(The following appeared on the Press-Enterprise website on March 31, 2011.)
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Nearly 40 years ago, Frances Villegas and her husband were looking for a house to buy in Riverside. When they saw the one-story half-brick, half-stucco home at the corner of Streeter Avenue and Lantana Street, they knew, “This is it.”
Now a planned railroad underpass a block and a half from their house means they need to move, likely within months.
The city is buying 20 homes and small pieces of several other properties along Streeter and some side streets to accommodate the $36.5 million underpass. The project will leave the train tracks in place, support them with a bridge and lower the street about 16 feet to pass below the tracks.
Riverside is crossed by two rail lines used by more than 100 trains a day. City officials have aggressively pursued money for over- and underpasses to alleviate traffic and pollution problems at crossings.
The full story is at www.pe.com.