In This Issue

Express Lanes Confirmed as LPA

Omnitrans Designated as CTSA

LED Light Exchange

Countywide Transportation Plan

Interchange Prioritization and Phasing

Duncan Canyon Interchange

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About Us

San Bernardino Associated Governments, known as SANBAG, is the council of governments and transportation planning agency for San Bernardino County. SANBAG is responsible for cooperative regional planning and furthering an efficient multi-modal transportation system countywide. SANBAG serves the 2.1 million residents of San Bernardino County.

Metrolink and Omnitrans identified for RPRP maintenance and operations

With SANBAG staff moving forward with the delivery of the Redlands Passenger Rail Project, a key component to the successful implementation of this new passenger rail service is identifying the appropriate entities to operate and maintain the railroad and the associated rail equipment. Staff received the go-ahead from the SANBAG Board of Directors at the November 4, 2015 Board of Directors Meeting to proceed with negotiations with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) and Omnitrans.

Based on five different organizational structure scenarios and a number of evaluation factors, it was determined that using SCRRA as the managing agency for Maintenance of Way and Dispatching Services was ideal due to economies of scale and cost savings associated with using SCRRA's Positive Train Control (PTC) system.

Similarly, from a number of scenarios, it was determined that Omnitrans as the managing agency for the Maintenance of Equipment and Rail Operations would be the best fit for the passenger rail service, primarily due to Omnitrans' existing experience with passenger transit operations and their ability to integrate transit service with the new passenger rail service in the operational area. Having one operator for both the local bus service and local rail service allows for resources to be prioritized based on the higher demand service at the time. Omnitrans being designated as the manager of Rail Operations also maintains local control of this regional service and sets the ground work for any future intra-county rail service to be managed by the same agency.

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Express Lanes confirmed as Locally Preferred Alternative for Interstate 10

Interstate 10 is a critical transportation corridor through San Bernardino County used by residents, businesses and visitors. It also serves as a major trucking route moving containerized goods between Southern California and the rest of the country. Up to 263,000 vehicles and more than 20,000 trucks travel through this corridor each day.

After years of evaluating alternatives for the future of this important piece of the transportation puzzle in San Bernardino County, the SANBAG Board of Directors voted on November 4th to reconfirm the addition of two Express Lanes as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the ongoing Environmental studies. This action held up a previously designated LPA by the Board back in July 2014. Key features of the Express Lanes alternative are:

Traffic Management
Added Capacity
Choice
Equity
Funding

An extensive public outreach effort was conducted in an attempt to inform as many members of the public as possible regarding the proposed improvements and to garner input on perceived challenges with the various alternatives. The public outreach effort included more than 130 community briefings, social media sharing, dedicated websites, and regular meetings with three Community Advisory Groups representing the West Valley, East Valley and High Desert communities.

Moving forward, the public is encouraged to continue to participate in the development of these improvements. Public hearings for review and comment on the Environmental reports will be scheduled for the early part of 2016. Details about the project and how to participate in these hearings can be found on the project website at www.1015projects.com.

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Omnitrans designated as San Bernardino Valley CTSA

The SANBAG Board of Directors approved a resolution designating Omnitrans, the primary transit provider in the San Bernardino Valley, as a Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CTSA) for the Valley Measure I Subarea for five years. They further affirmed that it is in the best interest of the taxpayers that the operations of the CTSA currently being provided by Valley Transportation Services (VTrans) be consolidated under Omnitrans to allow for direct coordination of services and to realize operational savings, which would provide more resources for services for senior services and persons with disabilities. Operational savings is mainly realized by eliminating the duplication of administrative costs such as facility costs, accounting, payroll, and other expenses.

Studies conducted over the last year demonstrate that the planned transition would maintain or enhance existing services, as well as continue agreements with community services agencies to provide services to their respective populations.

The action taken by the Board of Directors allows for a full transition plan to be developed over time, prior to the expiration of the existing contract with VTrans in 2018.

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Holiday LED Light Exchange

The San Bernardino Associated Governments is hosting Holiday LED Light Exchange events in a number of cities throughout San Bernardino County this holiday season. The Exchange is a no-cost opportunity for residents to exchange old, inefficient incandescent holiday lights for LED equivalents. Each exchange event is limited to 100 holiday light string exchanges and will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Participating in the Exchange is easy:

Locate an event near you. Locations will be announced soon and will be listed on the SANBAG website.
Exchange up to two inefficient, incandescent holiday light strands. Light strand must be 50-count or higher, in working condition and contain all bulb parts.
Bring a copy of your monthly electric bill. Note: Electronic bills are accepted.
Show photo identification that matches the customer name and address on the electric bill.

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SANBAG finalizes Countywide Transportation Plan for consideration for the RTP

The SANBAG Board of Directors unanimously approved the final Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP). The CTP will be considered by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) as the San Bernardino County input into the 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainability Communities Strategy(RTP/SCS). Progress toward the goals of the RTP/SCS needs to be reflected in each RTP/SCS cycle. The RTP portion of the RTP/SCS is a long-range transportation plan that is developed and updated by SCAG every four years. The RTP provides a vision for transportation investments throughout the region. Using growth forecasts and economic trends that project out over a 25-year period, the RTP considers the role of transportation in the broader context of economic, environmental, and quality-of-life goals for the future, identifying regional transportation strategies to address our mobility needs. SANBAG collaborates with SCAG on a broad range of transportation and sustainability initiatives.

While SCAG develops the RTP/SCS, the land use and transportation changes within it are largely driven by the respective actions of local governments, transit agencies, Caltrans, and County Transportation Commissions. It is critical that the regional transportation commissions, such as SANBAG, be engaged in the implementation of the plan in order for its benefits to be realized.

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Board approves Valley Freeway Interchange Prioritization and Phasing Options

The SANBAG Board of Directors unanimously approved the Valley Freeway Interchange Prioritization and Phasing Options strategy. This item was a result of previous Board direction to staff to re-examine the Valley interchange priority list by 2015, per Measure I Strategic Plan Policy 40005/VFI-15. In addition, the SANBAG Board had previously authorized staff to evaluate the opportunities for lower-cost phased interchange improvements as a way to stretch the available financial resources across a greater number of interchanges. The phasing options and interchange priorities were addressed in an integrated fashion. The phasing analysis, combined with a re-evaluation of the priority list, will position SANBAG to make best use of Measure I dollars available to the Valley Interchange Program.

After coordination with technical advisory committees, the recommendation was developed to implement a phasing program within the Valley Freeway Interchange Program in collaboration with local jurisdictions and Caltrans. The phased improvements represent primarily ramp and intersection projects for fourteen (14) phases in the West Valley and thirteen (13) phases in the East Valley. SANBAG staff will work with local jurisdictions and Caltrans to come back to the Board with a project sequencing and financial plan that can be included with the 2016 update of the 10-Year Delivery Plan. This may include packaging of two or more phases into a single project. These phases, taken together with the interchanges that have been completed, are under construction, and in development will mean 29 Valley interchanges will be improved in the first 15 years of Measure I 2010-2040, recognizing that some of the interchanges may not be improved to the ultimate configuration.

In addition, a recommendation was developed to reprioritize and develop an implementation strategy for the remaining Valley interchanges based on costs to be updated in the 2015 Development Mitigation Nexus Study. Interchanges that are included in the phasing program may need to be re-prioritized once it is determined by local jurisdictions that they are prepared to proceed with the phasing plan options to be considered in the implementation strategy include: constructing partial interchanges, in coordination with Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration; constructing interchange improvements in conjunction with the I-10 and I-15 mainline projects; permitting jurisdictions to advance interchange construction with the possibility of being reimbursed with future Measure I funds; or constructing interchanges in the event funds become available through currently unforeseen state and/or federal funding programs. SANBAG will continue to pursue additional state/federal funding for interchanges when the opportunities arise.

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Officials open Duncan Canyon Interchange in North Fontana

On Friday, October 23rd, President Ryan McEachron joined Assemblymember Cheryl Brown (D-San Bernardino), 2nd District Supervisor Janice Rutherford, Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren, and many other dignitaries, residents and business owners to celebrate the opening of the Interstate 15/Duncan Canyon Interchange.

This new interchange, located in the northern part of one of the nation's fastest growing cities, marks the completion of the third such major transportation improvement in Fontana in the past two years. The Citrus Avenue Interchange and Cherry Avenue Interchange, both on Interstate 10, were opened last year.

"At SANBAG, it is about 'Governments Working Together' to improve transportation and quality of life for the residents of this county," McEachron offered to the more than 200 people in attendance. "The Duncan Canyon project and the improved access that will be realized for residents and commuters of this region is just one example of that partnered effort we see here in San Bernardino County."

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Diane Greve receives service recognition

SANBAG President Ryan McEachron presented Senior Administrative Assistant Diane Greve with a ten-year service pin for her decade of commitment to the organization. Diane provides direct support to the General Policy Committee, as well as administrative support to the Division of Management Services.

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HERO by the numbers...

12,785 approved projects

10,586 completed projects

$195,147,507 value of completed projects

76.9 million KWh saved annually

21,094 tons of GHGs reduced annually

22.8 million gallons of water saved annually

HERO investments stimulate direct economic opportunity in

San Bernardino County.

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