High-speed rail line called boost for Murrieta (Source: /www.pe.com/)

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High-speed rail line called boost for Murrieta

10:00 PM PDT on Monday, October 19, 2009

By AARON BURGIN
The Press-Enterprise

A station stop on California's proposed high-speed rail line would be a huge benefit for Murrieta, whether the route is along Interstate 15 or I-215, people who attended a scoping session Monday said.

An audience ranging from city officials to high school students attended the first of three high-speed rail forums in Riverside County hosted by the California High Speed Rail Authority. The guests at the Murrieta Public Library viewed poster boards with information about the rail system, including routes, diagrams of stations and the steps in the environmental review process.

The Southern California line, part of a statewide system planned to link Sacramento to San Diego, will pass through several cities in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Murrieta has been targeted for a station stop in an area near the intersection of the two freeways often referred to as the Golden Triangle.

Officials in the southwest Riverside County city see the station as a potential boon -- possibly a catalyst for commercial development and job growth.

"It makes Murrieta a central point," said Bruce Coleman, the city's economic development director.

Kenneth Ray, a Temecula resident and former school board member, said he supports a high-speed rail stop in the region for many of the same reasons as Coleman.

"Both Murrieta and Temecula are commuter communities, and this gives commuters a new lease on life," Ray said.

Determining which freeway the train will parallel will be part of a lengthy environmental study that begins with the public comments fielded at the scoping sessions, said Jose Martinez, project manager for the Southern California line.

Each route has benefits and drawbacks. The terrain along I-215 is flatter and could allow the train to pass through both county seats. But the I-15 route is shorter and has more available land, said Rick Simon, a project engineer.

Not everyone was supportive. Murrieta mother and son Ken and Louise Appel said they didn't believe that the benefits of the rail line -- shorter commutes and less dependence on foreign oil -- outweigh the costs -- more noise and the estimated $45 billion price tag for the entire system.

Reach Aaron Burgin at 951-375-3733 or aburgin@PE.com