Date: September 7-10, 2014

Location: San Bernardino County, California

Sponsor: San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS)

Subject Area:  Infrastructure and transportation, economic development

Panel Chair: Charles Long

Download Full Report

BACKGROUND AND PANEL ASSIGNMENT

Metrolink is Southern California’s regional commuter rail system serving over 55 stations running through the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino. The San Bernardino Metrolink line (SB Line) runs east-west through the heavily populated San Bernardino Valley connecting communities to downtown Los Angeles and a number of cities in between.

Metrolink stations on the San Bernardino line have lower development densities, and there are currently limitations to further expansion of the number of trains.  To provide greater identity for this corridor, the phrase “The ARRIVE Corridor” is being used as the corridor designation. The acronym ARRIVE stands for “Advanced Regional Rail Integrated Vision – East.”  The term captures the thrust of this initiative that ultimately this rail service will not merely send more commuters westward to Los Angeles, but will support a series of in-County destinations in their own right. One of the objectives is to increase the number of passengers “arriving” via rail in the County to work, shop, recreate, and do business.

A ULI panel was convened in September 2014 to examine the San Bernardino Line. The focus of the ULI Advisory Services Panel was to evaluate the market opportunities and constraints throughout the SB Line that currently exist or can reasonably be forecast to exist in the future with the underlying objective to develop an integrated land use/transit vision for the corridor.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

After briefing materials reviews and a comprehensive tour of the study area the panel interview more than two dozen stakeholders representing a broad spectrum of interested parties and organizations.  Among the many other recommendations the panel made, were:

•  Focus on place-making: Help cities on specific plans—placemaking is value creation
•  Empower cities with knowledge: Streamline the entitlement process and increase organizational capacity
•  Address the market dynamics and financial viability: Station by Station analysis that is accurate and candid
• Focus on collaboration and implementation strategies: Collaborate on transit connectivity among the multiple providers and connect destinations to Metrolink
• SCAG/SANBAG should provide the planning, coordination and funding:  Consider multiple sources, compete on value and identify GAP financing.  Consider Measure I,  SCAG funds, “Greenfield tax”, cap and trade funds and infrastructure financing districts