Post by jeffe77 on Apr 2, 2007 8:03:58 GMT -8
www.pe.com/localnews/sanbernardino/stories/PE_News_Local_B_brail02.412d33d.html
By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
San Bernardino County transportation officials will take another step this week toward bringing passenger rail service to Redlands.
The San Bernardino Associated Governments board of directors is scheduled to consider approval of a plan Wednesday that outlines the route and station locations for the 9.1-mile extension that will connect to the Metrolink station in San Bernardino.
The plan, which was released in November and has been presented to the three affected cities for tentative backing, also suggests zoning changes near the proposed stations, promoting a concept called transit-oriented development.
Some aspects of the extension remain to be worked out, including the location of a station in downtown Redlands. The study suggests three alternatives, with one near Orange and Eureka streets as the favored option.
The plan calls for an additional Metrolink station to be built at a proposed transit center at E Street and Rialto Avenue. The Redlands line would be part of a separate connecting system with six stations, ending at the University of Redlands.
The new line still is several years away but approval of the plan will set the stage for more in-depth studies and for SANBAG to prepare an application for $75 million in federal funding. The agency already has $75 million set aside from the county Measure I sales tax to pay for the $150 million project.
"It moves us one step closer to having passenger rail in Redlands but this is going to be a lengthy process," Cheryl Donahue, SANBAG spokeswoman, said of the Wednesday vote.
In addition to E Street, the proposed line includes stations at Mill Street near Waterman Avenue and Tippecanoe Avenue near Hospitality Lane, both in San Bernardino; and in Redlands, California Street near Interstate 10, Alabama Street near Redlands Boulevard, downtown Redlands, and the University of Redlands, near the south end of the campus.
The downtown Redands location remains in question because of objections from George Krikorian, owner of the Krikorian Theatre, who said it would affect property he owns. The Redlands City Council endorsed the plan but did not name its preference for a downtown site.
Krikorian said he supports the concept of public transit but is concerned that rail passengers will take away parking for his customers.
"Obviously, that would have a negative impact on our operations," he said.
Donahue said SANBAG and city officials have met with Krikorian and believed that he was comfortable with the proposed station's location.
With approval of the plan, the cities of San Bernardino, Loma Linda and Redlands will be asked to start considering land-use changes around the proposed stations, such as denser housing, commercial development, pedestrian and bicycle paths and other amenities. The idea is to make it easier for people to walk or ride their bikes to the station, instead of getting in their cars, according to the study.
The station sites already lend themselves to that concept, being near shopping centers, job centers, or in the case of the University of Redlands, a proposed faculty housing project, the report states.
"It's kind of a shift from the traditional suburban style of living," Donahue said. "It's something a lot of the cities are starting to embrace."
Elected officials from the three cities involved who sit on the SANBAG board have come out in support of the plan.
San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris said the plan's endorsement of encouraging homeownership near the downtown San Bernardino station fits with the city's goal of revitalizing its core.
"This is a critical part of our redevelopment in downtown," he said at a SANBAG meeting last month.
Reach Imran Ghori at 909-806-3061 or ighori@PE.com
www.pe.com/localnews/sanbernardino/stories/PE_News_Local_B_brail02.412d33d.html
By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
San Bernardino County transportation officials will take another step this week toward bringing passenger rail service to Redlands.
The San Bernardino Associated Governments board of directors is scheduled to consider approval of a plan Wednesday that outlines the route and station locations for the 9.1-mile extension that will connect to the Metrolink station in San Bernardino.
The plan, which was released in November and has been presented to the three affected cities for tentative backing, also suggests zoning changes near the proposed stations, promoting a concept called transit-oriented development.
Some aspects of the extension remain to be worked out, including the location of a station in downtown Redlands. The study suggests three alternatives, with one near Orange and Eureka streets as the favored option.
The plan calls for an additional Metrolink station to be built at a proposed transit center at E Street and Rialto Avenue. The Redlands line would be part of a separate connecting system with six stations, ending at the University of Redlands.
The new line still is several years away but approval of the plan will set the stage for more in-depth studies and for SANBAG to prepare an application for $75 million in federal funding. The agency already has $75 million set aside from the county Measure I sales tax to pay for the $150 million project.
"It moves us one step closer to having passenger rail in Redlands but this is going to be a lengthy process," Cheryl Donahue, SANBAG spokeswoman, said of the Wednesday vote.
In addition to E Street, the proposed line includes stations at Mill Street near Waterman Avenue and Tippecanoe Avenue near Hospitality Lane, both in San Bernardino; and in Redlands, California Street near Interstate 10, Alabama Street near Redlands Boulevard, downtown Redlands, and the University of Redlands, near the south end of the campus.
The downtown Redands location remains in question because of objections from George Krikorian, owner of the Krikorian Theatre, who said it would affect property he owns. The Redlands City Council endorsed the plan but did not name its preference for a downtown site.
Krikorian said he supports the concept of public transit but is concerned that rail passengers will take away parking for his customers.
"Obviously, that would have a negative impact on our operations," he said.
Donahue said SANBAG and city officials have met with Krikorian and believed that he was comfortable with the proposed station's location.
With approval of the plan, the cities of San Bernardino, Loma Linda and Redlands will be asked to start considering land-use changes around the proposed stations, such as denser housing, commercial development, pedestrian and bicycle paths and other amenities. The idea is to make it easier for people to walk or ride their bikes to the station, instead of getting in their cars, according to the study.
The station sites already lend themselves to that concept, being near shopping centers, job centers, or in the case of the University of Redlands, a proposed faculty housing project, the report states.
"It's kind of a shift from the traditional suburban style of living," Donahue said. "It's something a lot of the cities are starting to embrace."
Elected officials from the three cities involved who sit on the SANBAG board have come out in support of the plan.
San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris said the plan's endorsement of encouraging homeownership near the downtown San Bernardino station fits with the city's goal of revitalizing its core.
"This is a critical part of our redevelopment in downtown," he said at a SANBAG meeting last month.
Reach Imran Ghori at 909-806-3061 or ighori@PE.com
www.pe.com/localnews/sanbernardino/stories/PE_News_Local_B_brail02.412d33d.html