Trustee Mendez spearheads campus Intermodal Transportation Center
Caroline Carroll, Staff Writer
March 23, 2015
Filed under News
Board of Trustees Member Gary Mendez presented the Rio Hondo Intermodal Transportation Center and Park at the Feb. 10 ICC meeting.
Trustee Mendez introduced the concept of the Intermodal Transportation Center as a welcome center, describing it as “the transition from the public to the college; this multi-use facility would serve as a hub for alternative modes of transportation including bus, bicycle, walking pedestrians and rideshare.”
Student Javier Cano who attended the ICC meeting said, “The Rio Hondo College Intermodal Transportation Center is a great idea, it would make our school look more welcoming and it would be safer for students to get up the hill”.
Trustee Mendez often rides the bus to campus meetings and is concerned with the traffic congestion that is caused when bus drivers unload students on Workman Mill Road.
Trustee Mendez is not the only member of the Board of Trustees concerned with student’s safety. Student Trustee “JJ” Magallón supports this project for many reasons,
“The welcome center would be the new face of the college; it will feature an information center. Those with any questions about the school could get an answer without having to go up the hill. I liked that the sidewalks are going to wrap around the campus, and would link all around the college so students would not have to walk on the streets anymore. The bike paths were also a good idea, it would promote students to ride their bicycles to campus rather than drive their cars and they would feel good knowing their bike was secure.”
The new bus cut-in lanes would allow bus drivers to pull aside to pick up and drop off pedestrians without jeopardizing the safety of other traffic. The bike cut-in lanes would also make it ADA compliant.
Currently the bottom of the hill may seem unwelcoming and is susceptible to severe traffic jams. The new bus stop would feature new applications with GPS for live location of busses. Another goal is to increase the visibility of the busses from all bus stops.
One of the upgrades would be a Bicycle hub. Rio Hondo College would be linked to the Whittier Green trails. Designated bike paths from Beverly, South El Monte, Pico Rivera, City of Industry/Hacienda Heights, and the San Gabriel River Bike paths will connect to the campus.
The total estimated cost for this construction project is $3.5 Million. However, Chairman of the Board Supervisor, Fourth District Don Knabe generously donated $1.5 Million for sidewalks along Workman Mill Road.
The welcome center would offer a serene, resting area, a new information center, equipped with restrooms, retail venues and a hydration station all powered by self-sustaining energy.
The plans include a new shuttle drop-off and visitor parking, the idea being for students to transition from their transportation to the campus in an easy, stress-free manner.
The anticipated date of completion for this project is Fall 2016. The project is still in its planning phases, the blue prints need to be approved through the Division of the State Architect and usually take 4-6 months.
- See more at: http://elpaisanoonline.com/news/2015/03/23/trustee-mendez-spearheads-campus-intermodal-transportation-center/#.dpuf
