project advocated by the city is the revitalization of a commercial corridor linking the Old Town district toward the northern city border. The Jefferson Avenue vision calls for large parks, an uptown district, a sports area, an arts district and mixed use buildings ranging from 3-8 stories. A second major plan proposes additional housing, a school and potentially a second hospital or college/university campus in between the Old Town area and the foothills to the west.

Transit and highway infrastructure must be upgraded if this development is to prosper—no question. The existing infrastructure near the I-15 freeway corridor simply cannot sustain current demands let alone the additional vehicles generated by the development proposed. Try heading into or leaving Temecula during the afternoon peak hour at 5 pm. Ask the locals just how bad traffic can get near the I-15 freeway. Earlier this month, a large event in the region caused a local Temecula freeway off ramp queue to back up into the main freeway lanes, causing a chain reaction that slowed traffic for five miles. We don't want Temecula to become the next Corona Crawl.

To be fair, both Temecula and its neighbor Murrieta have been proactive in getting infrastructure built and plans are moving forward with a local interchange project which involves shutting down a major off ramp in the area next weekend.

However, much more needs to be done in order to get the region's transportation network into stability and the state needs to be held accountable for getting this done. On top of what is locally proposed, Temecula is going to need several more amenities in order to sustain the continued growth demand: Dual high occupancy lanes in each direction along the I-15 between Corona and Escondido which support free non-transponder carpooling, direct access ramps between the HOV/HOT lanes and transit hubs, additional north/south connectors between Temecula and Murrieta, an extension of the Metrolink Perris Valley Line into the region, a BRT line between the Pechanga Resort and Lake Elsinore, hourly all-day intercity bus service offered by the private sector between LA and San Diego, and a more direct hub-and-spoke local bus network. All this will not be possible unless the state stops displacing transportation funds and gas tax revenue to other special interest programs.

Temecula: Getting transit into Old Town's transit-oriented development

The City of Temecula has earmarked public funds toward the development of additional mixed use affordable housing in its robust historic downtown district. The city's proposals are certainly sound ideas. Old Town will be a livable community, oriented around people rather than cars. The apartment complexes on the west side of town are just a few blocks away from the central core. Old Town Temecula has numerous shops, restaurants, a fire station, police station, and Temecula City Hall within walking or biking distance for its residents. Shops front directly with the sidewalk, as with offices, and residential units above the shops. Add in a some service-oriented jobs and commercial retail storefronts and Old Town will one day be completely livable.

Getting transit into Old Town Temecula:

Viable public transit and bus infrastructure is needed to support this development in order to prevent colossal traffic congestion in the area. At present, two local RTA public bus transit routes, each operating nearly hourly, run through Old Town starting from early morning through the tail end of the evening rush hour. Route 79 (Hemet-Temecula) operates weekdays only; Route 24 (south Temecula circulator) operates daily. An additional Old Town circulator trolley route runs every Saturday from 8 am – 1 pm. In addition, a Greyhound route (San Bernardino-San Diego) stops four times per day, two times per direction.

Public officials are currently looking at a rapid transit route which will link Old Town Temecula with neighboring downtown districts up north in Murrieta, Wildomar, and Lake Elsinore. As officials continue their transit studies, one option that needs to be explored is streamlining Temecula's local bus routes into a hub-and-spoke model with Old Town serving as a potential local hub. Bus routes serving the Pechanga Parkway, Temecula Parkway, Rancho California Road, Front Street, and Jefferson Avenue corridors should seamlessly feed through Temecula's downtown district. The Old Town transfer hub may even qualify to have its own direct access ramp to/from future HOV or HOT lanes along the I-15 freeway in the long term.

Public incentives also needs to be debated and offered to the private sector so that hourly intercity bus service can be offered between San Diego and Los Angeles via the I-15 freeway corridor with potential local stops in Temecula Old Town, the planned Twin Cities Transit Center, Lake Elsinore and the Corona Transit Center. Otherwise Temecula Old Town will have a serious case of dense transit oriented development without reliable transit.

Now is the time for complete streets in the Inland Empire

(4/9/13) – IE Transit Talking Points Short

The Transit Coalition supports the development of complete streets, which in addition to the main roadway, includes concrete sidewalks, bicycle lanes or a paralleling cycleway, wide shoulders for potential street parking, and marked crossings through developed areas. For rural areas, a single multi-use bridle path located adjacent to the major roadways can complete the street. Such streets and roadways provide safe and efficient transportation choices to move people.

We believe the streets of Southern California ought to be designed to support a variety of transportation options, not just automobile travel. Streets that are designed to accommodate solely automobile traffic often cause inconveniences or even safety issues for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and equestrians.

This is possibly the case in regards to a March, 2013 pedestrian injury in Temecula. Two pedestrians were struck by a car along a segment of a major road without sidewalks which links a city library into the western part of town. Pauba Road in some parts is complete with the exception of its western segment where the injury took place. Pauba Road also has portions in the east where only the southern half of the road is complete. A local resident, Mike Baxter is petitioning to get the western segment of Pauba into a complete street which is long past due. To be fair, the city has been proactive in ensuring its streets are complete, but sidewalks feeding to/from the city library without exception need to be finished promptly on both sides of the road. Now is the time.

Productive Transit Service through Old Town Temecula

(4/1/13) – IE Transit Talking Points Short

The Transit Coalition is going to state this one more time: The bus routes running through Temecula and Murrieta need to be more direct, especially the transit lines running through Old Town Temecula. 

The City of Temecula is looking to improve public transportation options for its robust city center as numerous private sector lines, taxis and pedicabs serve the area. Talks are in place of establishing shuttles which would ferry passengers from the downtown's parking structure and public lots into the downtown core. Additional bus stops are also being conceived. Such service may work well. However, the city must not forget that streamlined public bus service under a hub-and-spoke model would also fare well for both Old Town and the connecting commercial arterial roads. Officials need to get serious of streamlining the region’s over-circuitous bus routes.

Late Night Bus Service through Old Town Temecula

(2/5/13) – IE Transit Talking Points Short

The Transit Coalition has conducted field studies in Old Town Temecula during the evening and late night hours. The area is very quiet on weeknights, but on most Friday and Saturday nights, this very walkable, transit-ready historic district is robustly active and alive, comparable to the Gas Lamp Quarter, Downtown Disney, and Hollywood Boulevard. Crowds of people fill the sidewalks and patronize numerous restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and hotels from sundown through midnight on weekend nights. Scores of taxi cabs and pedicabs can be seen roaming through the streets and parking lots. The same level of activity can be said for the Pechanga Resort five miles south of Old Town and a bowling alley a few miles to the north.

The last set of Riverside Transit Agency buses depart Old Town just before 7:00 pm on Friday and before 6:30 pm on Saturday. It is crystal clear that public bus transit service through this district and the Pechanga Resort continue through midnight on Friday and Saturday evenings given the amount of economic activity during the late night hours. Local officials should consider using some of the tax revenue generated to operate late night RTA bus departures. Such service will help combat dangerous drunk driving. Officials should tour Old Town on a Friday or Saturday night and find out for themselves.

The Twin Cities Transit Center and High Speed Rail

Coordination between local and state public agencies would be an efficient and cost effective way to build a true multi-modal Twin Cities Transit Center.

The Riverside Transit Agency has secured the funding for a proposed world-class transit center in the Temecula and Murrieta region. What makes this facility set apart from other transit centers? According to public officials, the Twin Cities Transit Center is envisioned to be a multi-modal transportation hub serving local bus routes, express bus services, potential bus rapid transit, and possible Metrolink rail extensions associated with the near term implementation of the Perris Valley Line.

It is evident that the Temecula Valley is not getting a full scale Grand Central Terminal just yet, at least not initially. To compare, the $9.1 million Twin Cities Transit Center will likely mimic the Montclair TransCenter or Pomona TransCenter; both cater to local routes, express lines, Silver Streak BRT and Metrolink trains. In contrast, Anaheim's massive intermodal transit center facility with its eye-catching architecture cost $184 million.

The transit center will without question benefit the riding public. However, The Transit Coalition has long been wondering how future high-speed rail service will fit into this transit center and has advocated for project coordination between this facility and the California High Speed Rail Authority's proposed Murrieta train station. The result would be a centralized first-rate multi-modal facility for the region. Such cooperation for a combined project has not happened and planning for two separate transit centers spaced less than two miles apart continue.

Another questionable expense of the RTA Twin Cities Transit Center is the reported $364,000 price tag for scouting a suitable location along Jefferson Avenue. To be fair, existing studies never included future rail extensions and making the transit center Metrolink and high-speed rail compatible is essential for long term planning. The site feasibility study may also address the separate train station plans by CHSRA in Murrieta, but this six-figure public expense may have fared better if the research was combined with another study, such as the Highway 395 Corridor Study or Jefferson Avenue Study Area. Officials need to ensure precious public transportation dollars are making it to the streets and are not being wasted with too many studies.

Nevertheless, the Twin Cities Transit Center remains promising for the future of mass transit in the Temecula and Murrieta region. Existing bus riders will benefit. Demand for a high-speed inland rail link through this region north to Los Angeles and south to San Diego will continue to grow. Project coordination between local and state public agencies would be an efficient and cost effective way to build a true multi-modal Twin Cities Transit Center.

Bus Transit Efficiency in Temecula & Murrieta

The cities and RTA should straighten up the routes to attract riders.



Looking to get more people to ride its local buses, the Riverside Transit Agency launched a promotional campaign for the Murrieta and Temecula area which allows local residents and employees to try out the bus for free during the month of October. RTA ran ads in local newspapers and mailed out flyers in the area. Each ad had a coupon good toward an RTA day pass which could be redeemed aboard two of the area's local bus lines, Route 23 or 24. Both routes have seen substantial ridership gains; however, productivity performance for these routes remains a bit lackluster.

Fix the Circuitous Bus Routes:
Local area bus riders have attested in the past that both of these routes are extremely long and slow, or more accurately, very circuitous. Circuitous local bus routes have many loops and extensions, are difficult to understand, and use excessive resources. This explains why Routes 23 and 24 averaged less than 8.5 passenger boardings per hour combined with a high subsidy-per-passenger rate during the month of August despite the reported ridership gains.

Studies Back Straighter Bus Routing:
Two 2007 studies, one local, one federal, confirm that Murrieta's and Temecula's bus routes should be more direct. However, one doesn't even need these studies as evidence. The RTA System Map already shows the overwhelmingly circuitous nature of Routes 23 and 24 and local trips between southern Temecula and northern Murrieta can last in excess of 1 1/2 to 2 hours according to RTA route timetables.

Here's the reality: No choice rider would want to spend well over an hour aboard a bus for a 5-7 mile local trip. If RTA and the local cities desire to incline more patrons to ride the bus in Southwest Riverside County, each of the public entities must consider ways to simplify and streamline the area's local bus routes to offer more direct and bidirectional connections while also reducing unproductive costs and maintaining local transit mobility. Streamlined bus routing with through-service at the proposed Twin Cities Transit Center and timed transfers to connecting routes would significantly speed up trips. Travel times between major activity centers would then be reduced dramatically. That's how the public can be inclined to patronize the local bus system.