• T-NOW in Wildomar

This past week the Southwest chapter of T-NOW held its monthly meeting, in Wildomar. 

T-NOW stands for Transportation NOW, it's a localized subgroup of RTA.

Though I'm the chair of our local chapter, I can't tell you what "NOW" stands for... other than "now"... as in -now-, this instant. ☺

The video below was made for a 2017 meeting where all the chapters in Riverside County come together once a year. It gives a brief overview of the Southwest Chapter.

Typically our meetings are attended by officials from the six cities that the chapter covers, plus a representative of Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez's office and one from Supervisor Jeffries' office too. 

Members of organizations like The Sierra Club, in addition to everyday bus riders, and other concerned citizens, also attend T-NOW meetings.

We have a recurring agenda item called, Legislative Update where each of the cities gives an overview on what's happening in their towns (generally in regards to transportation) and the same is true of the county and state's reps.

If the font is too small to read... click the link below to see it on the actual page.

From the T-NOW webpage (link to page)

For Transportation NOW members, it's all about being part of the movement. The movement of people on buses and trains, that is.

Since our inception in 1992, Transportation NOW has been a proud advocate and enthusiastic supporter of public transportation in Riverside County. Our efforts have produced results that will last a lifetime, and ensure that bus and rail usage remains an integral part of this region for years to come.

Members of our grassroots group — ranging from elected officials to community activists to everyday transit users — are committed not only to addressing regional transportation issues but meeting the needs of our individual communities.

And with growing concern over crowded freeways, rising fuel costs and emphasis on finding cleaner and greener ways to get around, Transportation NOW is focused on the challenges that lie ahead and dedicated to making a real difference.

There's never been a better time to be part of the movement. For more information or to join a chapter, call Eric Ustation at (951) 565-5250 or email at eustation@riversidetransit.com.

Now that you know the basics about T-NOW, let me tell you about the most recent meeting. It was held in Wildomar, which happens once a year. 

The other meetings are typically held in one of the other participating cities (Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Lake Elsinore and the community center in Lakeland Village).

We had a presentation by Wildomar city staffer Jason Farag outlining the various road projects going on in town, or are scheduled to happen shortly(ish).

Jason Farag with a poster of the Bundy Canyon improvements.

Key Wildomar Projects Noted:

     ►     Multipurpose Trail on Grand Avenue is now complete (less fresh road striping), including installation of bike lanes. It stretches the length of the city from Corydon to Clinton Keith.

Next project(s) in line, starting in June, is the road repair and maintenance rehabilitation project; funded through gas taxes and SB 1. It includes four major streets in Wildomar.

             •  Clinton Keith Road (near Palomar) will get a 6 inch asphalt removal and replacement to repair the section of road in front of The Barn then finished off with a slurry known as a micro surface.

             •  Grand Avenue will also get a 6 inch asphalt removal and replacement between McVicar St and Jane Ct. (about a quarter of a mile)

             •  Bundy Canyon Road repair from Oak Circle Road to The Farm Road. Grind and overlay type of repair. This will be grinding away 2 inches of asphalt and replacing it with 2 inches of new asphalt "in the areas that the pavement has failed."

             •  Inland Valley Drive, "about half of the road will [get] grinding [of] the asphalt and replacing it with new asphalt, then doing an overlay across the entire roadway." 

Longer Term Projects     

     ►     Full widening of Bundy Canyon to begin in Summer of 2019 (as long as SB1 doesn't get overturned).

     ►     Clinton Keith road widening (completion not set for another couple of years). It'll see the entire stretch of Clinton Keith, between the 15 and the cityline with Murrieta, upgraded to a 4 lane road. 

"In the next few months, the possibility of constructing the 4 lanes on Clinton Keith as well, 2 lanes in each direction, with the available funding that the city has currently available, secured. Then ultimately there's the plan to fully widen the road with curb, gutter, active transportation, additional bike lanes. The initial focus will be on widening the road to provide the traffic capacity."

- Jason Farag

     •     Plans are still in development for the widening of Palomar Road, with no timetables set and plans still in development. 

Lake Elsinore city council member Daryl Hickman asked: "What kind of condition is Lost Road in right now?"

Jason responded, "The city did a few years back an application of a crushed miscellaneous asphalt type material [...] there are no plans that I'm aware of right now for widening [or other] project on Lost Road."

Hickman's concern was that Lost Road will be used more and more by people of Canyon Hills and Canyon Lake as an alternative to Railroad Canyon during the construction set to hit that area any day now, not to mention when Railroad Canyon gets closed down due to an emergency.

Hickman then added about the road, "They'll be using Lost Road. If you need our city to, maybe, grade it for you..."

I'm not sure how many of you have actually used Lost Road, but I've taken it once... ONCE! It was for a blog when they were going to resurface it back in August of 2015. 

(link to said blog)

Below is a video I made, sped up with Nintendo style sound effects added, that shows Lost Road before it was resurfaced.

It's really a hazardous road that was never designed to be a modern road; too many hairpin turns and blind corners. In my opinion, it's really above the City of Wildomar's pay grade to take care of as a city project.

Bus Ride Challenge

In the past, Southwest T-NOW has had several field trips. 
In 2015 we rode the bus from Murrieta City Hall to the Promenade in Temecula. 

In 2015 we had a rider appreciation event at MSJC and another at the Lake Elsinore Outlets. 

This event started at about 4:30am... in NOVEMBER!!! It was cold, but memorable. ☺
Location: Lake Elsinore Outlets

In 2016 we took the train from the newly opened Perris Valley Line to downtown Riverside and returned on an RTA bus.

We've since embarked on a monthly challenge where members ride the bus and invite local officials to join them.

The most recent example was in Wildomar where city council members Bridgette Moore and Marsha Swanson, two Wildomar Queens (Jessie and Daisy), along with Jessie's mom Carloann Darden and Daisy's brother Christopher. 

It was an unseasonably cold day when we took this bus ride.

We picked up the bus across from the hospital, transferred at the corner of Palomar and Central, went down Grand Ave around the lake, had a 30 minute stop at The Lake Elsinore Outlets, came down Mission Trail and transferred where we did the first time, then were dropped off at the hospital... it was a 3 hour tour... ♪ 3 hour tour ♫.

Agenda announcements can include RTA promos, and current ridership stats. We learned that ridership was up last month by 1.1% from the year before, and the U-Pass program has seen an increase of 27.7% in the same time frame.
(link to what U-Pass is)

RTA is also bringing back their popular 25 cent fair for students during the 2018 Summer months.

If your kids tell you that they're board this Summer, send them around the lake for a quarter.

Link to official RTA webpage discussing the promotion.
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The Southwest T-NOW meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of the month, from 12pm-1pm. If you're interested in attending, check out the facebook page at the following link. 

Another bonus that comes with attending the Southwest T-NOW meetings is that lunch is provided... not something most of the other chapters offer. 

Pie Nation donated the lunch for the most recent T-NOW meeting held in Wildomar.

The next meeting is slated for Lake Elsinore, in their "Cultural Center" on Main St, Wednesday, June 27th at noon. 

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The election is about 5 months away. Check out the website (by clicking the image) to learn more about my views. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. If elected, I'll always respond to your emails, texts or phone calls.

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Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get..
– Dale Carnegie 

Wildomar Rap is the embodiment of attaining both simultaneously.

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.

• RTA Rider Appreciation Event

As part of the local T-NOW group (which meets monthly to discuss the RTA in our area), I attended a Rider Appreciation event at the Outlet Mall in Lake Elsinore. It was from 4:00am to 7:00am on November 18th.

A look at the first pick up and another at the last one of the event.

Wolfee Donuts provided coffee and donuts for the riders on this chilly morning as several RTA Board Members engaged in conversation with the commuters that take public transit into, and back from, LA or OC everyday.

A panoramic look at the bus stop (the lights in the center of the pic) as the Sun was coming up... about 90 mins into the event.

I learned that the top reasons these people chose the bus/train over their own automobiles varied a bit, but none listed saving gas money as a top reason.

Top reasons for taking public transit included:

• Avoiding traffic
• Less stress
• Saving wear and tear on their cars
• Camaraderie among the regular riders

Most people that I asked about their top reasons for taking public transit mentioned how avoiding the stress of driving was top of their list. 

One man, that makes the commute to UCI, mentioned how he uses the ride home to unwind from his day at work. He views driving to still be working, and he prefers to be done working once he's off the clock. He either watches movies, listens to books on tape, etc and when he gets home he's ready for family time. 

12 year commuter CeCe and Bridgette Moore before the 4:26am pick up.

Another of the many hats that Mayor Pro-Tem Bridgette Moore wears is being a Board Member of RTA. In the picture above, she poses with daily rider CeCe who was been taking public transit to work in OC for the last 12 years.

As for me, I only commute one day a week these days, and it's over Ortega Highway where there is no public transit, but if I worked in LA or OC I can see the advantages of taking this route to work if you have a regular five day a week job and you're not a fan of the 91.

On my driving day I no longer can just leave at 6:00am and be there at 7:00am. What used to be an hour commute has morphed into at least 90 mins (on a good day) if I leave at 6:00am. So, to avoid the mess, I have to leave at 4:45am and then since I'm way to early to start work, I end up parked for an hour.

The coffee and donut station as supplied by Wolfee Donuts.

Based on the stories I heard from the various riders this morning, their commutes aren't much longer than driving, and it's relatively stress free compared to being behind the wheel. Something to consider if you're fed up with the Corona Crawl that only seems to be getting worse with time.

A look at the intrepid group that was set to greet the riders as seen through a selfie of Murrieta Mayor Randon Lane.

From L-R: Randon Lane (Murrieta), Joseph Morabito (WR), Nichole Daily (LE), Brad Weaver (RTA), Deni Horne (Field rep for Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez), Bridgette Moore (W'mar), Wolfee rep, John Zaitz (Canyon Lake), Amy and Daryl Hickman (LE).

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“Fresh popcorn is near impossible to resist, second only to fresh doughnuts.” ― Shannon Wiersbitzky

Tip of the day from Wildomar Rap: When your hands are cold before the sun has risen, discard the paper cup sleeve on your coffee and let it heat up your hands...if you're wearing gloves that is.

• Coffee with a Cop and Transportation NOW

Today in Wildomar there were a few things going on. Over at the westside Starbucks was Coffee With a Cop. An informal meet up with several officers, including Wildomar's Chief Leonard Hollingsworth, and interested members of the public.

It was a good chance to meet some of our law enforcement officers. I'd say that between 9:00 and 11:00 there were about 20 people that stopped by, including our 2015 Mayor, Ben Benoit. It was good to meet more of my fellow Wildomartinis (or Wildomatians if you prefer).

Wildomar Chief, Captain Hollingsworth (middle left) Listens to the concerns of the residents.

It was just a chance for some casual conversation. No speeches, just officers listening to concerns from the residents.

Joseph Morabito (me, center right) speaking with  Lieutenant Leonard Purvis. In the middle is Mayor Ben Benoit.

The next Neighborhood Watch meeting is Thursday June 11th at the council chambers. If you would like to be informed of such events as Coffee With a Cop, be sure to join the city's Stay Connected email blast by clicking here.

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Also on the list of things to do was go to a Southwest Transportation NOW meeting at the Wildomar Library. There was an interesting slideshow presentation by Sierra Club member Pam Nelson regarding the coming Murrieta Creek  Regional Trail.

Mark you calendars for Saturday June 6th. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at Marna O'Brien Park heralding the official opening of the MCRT (Murrieta Creek  Regional Trail). Also that same day will be a bicycle safety event and a Volkswalk too. (Keep an eye out for a coming blog about Volkswalk)

Be sure to check out the official trail website for more details by clicking this link SCSMG.

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Daryl Hickman and Nichole Dailey were speaking about the coming roundabouts in Lake Elsinore at Railroad Canyon. I remember hearing about that more than a year ago and didn't think it was possible, but the way the talk was going, this looks like it's coming. Though Lake Elsinore is out of my purview, I'll have to ask for more details next time I see them.

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Kristen Huyck, of Supervisor Kevin Jeffries' office, mentioned that Grand Avenue will be under construction for the next 60 plus days. It will be getting repaved and widened a bit. There won't be any additional travel lanes, but there I was hearing about some right hand turn pockets in key areas. If you use Ortega Highway, you should anticipate delays of up to 15 mins during this time period.

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Deni Horne, of Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez's office, spoke about ACA 4 as a bill to keep an eye on. It's a Constitutional Amendment that threatens the strength of Prop 13. Read more about it here. In short, it's trying to reduce the 67% needed today to raise taxes to just 55%.

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Last on the list of interesting tidbits was AB 278. It deals with district-based municipal elections in cities with more than 100,000 people. I'm sure there's at least one Dub-Marian (another name for Wildomarian) that is giddy about the idea of district based voting (hint hint, nudge nudge, say no more), but from reading the bill, and hearing the talk about it, it is going to be Gerrymandering on Roids by the time it's implemented.

Check out this language and see if your stomach doesn't turn a bit

5) Requires a city that is establishing districts pursuant to this bill to ensure that all of the following criteria are satisfied in preparing the boundaries of the districts for the city council:

   a)   The boundaries are drawn to ensure fair and effective representation of all city residents including racial,  ethnic, and language minorities;

Bobby Swann, Wildomar Planning Commissioner and Secretary for Transportation NOW, mentioned that Wildomar's build out is just over 50,000. That's when it was suggested that 100,000 would be the opening salvo, that could then be followed up with lower population numbers in following years.

When Wildomar first voted to become a city, I voted against it but was glad to see that we had districts at first. Years later the downside of districts in small cities, like Wildomar, was explained to me. On the one hand you get representation from each area.

So, for example, that would have meant that Israel Leija would now be a council member from The Farm, while two out of three from the group of council members that includes Marsha Swanson, Tim Walker and Ben Benoit would have to go, since (at the time of the election) they all would have been in the same basic district.

On the other hand, if you have a concern you have five people that are working for you. If it's district based, you have your guy, and that's it.

If AB 278 becomes law, it'll be another disaster in the name of multiculturalism, which only divides us instead of uniting us as a people.

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Heaven knows what seeming nonsense may not tomorrow be demonstrated truth. — Alfred North Whitehead

Wildomar Rap is still on the fence when it comes to which is better: Java with a constable or Sandwiches with board members. Looks like more research is in order. ☺ 

• Southwest Transportation NOW April 2015

When was the last time you rode on a city/county bus?

I honestly can't remember how long it's been for me. I'm thinking it was way back in the '70s when I was 14 years old when we'd go from the Little Mountain area of San Bernardino to the Central City Mall (or was it Inland Center?) and watch movies. I'm pretty sure it was about a dime to ride back then too.

Today Southwest Transportation NOW had their monthly meeting, this time at Lucille's Smokehouse at the Promenade in Temecula. Instead of driving to the meeting, the aim was to get as many attendees as possible to take a bus.

A group of 8 or so boarded a bus in front of Murrieta's city hall.

I hitched a ride to the departure point, Murrieta's city hall, with Wildomar planning commissioner Bobby Swann and we arrived about half an hour before pick up.

Not really knowing what to expect, as the clock got nearer go time, I suggested we follow the couple that had just left the foyer. They were heading to the bus stop... which is exactly where we were supposed to be. Makes perfect sense in retrospect.

I love my fertile imagination when it takes off on its own. I thought we were going to be on a chartered bus, and one of the big comfy ones at that I'd seen at last year's bicycle safety event. Instead, we took one of the smaller buses. Which I was standing and hanging onto the overhead bar for dear life for about 85% of the trip.

A picture of the first half mile... when I had a seat.

I snapped a pic of one sign on the bus (see below). Like I was telling Temecula's Mayor, Jeff Comerchero, those last two words should be changed from "When Requested" to "Because You Know Better".

Imagine having to be told such a thing.

The ride took us down Jefferson, to Walmart then east over Murrieta Hot Srpings Rd, to Hancock to Los Alamos, then over to Winchester and finally we were dropped off about pin high to Trader Joe's. The ride cost $1.50 and I was told that one in attendance only paid 70¢ with a senior discount.

The entire ride was more than 45 mins and it was a bit bumpy and a little herky-jerky while on my feet. Not one I'd recommend if you're prone to vertigo or carsickness.

The pro side is that my forearms felt like I'd just got done doing several sets of curls. Once dropped off, we still had a walk that was more than half a mile, but it actually felt good to walk and regain my landlubber's legs.

The meeting was primarily about a future transit stop near the parking structure at The Promenade. After doing that 12 minute walk from stop to store, I can't imagine why they don't already have at least two stops in that parking lot. Especially considering they stopped at the Walmart parking lot earlier.

overfilling a stomach is a no-no

There was also a lunch which consisted of a sampler of everything Lucille's makes. Thankfully I managed to tame my inner greed-bag and only took a sensible portion... though I would have loved to have eaten myself into a food coma... but that looming bus ride back was wagging its finger in my face saying
"Ah, ah, ah..."

Thankfully, since we blew way past the allotted time for this event, we got a ride back in the Swann's Laker-Mobile and avoided the return Bus ride.

I have to hand it to those that do ride the buses regularly. It takes longer, and comes with a lot more work and planning than driving. Thing is, it does cost less than owning a car with it's gas, insurance and maintenance. You can buy daily passes and monthly passes. (here is a link to the pass info)

The next Southwest Transportation NOW meeting will be in Wildomar at the library on May 27th. I'm not positive about the time, but if it's the same as today, that would be from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.

Also at the meeting was Lake Elsinore's Chris Hyland. It was good to finally meet her. She was telling us that was her first bus trip in 80 years (she wasn't shy about letting us know that she is 86). She also made that same walk the rest of us did.

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I'd rather deal with a full time crook than a part time honest man... at least you know where you stand. 

—E.G. Marshall

Wildomar Rap suggests the baby back ribs, tri tip, cheesy grits, mac 'n cheese and the greens at Lucille's. Though I'm guessing the other food is great too.