Riverside County officials seek residents’ input on proposed ‘Traffic Relief Plan’

Riverside County residents who want to voice their opinions about where transportation funding should be allocated over the next few years are encouraged to take a look at the proposed "2024 Traffic Relief Plan," which will be open to public comment until the end of March.

"Upgrades and improvements to our highways, local roads and public transportation are crucial to keeping pace with growth in what remains one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation,'' Riverside County Transportation Commission Chairman Lloyd White said.

"There's no question that we need to make calculated investments in our county transportation infrastructure, not only to maintain and improve mobility, but also to keep growth from overwhelming our ability to live, work, learn, explore, go places and enjoy life,'' he said.

RCTC's draft 2024 Traffic Relief Plan contains a list of proposed investments in the region, including the Riverside metropolitan area, Coachella Valley, Temecula Valley and San Gorgonio Pass.

"The TRP is a comprehensive countywide strategic blueprint to reduce traffic congestion by constructing highway improvements, repairing potholes on local roads and streets, increasing the frequency of public transportation and fortifying our county's transportation infrastructure against natural disasters,'' according to an RCTC statement.   

The last relief plan was circulated for public review in 2020.   

Residents are welcome to submit their opinions on the latest one until March 31.  

The plan summary and descriptions of funding opportunities are available at https://www.rctc.org/traffic-relief-plan/.   

The commission is slated to take the submissions under consideration and vote on the overall plan before the start of summer.   

"We need public input to make the best decisions we can on prioritizing transportation projects and ensuring the strongest possible Traffic Relief Plan,'' White said.