“Trouble in Paradise”
Forum contributor blue streak 1 a few days ago alerted us to the news in Riverside’s “Press Enterprise” newspaper (and website) about the Judge’s ruling on the Friends of Riverside Hills vs. Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) lawsuit concerning the Perris Valley Line. Thanks, blue streak 1, for alerting all of us about the news. Your post-mention about “Trouble in Paradise” was a most interesting phraseology.
Residential walling is on left.
In the newspaper’s downloadable copy of the actual ruling, which I guess RCTC has 90 days to respond to, the Judge gave some very thought provoking (and extensively explained) ruling details. It seems the Judge has allowed the parties involved leeway in making the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) acceptable to both parties.
In this reviewer’s opinion, if the EIR is corrected to the Friends’ satisfaction, the “Petitioner” here, it could become a model for others to use. Of course, if BNSF gets involved more than they have been (they are listed as a “Real Party of Interest”), and brings the matter to the Federal courts, in my opinion the result could send absolute shockwaves into many environmental groups. What Federal court would rule against national security?
One point of interest to railfans was about trespassing, and the Judge’s siding with Friends. She cited the many school children that walk the trail that crosses the track. It will be interesting how RCTC (and Metrolink) addresses that issue. Obviously RCTC is not quite as adept as Class 1 railroads in dealing with trespassers (and railfans that have not caught on since 9-11). In my opinion, Friends could be the recipient of anger if the owner of the track (Southern California Regional Rail Authority commonly known Metrolink) simply puts up a somewhat costly barbed wire fence … unless that is prohibited by city ordinance. And / or simply stationing a Special Agent(s) at the trespassing site for a few days! Word WOULD spread quickly in that neighborhood! However, It is my understanding as a property owner that “No Trespassing” signs are necessary to legally keep trespassers off a property.
It should be enlightening to see how the parties involved respond, and if the EIR will be completely redone or merely fixed to the Friend’s satisfaction. RCTC could, on the other hand, just scrap the whole project. That is very, very unlikely, as almost a quarter of a billion dollars being pumped into the area is involved, and that kind of money is NOT mere child’s play money …
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
Another pro Green Weanie at work. Some of these judges are pro-green and biased from the get go. A judge in Banning ruled on a over pass to be built in Victorville, Ca. effectively killing the project. The greenies know what judges to bring a case before. You got it.
RickH
BarstowRick.com Model Railroading How To's
Oh boy trouble in paradise --- I mean Perris valley.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/perris/perris-headlines-index/20130516-perris-valley-line-judge-tosses-projects-environmental-impact-report.ece?fb_comment_id=fbc_530292643678759_5822823_530352250339465#f140f1fe95fc2a5
Erik-
Thanks for the update on the OERM. Unfortunately I have never been there but plan to go later this year. Our granddaughter is in the Navy and has been transferred to San Diego and we definately plan to visit her and OERM.
ccltrains There is also the trolley museum in Perris which would be interesting to any railfan.
There is also the trolley museum in Perris which would be interesting to any railfan.
Ahem, Railway Museum - OERM has collection of steam, diesel and various RR cars in addition to the collection of trolley and interurban equipment.
- Erik OERM member since 1989
Visiting the PVL I-215 Corridor
Part “D” (of A-D)
As the line heads southward, after the downtown Perris stop, the line curves southeastward and crosses “D” Street. Very nearby Mercado Park is being rebuilt, with attractive play equipment and big yellow flower and multi-color butterfly type structures now present.
Those at the forum that have kids or grandkids, when the Perris Valley Line is in operation and park construction is complete, the park would give a railbuff a reason to take the family on a train ride to Perris, the ‘family’ visiting the park with the railfan having one eye on the tracks …
This will conclude this short series.
Part “C” (of A-D)
In Perris proper … Forumists will undoubtedly remember this reshown photo from San Jacinto Ave., looking northward.
Those parked rail well cars have been moved northward a slight bit, and now are not in the scene.
What looks like new apartments are being built next to the future PVL.
Above, at photo time, Perris had a lot of traffic detouring and construction here and there, and the area was very traffic jam-like.
Continued in Part D
Part “B” (of A-D)
A southward view of the Alessandro Blvd area stop:
As seen on the lower left of the above photo, the presence of water piping kind of gives the area perspective, the parking lot being higher than the rail line.
One thing that strikes a person visiting the area is the tremendous amount of construction taking place along I-215. The PVL will be somewhere in the below photo’s background right.
At Van Buren Blvd. a new, wider overpass is being constructed over the freeway and tracks, with very little opportunity to photograph the site. However, this time there was a minor traffic jam thereat, which afforded while stopped the below quick northward grab shot.
Continued in Part C
Part “A” (of A-D)
On Monday, May 13, 2013 K.P. had a couple of opportunities to check out the line during some free times … and the following and subsequent Parts are a sharing of the findings.
The Perris Valley Line Environmental Impact Report (EIR) diagrams a station stop (and parking lot) just south of Alessandro Blvd. (the below photo’s bridge) that intersects the paralleling north-south I-215 Freeway.
The higher ground camera location is believed to be where the future station parking lot will be located, presumably with bridging over a concrete waterway, which bridge will allow access to the track.
As can be seen above, the terrain is not exactly flat, so putting a station stop at this location will have its design challenges.
The EIR identifies the station stop as the Moreno Valley / March Field Station.
Continued in Part B
Did “Riverside Hills” Fall Into the Ocean?
On April 24, 2013 the judge in the lawsuit gave Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) five days to respond. So far, way beyond the time allotted, nothing has surfaced in the press. K.P. is scheduled to be in that area tomorrow, Monday, May 13, and expects the roadways therein to be still present and not in the ocean.
The above Salton Sea photo shot November 24, 2012 along Union Pacific’s Sunset Route .
But, if found otherwise, this contributor will let everyone know …
History
The official website of the City of Perris has information about the railroad aspects of its history. Therein, six stopping through passenger trains and two freights are mentioned.
LINK: Brief Railroad Early History about Perris
When Metrolink trains finally come to Perris, the commuter train numbers may rival that history!
New Microwave Tower Area Follow Up
Part IV (of I-IV)
A side view of the “D” signal.
Above, note the back part of the signal is small, and does not have room for all the movable color lenses typical of common target signals that change aspects.
A final view looking south, at that microwave tower again and the Columbia Ave. grade crossing, as seen from Palmyrita Ave.
Times are destined to change on the old San Jac … the future Perris Valley Line.
Part III (of I-IV)
The south facing north signal is lit yellow.
It does not change, as it is a “D’ signal for “Distant,” and has NO insulated track joints to shunt the signal when a train passes it.
It warns trains of an interlocking signal ahead (in the distance), at CP CP61 HIGHGROVE on BNSF’s Transcon.
That “D” signal wasn’t there 30 years ago, but only since the old San Jac line’s entrance to the BNSF Transcon was at a CP.
The industrial siding trackage on the left of the above photo was for the old Lilly Cup plant.
AERIAL LINK: A Triangle Track Layout Area
Continued in Part IV
Part II (of I-IV)
A wide northward view:
The Columbia Ave. grade crossing has new 136 pounds per yard rail, whereas the branch here currently has 115 pounds per yard rail.
A northward telephoto: What -- a signal? With a semaphore type arm too?
Yes, at Palmyrita Ave. a few blocks to the north, a signal!
Continued in Part III
Part I (of I-IV)
On Friday, April 26, 2013 a brief visit to the North Riverside and Highgrove areas were made again, and the following things were observed.
From Columbia Ave., looking south, the new microwave tower is visible again:
From Columbia Ave. another southward view, a telephoto of Marlborough Ave. near where the Riveride Industrial Lead used to cross.
A wider view showing the crossing gates at Columbia Ave:
Continued in Part II
A Few Happenings Tidbits
Part “C” (of A-C)
But, there is something there now! A microwave tower with two dishes on it, a small one and a large one!
And, the tower is on railroad property, likely for railroad use.
The Marlborough Rd. grade crossing in relation to the new tower:
At this point in time, it is unknown if the microwave setup is for a sole, one place communication with the rest of the Metrolink system, or many others will be springig up on the Perris Valley Line.
Part “B” (of A-C)
On January 5, 2013 the following December 29, 2012 photo was posted in the “Sunset Route Two-Tracking Updates” thread. The cross track is the Perris Valley Line (Perris is to the right) used by the BNSF, known among both railroaders and railfans as the San Jac. The forefront bottom curved track is new, allowing for the abandonment of the background track, a portion of UP’s Riverside Industrial Lead.
The area was visited the same date as in Part A, and that grade crossing above was still as in the photo. Likely, the crossing gates are still active in case of a runaway from the north, even though the track is blocked just north of the I-215 Freeway (view looks south).
A northward view of the Perris Valley Line (ex-BNSF) right-of-way from Marlborough Ave., the street with other crossing gates in the first photo in this post:
The following December 29, 2012 photo has never been posted before, and shows a northward, wider view.
In both of the last two photos above, nothing is on the near background right, just a fence.
Part “A” (of A-C)
One of the issues arising out of the “Friends” lawsuit was a trail used by students, hikers, etc. The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) initially seemed surprised by the judge’s decision about it, and felt trail users were trespassers, which sounds logical, at least to K.P.
It is unknown exactly where the trail is, but the following Monday, April 24, 2013 photos are of a trail and seem to fit the news descriptions, and may (“may”) be that trail.
Judge Gives RCTC Five Days to Address Issues
According to the Press-Enterprise, the judge in the case has given the Riverside County Transportation Commission five days to address contested issues.
LINK: Press-Enterprise News Story
More about the Line from a Passing By
Part V (of I-V)
North of the curving, a straightway, with well cars occupying a siding.
The first photo in this post … Note the Van Buren Blvd. bridge being widened and new on and off ramps being constructed.
When the Van Buren Blvd. overpass is finished, hopefully accessibility will allow for photography of the PVL.
For those with an aviation interest … by the Van Buren Blvd. freeway on and off ramps is an aircraft museum.
Too bad there won’t be a Metrolink station stop here at Van Buren Blvd. … at least for a while … The place could be visited for a family outing, with an ulterior motive (the PVL) for the railbuff …
------------
Yesterday, Monday, April 22, 2013 K.P. had opportunity to pass the PVL several times, and in the afternoon it was all free time. But, in that afternoon, a focus was on the ex-crossing with UP south of the Highgrove area, and something new was seen in that area! Clue: Remember ET and phoning home?
Undoubtedly, the news about the litigation hearing will be posted first …
Part IV (of I-V)
More northward views:
Continued in Part V
Part III (of I-V)
Another north side view.
It is unknown how fast a Metrolink could go on these curves, but 79 M.P.H. seems questionable.
Union Pacific on a super elevated curve at Riverside Ave. in Riverside on the LA&SL allows its trains to go 50 M.P.H. Looking westbound:
Looking eastbound:
Part II (of I-V)
Out of Perris northward a few miles, the southern of two track relocations is present, necessitated by the I-215 Freeway reconstruction a few years ago, at least that option was chosen by the designers.
Looking southbound:
Originally, the line did not curve (above photos’ bottoms) but went straight.
The north side:
Thanks, mvs, About the Court Date News
Forum contributor mvs recently alerted us to the news that Wednesday, April 24, 2013 supposedly the parties in the lawsuit will be back in court. Little is publicly in print about the matter. Two-thirds of the original judge’s ruling favored Riverside County Transportation Commission’s (RCTC’s) side, with only a third for the Friends group. While K.P. is not an attorney, in his opinion what is taking place is a delay tactic by the Friends group that may or may not bring about success for unclear motives. There may (“may”) be a resolution tomorrow, but if the parties are entrenched things could linger on in appeals.
Part I (of I-V)
On Monday, April 15, 2013, a few select areas of the line were focused on and photographed for the forum. Below is a selection of the results.
On March 11, 2013, the in-storage well cars were photographed along I-215, the SOUTH cars of which are seen by the advertising sign on the far left of the below reshown photo.
On the April 15 visit, the south end had been moved southward a bit to around the curve, towards downtown Perris.
K.P. and others,
There has been an update with regards to the court proceedings of the Perris Valley Line: Riverside County transportation officials will be in court on Wednesday.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/perris/perris-headlines-index/20130419-perris-court-date-set-in-proposed-metrolink-extension.ece
Things a Changing
The Press-Enterprise’s website keeps putting out different versions of the court decision news, a kind of update on the update.
Sometime today the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) is reported to be having a closed door session to figure out what they are going to do.
LINK: The Latest Version of the Same Press-Enterprise Posting
The PE is a show in itself!
One more link, also from the Press-Enterprise, to supplement what K.P. posted:
http://blog.pe.com/menifee/2013/04/01/metrolink-line-in-perrismetrolink-friends-of-riversides-hills-ray-johnson-len-nunney-john-standiford-rctc-riverside-county-transportation-commission/
I wonder if the people who live near the railyards in Commerce, or under the flightpath of LAX, have much sympathy for the Friends of Riverside's Hills. I doubt it.
K. P. HarrierExtra! Extra! Read All About It! Everybody seems confused about the court decision! LINK: Try Your Hand at Figuring It Out / PE Newspaper
Everybody seems confused about the court decision!
LINK: Try Your Hand at Figuring It Out / PE Newspaper
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
In case y'all hadn't noticed, the judge seems to have knocked down the NIMBYs:
PE.com: Perris judge gives green light to Metrolink line
We'll see how the appeals and construction stop-orders play out.
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.