Park and Ride a reality

It appears that the much talked about Tehachapi Park 'n' Ride project to be located on the north side of Tehachapi Blvd. between Mill St. and Pauley will become a reality. At the Aug. 21 City Council meeting, Development Services Director Jay Schlosser reminded council members that in August of 2015, they had directed City staff to pursue the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program funds to construct the Park and Ride facility. The application was successful and the City will receive the funds.

In 2016, the City began planning the approximately one acre facility. At the same time, they began negotiations with Union Pacific Railroad, owners of the property, for a ground lease similar to the ones they have for the Depot, Railroad Park and the parking lot at Taco Samich. The initial project included 100 to 120 parking spaces and a bus turnout for both east and west bound traffic of the Kern Regional Transit shuttles.

According to Schlosser, land lease negotiations took much longer than estimated. The final draft was presented to the Council at the Aug. 21 meeting. It proposes three consecutive five-year terms after which the lease will continue year to year. The City will pay $17,390 annually with an annual increase determined by the Consumer Price Index. The City will also be required to provide insurance and a fence along the north side of the property next to the tracks. This fence will be in addition to the one already planned along the south side of H St. which will be financed by an Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant.

The City Council voted unanimously to hire 4 Creeks Incorporated to complete the design of the project. They're the same firm that worked on the design for the Pilot Travel Center and "are a little more experienced with our standards", said Schlosser. He added that this project and the fence along H St. are expected to be completed in 2018.