For years, Reche Canyon Road has been a popular shortcut between Colton and Moreno Valley. In fact, commuters from Riverside County presently account for the majority of cars—up to 85%—traveling on Reche Canyon Road at peak travel times of the day. Even though the traffic impact of local residents is relatively small, future regional development will almost certainly continue to stress Reche Canyon’s roadway system.
Nevertheless, with community participation and support—and funds generated by local development—positive changes are possible.
Driven by resident concerns
Arizona State University and University Realty are currently studying Reche Canyon Road to identify feasible road improvements. In addition to its own studies and community workshops, University Realty has offered its help and support to Colton’s Reche Canyon Ad Hoc Committee.
New road connections and more
University Realty has recently announced that it is collaborating with other developers to create a new connection between the canyon and Barton Road to provide residents with secondary access and an additional evacuation route in case of emergency.
Along with the City’s planned extension of Hunts Lane, this new connection could help divert enough cars to lessen the communter impact on Reche Canyon.
With developer funding, other potential improvements could help address issues such as traffic flow, speeding, policing, student safety, and car/burro collisions.