Corona Mayor Jason Scott addressed the history and future of Corona at the State of the City address Friday March 15, 2013. In theme with the mottos embedded within the City seal, “To Cherish Our Past| To Plan Our Future,” Scott proclaimed his mission to “Serve Our Community.”
Scott opened with milestones our City will be reaching this year including the 100 year anniversary of the Corona Road Race which brought nearly 100,000 people to Corona in 1913. The centennial will be celebrated September 14 with a commemorative ride around the Grand Circle ending in a celebration at City Park [MAP].
Scott also took us back in time by taking us through a trip down memory lane presenting days long gone in Corona when the source of traffic was not the 91 freeway but the railroad prior to the bridge being built on Main Street. He walked through all the advances we’ve had in Corona transportation since he started driving in the 1970s and then brought us back to current-day projects that are in place to address today’s transportation concerns within Corona.
The first project which is scheduled to start this summer is the Foothill Parkway Project. The City of Corona’s Director of Public Works, Kip Field, described the project plans to connect Foothill Parkway to Green River Road. The project is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2015 and will also include a multi-purpose trail which will link to current trails leading into the Cleveland National Forest.
The second project discussed was the continued Expansion of the 91 Freeway in coalition with Riverside County Transportation Commission. The need to alleviate the traffic on the 91 Freeway has been obvious as it can be cited as one of top 15 most congested sites in the country. This project will allow for alleviation in traffic and also faster emergency response time.
The Project will begin construction early 2014 with plans of opening of the new lanes by 2017. For more details on the 91 expansion, watch this video for thorough explanation of the additional new express lanes and regular lanes stretching from the 71 freeway to the 15 freeway.
In his address, Scott also mentioned plans for the building of a bridge over railroad tracks at Auto Center Drive, the development of a Prado Sports Complex, and the planned expansion of the Corona Regional Hospital as a few ways we are continually planning our future and serving our community here in the place we love to call home.
If you did not have the privilege of attending event, you can watch the 2013 Mayor’s State of the City video here.
Boy, from a recap like that sounds like Scott is really going to make this town great once again, what a waste of resources.
100 year anniversary of what was the largest, highest paid winnings race in the country, and we celebrate it with a “commemorative ride around the Grand Circle ending in a celebration at City Park” that ought to really draw in the crowds. Hope everyone locks their car doors when they park at the city park. Maybe the city should think a little bigger and actually have a historic car race again. It sure wouldn’t hurt Corona to have 100,000 visitors for a weekend or keeping a little Corona history alive.
It sounds like they have all of our traffic problems solved also. Anyone want to put $$ on when any of these actually get started or completed? And wow, “additional new express lanes and regular lanes stretching from the 71 freeway to the 91 freeway”. How far exactly is that? Are they only expanding the on and off ramps between the 71 and 91?
We really need new leadership in this city…..