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Is There A Desire To Bring Back Streetcars To Riverside?

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Officials in Riverside are considering a plan to bring back streetcars.

A $237,500 grant from the state will enable the city to review how streetcars would impact traffic.

Proponents of the idea believe streetcars could help the city go green as well as serve more than 200,000 people who live and work in the city.

Leaders in Riverside sought the state grant from Caltrans through the Southern California Association of Governments.

Named "Riverside Reconnects," he first phase of the streetcar project would develop a four-mile link between UC Riverside and the city's western limits via University and Magnolia Avenues.

The Riverside Connects name refers to the fact that the city of Riverside once was among Southern California cities served by the Pacific Electric Railway's Red Car Line, officials said.

Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey can be counted on as someone on board. "This is a real milestone for Riverside Reconnects. This grant from Caltrans, received with the help of SCAG, our major regional planning agency, really validates the streetcar concept and allows us to move forward on a serious examination of important next steps."

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

 

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