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Home My WebLink About6/1/2011 - STAFF REPORTS - 2G COAC14ELLA VALLEY AssoaAnON OF: GOVERNMENTS 73-710 Fred Waring Dr.,Suite .. . ' 12z . CAN 1-21� �a�t APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL -h 6`AV Lut) CVAG Resolution No. 11-003 -p ?Q It1 Resolution In Support of Amtrak's Sunset Limited Plan to provide Daily Intercity Rail Service from Los Angeles, California, to San Antonio, Texas, via the Coachella Valley WHEREAS, Amtrak currently operates the Sunset Limited intercity passenger train three days a week with service between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley in Riverside County; and WHEREAS, Amtrak has developed a Performance Improvement Plan that will increase the service frequency to occur daily in the Coachella Valley and will reroute the Sunset Limited to provide new service via Riverside and Fullerton: and WHEREAS, there is strong local support to expand existing and establish new intercity rail passenger service in the Coachella Valley and the Banning Pass area; and WHEREAS, the Coachella Valley and the Banning Pass area are experiencing rapid population growth and demand on this route will continue to increase; and WHEREAS, no other public transit options exist between the Coachella Valley and Los Angeles; and WHEREAS, expanded and new intercity passenger rail service to the Coachella Valley will ease congestion on local roads and freeways, provide new economic opportunity and improve mobility and the quality of life in the Inland Empire; and WHEREAS, both expanded daily service or new service to the Coachella Valley would use the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) route between Los Angeles and Colton, and the Union Pacific route from Colton to Indio; and WHEREAS, the implementation of this service will require the cooperation of both the Union Pacific and BNSF railroads to operate trains over the host railroad rights of way;and WHEREAS, the Riverside County Transportation Commission has some limited contractual rights with the railroads that it will use to support the expanded service. CITY OF BLYTHE•CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY-CITY OF COACHELLA-CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS-CITY OF INDIAN WELLS CITY OF INDIO•CITY OF LA QUINTA-CITY OF PALM DESERT-CITY OF PALM SPRINGS•CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE•COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS-CABAZON BAND OF MISSION INDIANS NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Coachella Valley Association of Governments does hereby endorse and support Amtrak's Performance Improvement Plan to establish daily Sunset Limited intercity rail service between Los Angeles, California, and San Antonio, Texas, via the Coachella Valley. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Resolution Number 11-003 to be executed by their duly authorized representatives on this date: 2011. ATTEST: CITY OF BLYTHE By: By: David Lane Joseph De Coninck City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY By: By: Donald Bradley Kathleen De Rosa City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF COACHELLA BY By: David Garcia Eduardo Garcia City Manager Mayor ATTEST: DESERT HOT SPRINGS By: By: Rick Daniels Yvonne Parks City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF INDIAN WELLS By: By: Greg Johnson Patrick Mullany City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF INDIO By: By: Dan Martinez Lupe Ramos Watson City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF LA QUINTA By: By: Tom Genovese Don Adolph City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF PALM DESERT By: By: John Wohlmuth Jean Benson City Manager APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL Mayor (-r ATTEST: 64AI 7 CITY OF PALM SPRINGS By: Aedw mes omp son Stephen Pougnet City Clerk Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE By: By: Patrick Pratt Richard W. Kite City Manager Mayor ATTEST: COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE By: By: Clerk to the Board Bob Buster Board Chairman ATTEST: AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS By: By: Thomas Davis Richard M. Milanovich Chief Planning and Development Officer Tribal Board Chairman ATTEST: TORRES MARTINEZ BAND OF DESERT CAHUILLA INDIANS By: By: David Roosevelt Tribal Board Chairman ATTEST: CVAG By: By: Tom Kirk, Yvonne Parks Executive Director CVAG Chair A.�It?A,L M�A4 i$ u m t �c* `qa 4-ORATFp c1,0% P CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Date: June 1, 2011 CONSENT CALENDAR Subject: SUPPORT OF DAILY SUNSET LIMITED PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE From: David H. Ready, City Manager Initiated by: Public Works and Engineering Department SUMMARY On March 28, 2011, the CVAG Executive Committee adopted a Resolution supporting daily Sunset Limited passenger rail service. It is necessary for the Council to concur and adopt the Resolution adopted by CVAG. RECOMMENDATION: 1) Approve and support CVAG Resolution No. 11-003, a Resolution In Support of Amtrak's Sunset Limited Plan to provide Daily Intercity Rail Service from Los Angeles, California, to San Antonio, Texas, via the Coachella Valley; and 2) Authorize the Mayor to execute all necessary documents. STAFF ANALYSIS: At their meeting in October 2010 the Executive Committee accepted the 2010 Update to the Coachella Valley Passenger Rail Study. The update was undertaken with substantial input from the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC). At that meeting the Executive Committee approved the following CVAG staff recommendations: A. Encourage Establishment of Daily Intercity Rail Service by Amtrak as the Intermediate Goal of bringing Passenger Rail Service into the Coachella Valley, and; B. Encourage Amtrak to operate a Daily Sunset Limited passenger service on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks from Los Angeles, through Fullerton, to Colton. ITEM, NO. �-v�-- City Council Staff Report June 1, 2011 - Page 2 Resolution in Support of Amtrak's Sunset Limited Plan At their February 2011 meeting the RCTC staff presented a report on rail matters that affect the RCTC service area, including the Coachella Valley. Among the actions recommended by RCTC was the adoption of a Resolution in support of Amtrak's Sunset Limited Plan to provide daily intercity rail service from Los Angeles to San Antonio, via the Coachella Valley. In support of these efforts, and in keeping with the CVAG Executive Committee's action, attached is CVAG Resolution 11-003 adopted by CVAG in support of Amtrak's Sunset Limited Plan to provide daily intercity rail service from Los Angeles, California, to San Antonio, Texas, via the Coachella Valley. FISCAL IMPACT: None SUBMITTED: Prepared by: Recommended by: Marcus L. Fuller David J. Barakian Assistant Director of Public Works Director of Public Works/City Engineer Approved by: r Thomas J. 7 son, Asst. City Manager David H. Ready, Cit ager r ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution r 111112MR2K.1-011111 .. CVAG Resolution No. 11-003 Resolution In Support of Amtrak's Sunset Limited Plan to provide Daily Intercity Rail Service from Los Angeles, California, to San Antonio, Texas, via the Coachella Valley WHEREAS, Amtrak currently operates the Sunset Limited intercity passenger train three days a week with service between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley in Riverside County; and WHEREAS, Amtrak has developed a Performance Improvement Plan that will increase the service frequency to occur daily in the Coachella Valley and will reroute the Sunset Limited to provide new service via Riverside and Fullerton: and WHEREAS, there is strong local support to expand existing and establish new intercity rail passenger service in the Coachella Valley and the Banning Pass area; and WHEREAS, the Coachella Valley and the Banning Pass area are experiencing rapid population growth and demand on this route will continue to increase; and WHEREAS, no other public transit options exist between the Coachella Valley and Los Angeles; and WHEREAS, expanded and new intercity passenger rail service to the Coachella Valley will ease congestion on local roads and freeways, provide new economic opportunity and improve mobility and the quality of life in the Inland Empire; and WHEREAS, both expanded daily service or new service to the Coachella Valley would use the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) route between Los Angeles and Colton, and the Union Pacific route from Colton to Indio; and WHEREAS, the implementation of this service will require the cooperation of both the Union Pacific and BNSF railroads to operate trains over the host railroad rights of way; and WHEREAS, the Riverside County Transportation Commission has some limited contractual rights with the railroads that it will use to support the expanded service. CITY OF BLYTHE-CITY OF CATHEDRAL.CITY•CITY OF COACHELLA•CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS•CITY OF INDIAN WELLS 3 CITY OF INDIO•CITY OF LA QUINTA•CITY OF PALM DESERT•CITY OF PALM SPRINGS•CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE•COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS•CABAZON BAND OF MISSION INDIANS NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Coachella Valley Association of Governments does hereby endorse and support Amtrak's Performance Improvement Plan to establish daily Sunset Limited intercity rail service between Los Angeles, California, and San Antonio, Texas, via the Coachella Valley. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Resolution Number 11-003 to be executed by their duly authorized representatives on this date: , 2011. ATTEST: CITY OF BLYTHE By: By: David Lane Joseph De Coninck City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY By: By: Donald Bradley Kathleen De Rosa City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF COACHELLA By: By: David Garcia Eduardo Garcia City Manager Mayor ATTEST: DESERT HOT SPRINGS By: By: Rick Daniels Yvonne Parks City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF INDIAN WELLS By: By. Greg Johnson Patrick Mullany City Manager Mayor t ATTEST: CITY OF INDIO By: By: Dan Martinez Lupe Ramos Watson City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF LA QUINTA BY By: Tom Genovese Don Adolph City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF PALM DESERT By: By: John Wohlmuth Jean Benson City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS By: By: David Ready Stephen Pougnet City Manager Mayor ATTEST: CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE By: By: Patrick Pratt Richard W. Kite City Manager Mayor ATTEST: COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE By: By: Clerk to the Board Bob Buster Board Chairman