Local counties to receive transportation funding

Some planned transportation projects, including several in the Inland Empire, will receive a major financial boost from Sacramento this month.

The 2014 Active Transportation Program, which was adopted last month by the California Transportation Commission, will provide $115.2 million for 68 projects in Southern California, according to a release.

Approximately 63 percent of that will go to the six counties that make up the Southern California Association of Governments.

Locally, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments will receive nearly $11 million for its Link project, which will connect eight cities and two Native American communities through a mix of pedestrian, bicycle, and low-speed electric vehicle routes.

Also, San Bernardino County will get $4.7 million to refurbish transit access for bicycle riders and pedestrians at the county’s Metrolink stations, and the association will be given $2.3 million to conduct a safety campaign on behalf of bicyclists and pedestrians, according to the statement.

When combined with other funding sources, the $115.2 million will result in $248 million worth of investment in transportation projects, according to the release.