Agenda Report on MOU between cities

Browse Search

Item #13 CITY OF COLTON AGENDA REPORT FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF OCTOBER 15, 2002 To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Kathy A. Kivley, Assistant to the City Manager Subject: Approve Cooperative Agreement by and between the Cities of Moreno Valley and Colton and Counties of San Bernardino and Riverside Date: October 7, 2002 BACKGROUND In May 1999 Riverside County began preparing the Riverside County Integrated Project (RCIP). There are three parts to the RCIP: 1) Development of a new County General Plan; 2) Development of Multi - Species Habitat conservation Plan (MSHCP); and 3) Development of the Community and Environmental Transportation Acceptability Process (CETAP). Each of the three elements has an advisory committee guiding that particular area. Included within the scope of the CETAP process was the identification of transportation corridor options to improve the flow of traffic between and to four counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange. To look for more green space, better definition of communities and better integration of transportation within the community, a set of evaluation criteria was developed regarding the respective CETAP corridor alternatives. The categories were mobility, accessibility, environment, reliability, safety, livable communities, equity, cost effectiveness and customer satisfaction. After lengthy deliberations the corridors options were reduced for further study from approximately eleven to four. Those corridors are Banning -Beaumont, Riverside -Orange County, Moreno Valley -San Bernardino (North South Corridor) and I-15 Hemet -Lake Elsinore/Corona. The intent of behind developing the corridors is to maintain mobility on the two County highway systems through linkages to and from the counties. The corridors include opportunities for a network of bikeways, pathways and equestrian trails as this transportation system develops. There are key issues to consider pertaining to the development of the North South Corridor. There is extensive support from all the cities along this corridor to improve transportation between Moreno Valley and San Bernardino County. Since early in 2000, the cities of Moreno Valley, Riverside, Yucaipa, Redlands, Loma Linda, Grand Terrace, San Bernardino and Rialto and the counties of San Bernardino and Riverside met extensively to discuss this crucial transportation issue. These meetings also included representatives from the two transportation agencies, San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) and Riverside County Transportation Agency (RCTC). As participants in this issue, all the municipalities realize that the congestion problem on the SR -60/I-215 from Moreno Valley to San Bernardino will continue to exist even after the planned improvements are complete. This type of participation indicates that this is a timely opportunity to develop a set of plans for the future relative to congestion relief on the major arterials. All the jurisdictions agree there is no room to develop a major freeway type alternative. The emphasis of our talks is on the improvements to the arterial system. The jurisdictions decided it was important to spread the traffic so all the municipalities shared the burdened regarding traffic congestion and transportation problems. Additionally, there is great concern over the environment and on maintaining the rural life style in the areas bordering the two counties along any of the arterial connections between Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. From the initial research conducted by the consultants for the CETAP process, it was determined the greatest conflicts with habitat are along San Timoteo Canyon Road and Live Oak Canyon Road. Two alternatives initially considered were eliminated in the development of considerations for this corridor. Widening Redlands Boulevard to San Timoteo Canyon Road and widening and realigning San Timoteo Canyon Road from Redlands Boulevard in the Unincorporated Riverside County to Barton Road in