• Press Release: CHANGING BAXTER ROAD TO WILDOMAR TRAIL

CHANGING BAXTER ROAD TO WILDOMAR TRAIL: IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TIMING 

A still shot from the promotional videos that will be released soon.
If you're wondering. The series of promotional videos are being donated by Third District City Councilman, Joseph Morabito.

APPROVED FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BY: Gary Nordquist, City Manager Date: February 27, 2020 

WILDOMAR, CA – ‘Where is Wildomar?’ is a question all too familiar to its residents and businesses. Nestled in between Lake Elsinore and Murrieta and only 11 years old, this fantastic city is getting ready to let the world –or at least Interstate 15 travelers– know just where Wildomar is. 

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is in the process of updating and installing new freeway signs on the I-15 from Rainbow Valley Blvd. (just south of Temecula), heading north through Wildomar. Part of this process will include Baxter Rd changing its name in the city of Wildomar to “Wildomar Trail.” 

The idea has been a long time in the making, but the timing of its execution could not be better. Originally, replacing the freeway signs alone was going to cost Wildomar over $300,000. However, city staff worked with Caltrans’ predetermined schedule to replace aging freeway signs and was able to have the signs created and replaced at no charge. 

“Timing is everything,” said Wildomar Mayor Dustin Nigg. “This change will really help to put Wildomar on the map, literally, and at a very minimal cost to the city.” 

With the freeway signs taken care of, Wildomar still had to figure out the cost to replace street signs and applied for various grants to do so. The Public Agency Risk Sharing Authority of California (PARSAC) offered a grant to update and replace non-reflective street signs within city jurisdiction and so Wildomar took that opportunity. PARSAC will be paying $14,500 to replace the street signs throughout Wildomar, with only $19,000 coming from the city’s general fund over the past several years. 

The name change will affect five contiguous, differently named streets within Wildomar and combine them into a consistent name that will take you from one end of the city to the other uniting the east and west sections of the city. Shopping Center, George Ave, Porras Rd, Baxter Rd and Central St will all be changed to Wildomar Trail; not only adding to the consistency, but also increasing public safety by alleviating the confusion that the I-15 Baxter Rd freeway exit in Wildomar is somehow related to the “other” Baxter Rd in Murrieta, which is east of the I-215 Freeway and the location of Loma Linda University Medical Center – Murrieta.  
“Any time we can take advantage of an opportunity to increase our brand identity, create more consistency and improve public safety in the city, that is something we want to do,” Mayor Nigg said. “Council and staff are very excited about this change.” 

So, as you head out on the I-15 freeway, keep your eyes peeled for the “Baxter Rd” that was once between Clinton Keith Rd and Bundy Canyon Rd; when you see “Wildomar Trail,” you will know the answer to that all-time question, ‘Where is Wildomar?’ 

For more information regarding the City of Wildomar, visit www.cityofwildomar.org. For additional information, please call Kimberly Davidson at 951-677-7751, Extension 215, or email kdavidson@cityofwildomar.org