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4. MOBILITY
AB 1358 – Complete Streets Act
The California Complete Streets Act of 2008 was signed into law on September 30,
2008. Beginning January 1, 2011, AB 1358 required circulation elements to address the
transportation system from a multi-modal perspective. The Complete Streets Act also
requires circulation elements to consider the multiple users of the transportation
system, including children, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities. For further
clarity, AB 1358 tasks the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research with release of
guidelines for compliance which are so far undeveloped.
SB 375 – Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act
On December 11, 2008, the Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted its Proposed Scoping
Plan for AB 32. This scoping plan included the approval of SB 375 as the means for
achieving regional transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) targets. SB 375
provides guidance on how curbing emissions from cars and light trucks can help the
Example features of a well-connected
transportation network
Example of a well-defined and protected
bicycle lane
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state comply with AB 32. SB 375 is implemented by Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (MPO’s) such as the Southern California Association of Governments
(SCAG) through plans called Regional Transportation Plans/Sustainable Communities
Strategies (RTP/SCS). The RTP/SCS describe a series of measures which the MPO,
counties, and cities will undertake to address GHG reduction within the context of
regional growth.
SB 743 – General CEQA Reform
On September 27, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 743 into law. A key element
of this law is the potential elimination or deemphasizing of auto delay, level of service
(LOS), and other similar measures of vehicular capacity or traffic congestion as a basis
for determining significant impacts in many parts of the State. According to the
legislative intent contained in SB 743, these changes to current practice were
necessary to “More appropriately balance the needs of congestion management with
statewide goals related to infill development, promotion of public health through
active transportation, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”
As noted, SB 743 requires impacts to transportation network performance to be
viewed through a filter that promotes the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the
development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses.
Some alternative metrics were identified in the law including vehicle miles traveled
(VMT) or automobile trip generation rates. SB 743 does not prevent a city or county
from continuing to analyze delay or LOS as part of other plans (i.e., the general plan),
studies, or ongoing network monitoring, but these metrics may no longer constitute
the sole basis for determining CEQA impacts
The transportation system in Palm Desert includes diverse elements including
roadway systems, bicycle systems, and golf cart facilities, as well as a public transit
system providing both local and regional bus service.
Regional connectivity to the City of Palm Desert is provided by Interstate 10, Highway
111, and California State Route 74. Within Palm Desert, major roadways include
Highway 111, Fred Waring Drive, Country Club Drive, Frank Sinatra Drive, Gerald Ford
Drive, Dinah Shore Drive, Monterey Avenue, Portola Avenue, Cook Street, and
Washington Street. Higher volume roadways within the city include Washington
Street, (over 40,000 vehicles per day), Monterey Avenue (over 40,000 vehicles per
day), Highway 111 (over 30,000 vehicles per day), and Fred Waring Drive (over 30,000
vehicles per day). The City maintains an extensive network of traffic signals along their
roadways.
This existing roadway network is supplemented by fixed route bus lines, which are
provided by Sunline Transit currently. Sunline also provides paratransit service to
supplement this fixed route service. Current service headways range from 20 minutes
to 60 minutes during the weekdays. Less frequent service is provided on nights and
weekends.
Connections to these roadway and transit facilities are provided through a network of
sidewalks and crosswalks. The pedestrian environment in the city can be grouped into
three classifications. First, there are multiple locations where there are high levels of
Example of traffic calming measures
Example of a scenic bicycle path
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pedestrian accommodations. One example of this highly amenitized environment is
found along on El Paseo which has ample sidewalks, shading, and street furniture. The
second level of accommodation occurs on roadways like Monterey Avenue where
sidewalks are provided but not buffered from adjacent traffic. There are also roadways
which currently lack sidewalks, such as portions of Fred Waring Drive and Highway
111.
The city has a robust network of bicycle and golf cart trails throughout the city, which
are configured either as exclusive off-street facilities or through on-street designated
lanes.
In its current form, the city’s transportation system faces a number of challenges
including:
The predominant mode of travel is the automobile;
The predominant land use patterns make walking, biking, and transit use
challenging; and
There are moderate levels of vehicle congestion, though this may worsen if
through traffic increases or there are areas of significant development
intensity in the city.
Figure 4.1 documents the proposed roadway network for the city, based on the
roadway typologies described below. Figure 4.2 illustrates the proposed bicycle
network, and Figure 4.3 proposed golf cart routes, and Figure 4.4 illustrates truck
routes through Palm Desert.
Example of well-designed urban streets
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City BoundaryCollector Street
Downtown Collector
Vehicular Oriented Arterial
Secondary Street
Enhanced Secondary Roadway
Enhanced Arterial
El PaseoBalanced Arterial
Local Street
See Inset
¯
Inset
City of Palm Desert General Plan
Figure 4.1 Proposed Circulation Network
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Updated: Oct 2024
Revisions include:
CC RES 2019-76A
0 1 20.5
Miles
Chapter 4: Mobility
Highway 111
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Highway 111
I10
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Enhanced Arterials serve vehicular traffic but also have augmented bicycle and
pedestrian facilities. Emphasis is placed on enhanced pedestrian crossings, street
trees, and other similar amenities. Speeds are managed through mechanisms such as
narrower lanes, shorter blocks, and enhanced landscaping.
The general cross-section consists of a six-lane divided roadway, including a wide
median with trees and landscaping. This facility may provide dedicated left turn lanes
as well as a right turn lane where warranted. An Enhanced Arterial is designed to
accommodate approximately 45,000 vehicles at Level of Service (LOS) C. A typical
cross-section is provided below.
Typical pedestrian facilities found on Enhanced Arterials are wide sidewalks with
landscaping and tree shading. Additionally, typical bicycle facilities provided are
buffered Bicycle Lanes.
Within Palm Desert, Highway 111, between Monterey Avenue and Deep Canyon Road,
is a proposed Enhanced Arterial.
Example of a buffered bicycle lane Example of a landscaped median
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Vehicular Oriented Arterials prioritize the movement of automobiles. Bicycle and
pedestrian facilities are provided wherever possible but are not emphasized. Driveway
spacing is limited to reduce conflicts with through traffic.
The general cross-section consists of a six-lane divided roadway, including a median
with trees and landscaping. This facility may consist of dedicated left turn lanes as well
as a right turn lane where warranted. A Vehicular Oriented Arterial is designed to
accommodate approximately 45,000 vehicles at Level of Service (LOS) C. Typical cross-
sections are provided below.
Typical bicycle facilities found on Vehicular Oriented Arterials are Shared Sidewalks
and Bicycle Lanes.
Within Palm Desert, examples of proposed Vehicular Oriented Arterials include (1)
Monterey Avenue, (2) Cook Street, (3) Washington Street, (4) Fred Waring Drive, and
(5) Highway 111 between the western City boundary and Monterey Avenue and
between Deep Canyon Road and the eastern City boundary.
Cook Street, between Gerald Ford Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive, is designated as a
Vehicular Oriented Arterial in this General Plan. It serves vehicles as it provides direct
access to/from I-10 as one of only three interchanges within the City (although Portola
Road is planned to be a fourth interchange in the future). However, the roadway also
bisects the University Area and divides housing and retail from the Cal State
campus. Additionally, the current volume on Cook Street (and future volume
projections) are more similar to a Balanced Arterial designation rather than a
Vehicular Oriented Arterial (e.g. less than 30,000 ADT). As such, Cook Street in this
Typical bicycle facilities found on Vehicular Oriented Arterials are Shared Sidewalks and Bicycle Lanes.
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area needs to have special considerations associated with treatment of the facility and
allow the facility to change as land use and vehicle demands change with future
development, allowing this short segment of Cook Street to serve as a unifying feature
of the Cal State campus and the rest of the University Area rather than a dividing
feature. Thus, this General Plan provides guidance on how to manage and configure
this segment of Cook Street as an interim condition until such time as all of the roads
potential vehicle capacity is necessary. The following approach and metrics have been
developed to assist the City in determining when and how the street should change
over time:
The City should maintain sufficient rights-of-way to provide six lanes on Cook
Street should it ever be needed;
In the interim, the City will continue to monitor and study additional access to
I-10 (i.e., Portola interchange completion), student population, and bicycle
and pedestrian access to the university as triggers for when and whether
Cook Street should be treated more like a Balanced Arterial with four travel
lanes in each direction;
To achieve four lanes along the corridor, the City should consider interim
improvements that do not jeopardize the ultimate major infrastructure (e.g.
curbs, gutter, and drainage facilities) such as paint treatments and movable
decorative pots or bollards;
The City should time the interim Balanced Arterial roadway treatments with
new development on Cook Street that is designed and built with an
orientation to Cook Street so as to maximize the potential placemaking
benefits of an integrated land use and transportation system; and
The City should monitor Cook Street ADT, as well as overall Citywide demand
for I-10 access at all four future interchanges so as to balance the needs of
the university and access to I-10.
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Balanced Arterials strive for a balance between all transportation modalities, including
vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities are provided,
though not at the level of the enhanced arterial.
The general cross-section consists of a four-lane divided roadway, including either a
median or a two-way left turn lane. This facility may consist of dedicated left turn
lanes as well as right turn lanes where warranted. A Balanced Arterial is designed to
accommodate approximately 30,000 vehicles at Level of Service (LOS) C. Typical cross-
sections are provided below.
Typical pedestrian facilities found on Balanced Arterials are sidewalks with landscaping
and tree shading. Typical bicycle facilities are Shared Sidewalks and Bicycle Lanes.
Within Palm Desert, examples of proposed Balanced Arterials include (1) Portola
Avenue between Dinah Shore Drive and Haystack Road, (2) Frank Sinatra Drive
between Monterey Avenue and Interstate 10, (3) Hovley Lane between Portola
Avenue and Washington Street, (4) El Dorado Drive between Frank Sinatra Drive and
Hovley Lane, and (5) Gerald Ford Drive between Monterey Avenue and Cook Street.
Typical pedestrian facilities found on Balanced Arterials are sidewalks with landscaping and tree
shading. Typical bicycle facilities are Shared Sidewalks and Bicycle Lanes.
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Enhanced secondary roadways provide high levels of bicycle and pedestrian amenities,
similar to enhanced arterials. Vehicular circulation is accommodated but not
emphasized.
The general cross-section consists of a four-lane divided roadway with a median. This
facility may provide dedicated left turn lanes. An Enhanced Secondary Roadway is
designed to accommodate approximately 30,000 vehicles at Level of Service (LOS) C. A
typical cross-section is provided below.
Typical pedestrian facilities found on Enhanced Secondary Roadways are wide
sidewalks with landscaping and tree shading. Additionally, typical bicycle facilities
provided are buffered Bicycle Lanes.
Within Palm Desert, examples of proposed Enhanced Secondary Roadways include (1)
Gerald Ford Drive, between Cook Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, (2) Magnesia Falls
Drive, (3) Parkview Drive, and (4) San Pablo Avenue.
Typical pedestrian facilities found on Enhanced Secondary Roadways are wide sidewalks with landscaping and tree shading.
Additionally, typical bicycle facilities provided are buffered Bicycle Lanes.
Example of a buffered sidewalk Example of a designated left turn lane
with median
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Secondary Streets provide a balance between vehicular circulation, property access,
and non-automotive modes. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities are provided, but not at
the level of the enhanced secondary roadway.
The general cross-section of a Secondary Street consists of a four-lane divided
roadway with a median. This facility may provide dedicated left turn lanes. A
Secondary Street is designed to accommodate approximately 30,000 vehicles at Level
of Service (LOS) C. Typical cross-sections are provided below.
Typical bicycle facilities found on Secondary Streets are Shared Roadways and Bicycle
Lanes.
Within Palm Desert, examples of proposed Secondary Streets include (1) Deep Canyon
Road between Highway 111 and Fred Waring Drive, (2) Mesa View Drive, (3) Portola
Avenue between Mesa View Drive and Haystack Road, and (4) Gateway Drive.
Typical bicycle facilities found on Secondary Streets are hared Roadways and Bicycle Lanes.
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Downtown Collector streets funnel pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic to and
from neighborhoods to downtown Palm Desert.
The general cross-section of a Downtown Collector street consists of a two-lane
undivided roadway. A Collector Street is designed to accommodate approximately
10,000 vehicles at Level of Service (LOS) C. A typical cross-section is provided below.
Typical bicycle facilities provided on Downtown Collector streets are buffered Bicycle
Lanes. Additionally, pedestrian facilities include sidewalks with landscaping and
enhanced pedestrian-level lighting.
Within Palm Desert, examples of proposed Downtown Collector streets include (1) San
Gorgonio Way, (2) De Anza Way, (3) Shadow Mountain Drive, and (4) Deep Canyon
Road, between Magnesia Falls Drive and Fred Waring Drive and between Highway 111
and Fairway Drive.
Typical bicycle facilities of a Downtown Collector street consisting of a two-lane undivided roadway
with buffered bicycle lanes.
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Collector streets funnel pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic to Enhanced
Arterials, Vehicular Oriented Arterials, Balanced Arterials, Enhanced Secondary
Roadways, and Secondary Streets.
The general cross-section of a Collector Street consists of a two-lane undivided
roadway. A Collector Street is designed to accommodate approximately
10,000 vehicles at Level of Service (LOS) C. A typical cross-section is provided
below.
Typical bicycle facilities provided on Collector Streets are Shared Roadways.
Within Palm Desert, examples of proposed Collector Streets include (1)
Grapevine Street, (2) California Drive, (3) Hovley Lane West, between
Monterey Avenue and Portola Avenue, (4) College Drive, and (5) Haystack
Road.
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Typical bicycle facilities provided on Collector Streets are Shared Roadways.
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El Paseo is a key commercial roadway for the city. This roadway prioritizes property
access and includes a very high level of pedestrian amenities.
The cross-section for El Paseo consists of four vehicular travel lanes, two parking lanes,
and a wide median with trees and landscaping. Dedicated left turn lanes are provided
as well as a right turn lane where warranted. The typical cross-section for El Paseo is
provided below. It would also be acceptable and effective to have two lanes, wider
sidewalks, and diagonal parking.
Typical pedestrian facilities found on El Paseo are wide sidewalks with landscaping and tree shading.
Additionally, typical bicycle facilities provided are Shared Roadways.
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Figure 4.2 documents the future bicycle and golf cart network within Palm Desert.
These routes are for use by bicycles, pedestrians, and slow speed vehicles. Key facility
types shown on these maps are described in Table 4-1 below.
Classification Description
CV Link A regional off-street facility for NEV’s,
bicyclists, and pedestrians. This facility
will be overseen and maintained by
CVAG.
Class I These are off-street facilities, which can
be shared between golf carts, bicyclists,
and pedestrians.
Class II
These are on-street facilities, which can
be used by either bicycles only or as
joint use facilities used by golf carts and
bicycles. These facilities are designated
either by striping or through physical
separations in the roadway.
Class III These are on-street facilities designated
through signage that do not provide a
separate space.
Class S These are shared sidewalks that provide
facilities for both pedestrians and
bicyclists.
CV Link Connectors
These facilities would provide additional
connections to the CV Link Facility
through signage, crossing treatments, or
separate facilities that provide
connections from the city to the CV Link
Facility.
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1.1 Complete Streets. Consider all modes of travel in planning, design, and
construction of all transportation projects to create safe, livable, and
inviting environments for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public
transit users of all ages and capabilities.
1.2 Transportation System Impacts. Evaluate transportation and
development projects in a manner that addresses the impacts of all travel
modes on all other travel modes through the best available practices.
1.3 Facility Service Levels. Determine appropriate service levels for all modes
of transportation and develop guidelines to evaluate impacts to these
modes for all related public and private projects.
1.4 Transportation Improvements. Consider improvements that add roadway
or intersection capacity for vehicles only after considering improvements
to other modes of travel.
1.5 Transportation Network Consistency. Perform a formal evaluation of any
transportation projects to verify consistency with the goals and policies in
the General Plan prior to approving funding for those projects.
1.6 Emergency Vehicle Access. Evaluate the impacts of transportation
network changes on emergency vehicle access and response times.
1.7 System Efficiency. Prioritize transportation systems management (TSM)
strategies such as signal coordination, signal retiming, and other
applicable techniques to limit unnecessary delay and congestion for
vehicles.
2.1 Public Parking Facilities. Provide new public parking facilities only after
applying appropriate techniques to manage parking demand and ensure
efficient use of all public and private parking facilities.
2.2 Parking Management. Actively manage public parking facilities to ensure
that all potential users are benefitting from this civic resource.
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2.3 Parking Cost Effectiveness. Continue to evaluate supply and demand and
implement appropriate strategies to maximize use and cost effectiveness
of public parking facilities.
2.4 Public/Private Partnerships. Promote the use of joint public and private
approaches to parking which might include leasing of private parking lots
for short-term or long-term use, using public parking for temporary
private functions, or the construction of joint-use facilities.
2.5 Innovative Parking Approaches. Allow the use of innovative parking
supply and demand strategies such as shared parking, unbundling
parking, and other related items within privately owned parking facilities
to allow an appropriate level of flexibility for these private land owners.
2.6 Formal Parking Evaluations. Perform formal evaluations of parking
capacity on a biannual basis to identify areas where parking is under- or
over-utilized.
2.7 Pick-up and Drop-off Zones. Encourage parking lots to be designed with
pick-up and drop-off zones to accommodate the trend towards increased
use of autonomous vehicles and shared vehicle services.
3.1 Pedestrian Network. Provide a safe and convenient circulation system for
pedestrians that include sidewalks, crosswalks, places to sit and gather,
appropriate street lighting, buffers from moving vehicles, shading, and
amenities for people of all ages.
3.2 Prioritized Improvements. Prioritize pedestrian improvements in areas of
the city with community and/or education facilities, supportive land use
patterns, expressed community interest in better pedestrian
infrastructure, and non-automotive connections such as multi-use trails
and transit stops.
3.3 Roadway Sidewalks. Where feasible, provide adequate sidewalks along
all public roadways.
3.4 Access to Development. Require that all new development projects or
redevelopment projects provide connections from the site to the external
pedestrian network.
3.5 Pedestrian Education and Awareness. Support regional efforts to
encourage walking and also to reduce vehicular/pedestrian collisions.
3.6 Safe Pedestrian Routes to School. Consider school access as a priority
over vehicular movements when any such conflicts occur.
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4.1 Bicycle Networks. Provide bicycle facilities where shown on Figure 4.2
along all roadways to implement the proposed network of facilities
outlined in the General Plan.
4.2 Prioritized Improvements. Prioritize and capitalize on opportunities to
provide bicycle facilities that connect community facilities, supportive
land use patterns, pedestrian routes, and transit stations.
4.3 Bicycle Parking. Require public and private development to provide
sufficient bicycle parking.
4.4 Bicycle Education. Develop educational programs that educate bicyclists
on lawful/responsible riding.
4.5 Regional Bicycle Safety. Support regional efforts to educate all travelers
on measures to improve safety for bicyclists.
5.1 Transit Service. Promote public transit service in areas of the City with
appropriate levels of density, mix of residential and employment uses,
and connections to bicycle and pedestrian networks.
5.2 Bus Stop Location. Regularly review bus stop locations in conjunction
with Sunline Transit to ensure that bus stops reflect current land use and
transportation networks.
5.3 Private Transit. Encourage the implementation of private transit services
in a manner which minimizes negative impacts on public transportation
facilities.
5.4 Senior Transit. Encourage existing para transit services in the City to
provide transit access for seniors and persons with disabilities.
5.5 Private Development Access to Transit. Review development proposals
to limit impacts on existing or proposed transit facilities.
5.6 Safe Routes to Transit. Regularly review transit stop locations to maintain
safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists.
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6.1 Fair Share Costs. Require that new development pay for its fair share of
construction costs related to new and/or upgraded infrastructure needed
to accommodate the development.
6.2 Multi-Modal Impacts. Develop and apply funding mechanisms that
require fair share contributions for impacts to all modes of transportation
associated with development or redevelopment.
6.3 Operations and Maintenance Costs. Evaluate potential changes in
Citywide operations and maintenance costs for transportation facilities
prior to the construction of any new facilities.
6.4 Development Contribution to Operations and Maintenance Costs.
Consider funding strategies that require private development to
contribute to the ongoing operations and maintenance of transportation
infrastructure within the City.
6.5 Cap-and-Trade Funds. Take advantage of funds from the State’s cap-and-
trade program to apply to projects and programs in the City, when
possible.
7.1 Ongoing Monitoring. Regularly monitor the performance of all major
transportation facilities within the City including major roadways,
pedestrian facilities, bicycle lanes, and transit stops.
7.2 Safety Review. Continue to coordinate with law enforcement agencies to
identify major accident locations including those affecting vehicles,
bicyclists, and pedestrians. Regularly publish reports regarding traffic
safety conditions in the city.
8.1 Alternative Fueled City Owned Vehicles. Encourage the purchase of City
vehicles which use fuel sources other than fossil fuels while considering
factors such as cost effectiveness, environmental impacts, and the
availability of local maintenance.
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8.2 Innovative Vehicle Technologies. Regularly monitor and evaluate new
vehicle technologies such as autonomous and connected vehicles for use
by City Staff.
8.3 Emerging Mobility Strategies. Encourage the deployment of emerging
transportation approaches such as transportation network companies,
mobility hubs and comprehensive mobility providers by private vendors.
8.4 Big Data. Regularly evaluate new data sources including but not limited to
real time traffic and parking information for use by City Staff and
residents.
8.5 Analysis Tools. Regularly evaluate state of the practice transportation
analysis tools and procedures to determine their utility in the analysis of
existing and future transportation conditions.
8.6 Electric Vehicles. Encourage the use of electric vehicles (EV), including
golf carts and Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV) by supporting the use
of EVs and encouraging NEV charging stations to be powered with
renewable resources.
9.1 Regional Vehicular Traffic. Be mindful of local impacts from regional
“through” traffic. Consider but don’t prioritize the movement of through
vehicles through Palm Desert roadways.
9.2 Regional Roadways. Coordinate with Caltrans, RCTC, CVAG, and other
agencies on the planning, design, and construction of regional roadways
to provide an appropriate level of regional connectivity.
9.3 Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities. Coordinate with CVAG and
other agencies on the planning, design, and construction of regional non-
motorized routes such as CV Link.
9.4 Regional Transit. Collaborate with RCTC, CVAG, and Sunline Transit in the
planning, design, and construction of regional transportation facilities,
emphasizing the construction of a Metrolink station in Palm Desert.
9.5 Regional Priorities. Identify and prioritize desired regional roadway,
transit, and non-motorized improvements to focus the City’s outreach
with agencies such as Caltrans, CVAG, RCTC, and elected officials.
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