Public input sought for RCTC Draft Traffic Relief Plan

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The public is invited to provide feedback regarding a Draft Traffic Relief Plan designed by the Riverside County Transportation Commission.

Anne Mayer of RCTC presented highlights of the plan to the Menifee City Council on March 6. The plan was developed after a 2023 survey of residents about transportation needs in Riverside County. This is an update of the 2020 Traffic Relief Plan.

RCTC oversees construction and maintenance of freeway interchanges, highways, local street conditions, the RTA system, and Metrolink. Proposed and/or approved projects in Southwest Riverside County include:

-- A 215 Freeway interchange at Garbani Road in Menifee. The Holland Road Overpass will help reduce congestion, but it does not have freeway access. The Garbani interchange will give motorists an alternative between the Scott Road and Newport Road interchanges.

-- A 215 Freeway interchange at Keller Road in Murrieta. This will provide easier access to the Kaiser Permanente facility and medical corridor along Antelope Road.

-- Pothole repair on local highways. According to the 2023 survey, 92 percent of respondents said their highest priority was having roads on good condition.

-- Expansion of Ethanac Road to provide a regional connection from Menifee west to Lake Elsinore.

-- A $17 billion project to construct an expanded section of Highway 79 from Winchester to Lambs Canyon north of San Jacinto. Design is underway for the first phase of the highway, which will replace the dated two-lane road from Domenigoni Parkway north to Simpson Road in Winchester.

None of these projects are currently funded. RCTC is proposing a one-cent sales tax that must be approved by voters, although nothing is currently on the ballot. Mayer said such a tax would raise an estimated $25 billion over the next 30 years for road expansion and maintenance.

Residents may view the Draft Traffic Relief Plan at www.trafficreliefplan.org. Comments are being solicited through March 31. Residents may call 951-787-7141 or email trafficreliefplan@rctc.org to leave comments.