LOS ANGELES– The Metrolink 91/Perris Valley Line Extension Project, funded by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) has been chosen by the California Transportation Foundation as the 2016 Transit Project of the Year.
The 24-mile commuter rail extension offers train service between Perris and Riverside and is part of Metrolink’s 91/Perris Valley Line. The route connects to Los Angeles Union Station with station stops in Corona, Fullerton and additional locations in Los Angeles and Riverside counties.
The new, $247-million extension to the 91/Perris Valley Line was funded through a combination of federal, state and Riverside County’s voter-approved Measure A sales tax program. The project included the construction of the new Perris-South, Perris-Downtown, March Field/Moreno Valley and Riverside-Hunter Park/UCR stations. Since the launch of the extension in June 2016, daily passenger trips on the 91/Perris Valley Line have grown by 6.5 percent. The four new stations average nearly 400 total boardings each weekday.
Metrolink Chairman Andrew Kotyuk, an RCTC commissioner and San Jacinto City councilman cited close cooperation between agencies as a main reason for the award and the success of the line.
“Metrolink provides a quality service for commuters throughout Southern California,” said Kotyuk. “In the case of the 91/Perris Valley Line Extension, RCTC and Metrolink worked together to bring the quality of service to more people and I expect ridership to continue to grow.”
In order to boost ridership and introduce the new rail stations to the community, RCTC and Metrolink have offered discount programs for those using the four new extension stations.
The award for the project was presented by the California Transportation Foundation, a charitable organization that offers scholarships to students pursuing a career in the transportation industry and provides financial assistance to transportation workers who are injured on the job. Each year the organization honors and highlights significant projects and people in the transportation industry.
“The CTF does great work in advancing transportation in California,” said Dana Reed who serves as the first vice chair of RCTC and is a member of the Indian Wells City Council. “It’s an honor to be recognized for this project, but it’s also indicative of how important the role of public transit is in California and Riverside County.”
For more information on Metrolink and the 91/Perris Valley Line, please go towww.metrolinktrains.com.
ABOUT METROLINK (www.metrolinktrains.com)
Metrolink is Southern California's regional commuter rail service in its 24th year of operation. Metrolink is governed by The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), a joint powers authority made up of an 11-member board representing the transportation commissions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Metrolink operates seven routes through a six-county, 538 route-mile network. Metrolink’s passengers travel approximately 441 million miles each year, making Metrolink the second busiest public transportation provider in Southern California. Metrolink is the third largest commuter rail agency in the United States based on directional route miles and the eighth largest based on annual ridership.
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