A No-Build Alternative will be evaluated because evaluation of No Action is required by NEPA. The No-Build Alternative consists of existing and programmed services that currently serve the Corridor (connecting the Coachella Valley with the Los Angeles Basin). As discussed in Section 3.2.2, five intercity rail and bus services currently provide such regional linkages:
The Amtrak Sunset Limited provides long-distance passenger rail service three times per week between Palm Springs and LAUS as part of its route between Los Angeles and New Orleans;
The Amtrak Thruway service provides two bus trips each way daily between Indio and Fullerton for passengers riding on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner;
The SunLine Commuter Link 220 provides two bus trips each way between Palm Desert and the Riverside Metrolink station on weekdays during commute hours;
The Beaumont Commuter Link 120 provides seven bus trips each way between Beaumont and the San Bernardino Metrolink station on weekdays; and
Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service that connects various locations throughout the Los Angeles Basin with Banning, Palm Springs, and Indio.
No new corridor services are programmed and funded for implementation at this time. As indicated in Table 25, the No-Build Alternative would not meet most of the Purpose and Need objectives. However, the No-Build Alternative is carried forward throughout the Study to serve as the baseline for comparison of the route alternatives. Figure 38 illustrates the rail and transit services connecting the Coachella Valley and Los Angeles Basin, and Figure 39 illustrates the cities connected by Greyhound service.
The range of route alternatives and service options to be evaluated in the initial round of coarse-level screening are
Table 25. Purpose & Need Objectives Consistency for No-Build Alternative
# Purpose & Need Objective Consistency for No-Build Alternative
1
Provides travelers between the Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles Basin with a public
transportation service that offers more convenient and competitive trip times, better station access, and more frequency, than currently-available public transportation services
Objective Not Achieved. The No-Build Alternative does
not include any programmed improvements to existing services, so this alternative does not improve upon the travel times of existing services.
2
Provides travelers between the Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles Basin with an alternative to driving that offers reliable travel schedules.
Objective Not Achieved. Existing services are limited
and not convenient and reliable for most travelers because of service timing, frequency, or poor connections as noted below.
• The Amtrak Sunset Limited operates only three times per week, stops in Palm Springs after midnight at a station location 2.5 miles from the edge of the developed part of the city, often runs well behind schedule because of delays during its long cross-country journey, and there is no connecting service to provide access to the station.
• Of existing services only the Sunset Limited would be able to operate through San Gorgonio Pass in the event of Interstate 10 being shut down.
• The Amtrak Thruway bus service carries only travelers with a ticket to ride on a connecting Amtrak train, provides only two round trips each day to the Amtrak station in Fullerton, and operates in a highly congested freeway corridor. • The SunLine Commuter Link 220 bus only serves
the schedule of commuters, with two weekday trips into Riverside in the morning and two trips back to the Coachella Valley at the end of the normal work day.
• The Beaumont Commuter Link 120 travels only as far east as Beaumont so it does not serve the eastern part of the pass area or the Coachella Valley and does not provide weekend service. • Greyhound does not conveniently serve most of
the corridor travelers from the Coachella Valley, the Indio station is located in the eastern end of the Corridor, and the Palm Springs stop is at the Amtrak station, which is in a remote location with no transit access.
3
Provides travelers between the Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles Basin with a transportation service that is affordable.
Objective Achieved. Existing services are affordable.
4
Serves a range of trip purposes traveling between the Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles Basin, particularly including business, social, medical, leisure, and recreational trips.
Objective Not Achieved. Existing services are limited
and not convenient for most travelers because of service timing, frequency, or poor connections (see Objective 2 explanation above.) In addition, the Commuter Link bus services do not provide the kinds of traveler amenities desired by leisure and recreational travelers. The intercity (Greyhound) buses do have traveler amenities.
Table 25. Purpose & Need Objectives Consistency for No-Build Alternative
# Purpose & Need Objective Consistency for No-Build Alternative
5
Improves regional travel opportunities between the Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles Basin for transit-dependent people.
Objective Not Achieved. The No-Build Alternative does
not include any programmed improvements to existing services, so this alternative does not enhance the regional travel connections.
6
Is planned to serve the expected population growth in the Coachella Valley and the Los Angeles Basin.
Objective Not Achieved. The No-Build Alternative does
not include any programmed improvements to existing services, so this alternative does not do anything to enhance service for the growing regional population.
7
Does not preclude, by choice of alignment or technology, a possible future corridor expansion between the Coachella Valley and Phoenix.
Objective Achieved. Existing Greyhound service
provides connections from the Coachella Valley to Phoenix and could be expanded.
Figure 38. No-Build Alternative - Transit and Rail Services
Figure 39. No-Build Alternative - Intercity Bus Service