Over the past several months, several misstatements have been made regarding various aspects of the Redlands Passenger Rail Project (RPRP). In the coming weeks, I will put forth factual information about the Rail Project so that residents of the communities that will be served by the new rail service might be correctly informed.
One set of misstatements has spread confusion about the type of equipment that will be used.
Will it be the large locomotives hauling passenger cars that are used by Metrolink to provide commuter service to and from Los Angeles, or will it be a more innovative smaller rail vehicle like those used throughout the country to provide transit service at a more economical level?
The federal and state environmental review processes require the consideration of alternatives that minimize, lessen, or avoid significant impacts associated with the project.
For the RPRP, the analysis of alternatives included examining the impacts of multiple transit modes, including commuter rail locomotives and cars similar to Metrolink; diesel multiple units (DMU); battery powered locomotives; light rail transit; and bus rapid transit.
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