RTA is requesting community feedback on their conceptual mobility hub plan for Vine Street.
Mobility hubs consist of major transit stations and the surrounding area. They serve a critical function in the regional transportation system as the origin, destination, or transfer point for a significant portion of trips. They are places of connectivity where different modes of transportation – from walking to biking to riding transit – come together seamlessly and where there is an intensive concentration of working, living, shopping and/or playing.
A
survey is being circulated about ideas around this new transit hub.
The survey is the latest community engagement process for this idea. Some years back there was a big concept charette requesting community participation.
One idea has been to link the hub and the Eastside Lincoln Park Neighborhood directly to downtown with a linear bike and pedestrian parkway over the 91 freeway. Not unlike the Highline in New York.
Such a parkway would open up access to some amazing Lincoln Park Neighborhood assets. I think this time around we should explore how we could use the mobility hub as a catalyst for connecting the EastSide directly to the Downtown without an added traffic burden.
As it stands right now, air quality impacts from the mobility hub traffic will affect their neighborhood the most. Any increase in density as a multi-use destination will also be felt. There must certainly be some creative ways we can use this new mobility hub as a catalyst to actually improve the neighborhood for the neighbors.
The
Eastside Heal Zone Collaborative has been doing great work in the EastSide. They have built a powerful, community based focus on health in their neighborhoods.
They hosting their
6th Annual Walk By Faith. There’s clearly some irony and disconnection here. Some unconventional mitigation to address the added air pollution burden that a successful mobility hub will necessarily bring, is certainly worth a look.
What would it be like if we planned for active transportation in a way that benefited the neighborhoods rather than accommodated more cars and traffic?
It’s the same for the desperately needed pedestrian/bike walkways from UCR along University Avenue under the freeway.
We should be looking at separating the pedestrians, bikes, boards, and scooters from the University Avenue traffic at the 215/60 ramps. Long approach ramps emanating from the now stalled, on-campus mobility hub, made from structural steel would be a safe, inexpensive, immediate solution.
With some integrated lighting and artwork, it could become the start of a workable, alternative transportation corridor all the way to downtown.
Now that CARB is nearing completion and Iowa Ave is scheduled to become four lanes from University to Martin Luther King Drive, maybe it’s worth considering. We’re sure making it easier for cars to get around. How about everyone else?
Don’t get me started on the negotiated trail access along the
entire Perris Valley MetroLink Line. Metrolink even has
trail specs already on the books. Other communities have trails along Metrolink lines.
What would it be like if we could bike and/or hike along the entire route?
The Friends Of Riverside’s Hills has donated nearly 900 acres of open space to the Box Springs Mountain Preserve.
Most critically, it includes the parcels necessary to build a tunnel and a bridge for safe trail access.
That’s the only safe option that thousands of residents and students have to regain their access to our neighborhoods’ best natural resource: Our trails.
The Friends commissioned a Master Trails Plan for the Box Springs Mountain Preserve, including a trail head at Islander Park.
The trail plan ringed the mountains at the base and at the top connecting dozens of Riverside and Moreno Valley neighborhoods with a variety of trail loop options.
The plan needs updating, but could be used to leverage transportation grant funding to develop alternative transportation networks. That’s taking mobility to a whole new level.
The Northside has been clear and vocal about preserving and restoring their Springbrook Wash trail.
That’s a key trail link to Fairmont Park and the Santa Ana River Trail.
What can we learn from a mega dense urban population like NYC? What can we apply in Riverside?
Aren’t we already feeling the impacts of increasing density? More traffic, longer delays, degrading roadways, boring vistas are all part of the daily commute we’re being forced to live with.
We’ve sold our soul and best natural assets to warehousing and we didn’t even have a designated truck route planned for the city. Go figure.
What would it be like if getting around was fun, easy, exciting … and promoted good health?
SB 1000 requires the each legislative body – city or county, to have safety and an environmental justice element integrated into their general plans.
What would it be like if we had a coordinated transportation agency response that leveraged resources for immediate community equity?
Just some thoughts…. Would love to hear about yours.
Here’s an update on Watkins Dr. UCR side parking. Nathan suggested a possible solution. I sent him video over July 4th, when little parking was evident.
UCR will be holding the first of two community meetings to discuss a proposed parking structure on Monday, April 22. The meeting will be held from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm in Room J-102 of the Bannockburn Housing Complex, located at 3637 Canyon Crest Drive, Riverside, CA 92507 – Note: Parking will be free, however please park in the North Bannockburn parking lot.
Community members, just a quick head’s up about a series of questions the City of Riverside will be posing to residents in the next four weeks regarding parking in the downtown area.
